Cynthia Ann Christine Rothrock (born March 8, 1957) is an American martial artist and actress in martial arts films. Rothrock holds black belt rankings in seven styles of martial arts and was a high-level competitor in martial arts before becoming an actress.

Karate Carrere:

Rothrock was a five times World Champion in forms and weapons between 1981 and 1985. These categories are not combat-oriented, being displays of fluidity of movement rather than fighting, and are not segregated into male and female categories but fully open to both categories.

She took first place in forms 32 times and first place in weapons 12 times in her first 38 tournaments, including competing in “Men’s Forms” three out of four times as there was no Women’s Division. She was “Grand Master” of five tournaments and came in first place in 4 out of 5 fighting events.

She holds seven black belts and sashes in multiple Far Eastern martial disciplines, including Tang Soo Do, Taekwondo (Korean), Eagle Claw (Chinese), Wushu, Northern Shaolin, Ng Ying Kungfu, and Pai Lum White Dragon Kung Fu. She received her 6th-degree black belt in Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan in 2006. She was tested by Grand Master Robert Kovaleski, 9th Dan and chair of the I.T.M.A., and was later promoted by him to 7th degree black belt in 2011 and 8th-degree black belt in 2015.  She is a martial arts instructor and her favorite weapons are the hook swords.

In 1983, Rothrock was inducted into the Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame as “Female Competitor of the Year”. She was the first woman to appear on the cover of a martial arts magazine, and in 1986 co-authored a book with George Chung titled Advanced Dynamic Kicks. In 2014, she was honored with the Legacy Award at the Urban Action Showcase & Expo at HBO.

Personal life:

At the age of 21, Cynthia married her Kung Fu instructor Ernest Rothrock on September 25, 1976, at St. Mary’s Church in the Greenwood section of Moosic. They have since divorced. She has one daughter, Skyler Sophia Rothrock. She works as a martial arts teacher and co-owns a martial arts studio in Studio City, California as part of the Z Ultimate Self Defense Studios chain of martial arts studios.