Women of
the Halls of Fame
Female Martial Artist
Hometown: Scranton, Pennsylvania
Year Inducted: 1999
Position: Eastern Martial Artist & Actress
Cynthia Rothrock began taking martial arts lessons at the age of 13. She had an immediate respect for the sport and spent a significant amount of her free time practicing in order to be the best in her class, as well as to achieve her own personal best.
Cynthia holds black belts in five martial arts:
Tang Soo Do (Korean)
Tae Kwon Do (Korean)
Eagle Claw (Chinese)
Wu Shu (Chinese)
Northern Shaolin (Chinese)
Between 1981 and 1985, she was the undefeated World Karate Champion. Cynthia has been inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame and the Kung-Fu Hall of Fame, in addition to her induction into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame.
Cynthia began her young acting career in a Kentucky Fried Chicken Commercial and has since combined her love of acting and her love of the martial arts together. She has starred in 30 action films, including Defend Yourself, Shanghai Express, and No Retreat, No Surrender.