Cynthia Rothrock in competition footage

[kingofkungfu2002]

Here's 2 clips of Cynthia at the 1985 Bermuda Championships. Enjoy :)

Cynthia form 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8fE-FgKv9U)

Cynthia weapons form (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HPi72sdOes)

[Yi Long]

TBH, that was a bit dissapointing. I always felt she was a great martial artist when I saw her in HK movies, but the performance here, which apparently won her a price, was nothing special. I felt she was lacking in power and form. Also seemed like the area she had to perform in was a bit too small. I know the form she does, and it onvolves quite a bit of running and jumping at times.

Still though, it wasnt a very impressive performance. I guess the standard back then in America was alot lower.

[kingofkungfu2002]

Well she is a 5 times champion, holds 5 black belts and is one of the most respected people in the martial arts, but everyone's entitled to their opinion.

[godzillakungfu]

and is one of the most respected people in the martial arts

Hmmmm I wouldn't go that far. Recognized female MA stars yes. One of the most respected in MA don't agree.

The amount of Black belts has no relation to respect.

[kingofkungfu2002]

Like I said, everyone's entitled to their opinion.

And I never said that she is respected because of the amount of belts she owns, she's respected for what she has achieved (I refer you to her induction into the Black Belt Hall Of Fame). Two totally different things.

[Chinatown Kid]

Rothrock isn't one of my favorite female action stars but she does deserve respect for her roles in MA movies and her accomplishments in the martial arts. Thanks for the clip kingofkungfu, I appreciate it.

[Yi Long]

Black belts sadly dont seem to mean much, cause there are too many 'schools' who are giving them away like candy.
I've seen lots and lots of 'black belts' who are really not worthy of calling themselfs martial artists.

I didnt mean to disrespect Cynthia btw. I'm sure she was the best back then in her field of expertise.
However, having seen lots and lots of kung fu demos, and me myself also having done a few, I just felt the performance that was shown in this particular video lacked the strenght and form you could and should expect from a 'black belt' and champion.

[Chinatown Kid]

That's true that many schools are just "Belt Factorys" and are there just for the money and could care less about the quality of the student. Though there might be alot of people who where just given a black belt without really deserving it doesn't mean alot more didn't go through hell(I know I did) to get it and really deserve it. To us that went through a rigourous test and put in all the time and practice to get there, a Black Belt means alot. ;)

As far as Rothrock, I thought she was a Kung Fu stylist and didn't have the Black Belt style ranking system, did she train in other arts like Karate or TKD?

[kingofkungfu2002]

Yeah, she started off training in Tang Soo Do (she's currently a 6th degree black belt). She's also a 2nd degree black belt in Taekwondo, and has also studied Eagle Claw, Northern Shaolin and WuShu.

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/9532/cynthiachinapc5.jpg

[Chinatown Kid]

Ah, thanks for that info. I didn't know she studied TKD too, I'm a second degree in that style as well. She's pretty high up in Tang Soo Do, that is Chuck Norris's original style as well. With those two along with the Kung Fu styles she studied, she must be a very versatile Martial Artist. She had some great flexibility from what I have seen in her movies.

[Yi Long]

She's absolutely GREAT in (HK) movies, yeah. That's why I reacted a bit surprised and dissapointed about the videofootage above. I really liked her in the Magic Crystal (bad movie, great action) and the movie she did with Chin Siu Ho.
I'm a Rothrock fan, but I do wish she would have done more great HK movies, instead of the horrible stuff she did in the USA. I also wish she would still be doing movies today (IF she can still deliver)

Quentin Tarentino seems to bring back lots of old b-actors and actresses, so why doesnt he make a kind of 'Bloodsport' -style movie, bringing back lots and lots of old favourites and introducing lots of cool characters and styles etc!? (And please leave out Carradine, who wasnt even a good 'martial artist' in his prime)

[kingofkungfu2002]

Oh she can definitely still deliver, I have footage of her 2005 trip to China with Eric Lee and various other friends, where she does some demos at the Shaolin Temple.

She cut down on her movie career when she became a mom and then opened up her own school. Although a new film is in the pipeline called 'The Missing Link', which will be a horror/action movie.

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/4922/crfc2dd3.jpg

[killer meteor]

She's so beautiful - especially since she's got rid of that Peter Pan look from the 80's

[Chen Zhen]

yeah that tomboy-ish haircut had to go

[EvilMantis]

Even by 1985 performance standards, those forms are not very impressive, to say the least. They showed flexibility, but no martial intent. I am commenting on the forms from Bermuda 1985 only. Haven't seen anything else by her, and not interested in seeing anything else by her. Hopefully she has improved in the last 20 years.

BTW, don't kid yourself believing that even 5th and 6th dans are real standards. Many people are awarded these levels due to their connections, politics, fame or influence. Some even award those distinctions and levels to themselves.

[kingofkungfu2002]

I give up :\

[EvilMantis]

Yo KingofKungfu, no disrespect meant to you or to Cynthia R. She has made a good career as a movie person. But dude if you post a vid you must expect opinions, comments and critiques. I didn't think I said anything too OTT. The honest truth is that the standard of kung fu in America is much higher than it was in 1985. Oh well, I give up too........:\

[kingofkungfu2002]

I'm just saying that the real people in the know say otherwise. Even Sammo said on the 'Best Of The Martial Arts' documentary':

"Cynthia is outstanding amongst women, because she is a foreigner and yet she is a true expert in many of the Chinese martial arts. Her movements are beautiful and her punches and kicks are very powerful"

And as I said, she is one of the select people to be inducted into the Black Belt Hall Of Fame, and one of the few Westerners to make it in the HK film industry.

I'm not here to make an argument, I'll leave that to the experts on here...All I'm doing is stating facts, not just my personal opinion.

And nothing I say will change the minds of some people, so I'll just leave it at that :)

[EvilMantis]

"Cynthia is outstanding amongst women, because she is a foreigner and yet she is a true expert in many of the Chinese martial arts. Her movements are beautiful and her punches and kicks are very powerful"

No comment.

[kingofkungfu2002]

Same here :smokin

[jrcma]

Here's 2 clips of Cynthia at the 1985 Bermuda Championships. Enjoy :)

Cynthia form 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8fE-FgKv9U)

Cynthia weapons form (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HPi72sdOes)

Yeah thanks for the clips search for this i was thinking about it but.....

[butcher wing]

i know this form is old but i enjoy watching her HK stuff. The best white chick on white chick fight from Righting Wrongs, and add the kung fu kid himself Yuen Biao great combination. Don't care how many black belts she carries, forms and fighting 2 different things but I still enjoy watching her..

[newgen2005]

Nice videos, thanks :)

[KUNG FU BOB]

I'm not an expert on kung fu, but the space she had to do her forms looked half the size that it should have been. You could see her adjusting her routine to fit in that confined area. I think with that hampering her, she still looked great. Thanks KoKF!

[Grimmjow]

Clearly there is a lack of space for her forms, I had the same problem doing wushu forms at a recent competition here in England, the west seems to have much more Karate Kata competitions and so when it comes to wushu and kung fu forms the area provided is no where near big enough.

Having trained in China I think her forms are very good, her flexibility helps, some of the jump kicks seem like they could have been better (landing on the same leg you kick with) but apart from that very nice.