Bruce Lee
The legend of Bruce Lee goes far beyond the movie screen, but thanks to the medium, the world was able to know the martial arts master. For those who absolutely love the sub-genre of martial arts flicks, you can offer your continuous gratitude to Bruce Lee. No doubt martial arts films would have been made, but would they have been popular or profitable without the founder of Jeet Kune Do? Bruce Lee studied Wing Chun under the legendary Yip Man. Unlike many on this list, Bruce didn’t start training as a toddler or child, rather as an adolescent who was getting his butt kicked by rival gangs.
Bruce Lee
Cynthia Rothrock
In the films, Rothrock exhibits possibly the highest level of female martial artistry we have ever witnessed. She was viewed as the ideal combination of beauty and badass by both martial arts and cinema lovers. She was also one of the select few Western performers to enjoy true stardom in China.
At the age of 13, Cynthia began her martial arts training, eventually becoming a master in a variety of techniques. She participated in numerous martial arts competitions, including those using weapons. She took first place 32 times throughout her career, including 12 times in competitions using weapons. Additionally, because there were no women’s divisions back then, she frequently fought against men.
Cynthia Rothrock
