Cynthia Ann Christine Rothrock 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. In 2014, she was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.
Robert A. Trias was an American karate pioneer, founding the first karate school in the mainland United States and becoming one of the first known American black belts. He also developed Shuri-ryū karate, an eclectic style with roots in Chinese kung-fu, and indirectly some Okinawan karate.
The horse stance is a common posture in Asian martial arts. It is called mǎbù (馬步) in Chinese, kiba-dachi (騎馬立ち) in Japanese, and juchum seogi or annun seogi in Korean. This stance can not only be integrated into fighting but also during exercises and forms. It is most commonly used for practicing punches or to strengthen the legs and back. The modified form of horse stance, in which heels are raised, is fighting stance in International Karate Tournaments. The Chinese form of horse stance is fighting stance which changes into front stance while using hip rotation to develop punching force.
Joseph Henry Lewis was an American martial artist, professional kickboxer and actor. Originally a practitioner of Shōrin-ryū karate and champion in point sparring competitions, he became one of the fathers of full contact karate and kickboxing in the United States, and is credited with popularizing the combat sport in North America.
Hidehiko "Hidy" Ochiai is a Japanese-born martial arts instructor, author, and actor. He is credited with establishing the Washin-Ryu style of karate in the United States in 1966. He was the winner of the United States Grand National Karate Championship five consecutive times. Ochiai was inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame twice—as Instructor of the Year for Japanese Arts in 1979 and as Man of the Year in 1980. He resides in Vestal, New York.
Matthew Mullins is an American actor and martial artist. At the age of 16, in 2000, he won his first World Kickboxing Association title in Dublin, Ireland. This would be his first of five championships in the next three years.
Tadashi Yamashita is a Japanese American martial artist and actor.
Cho Hee-il is a prominent Korean-American master of taekwondo, holding the rank of 9th dan in the martial art. He has written 11 martial art books, produced 70 martial art training videos, and has appeared on more than 70 martial arts magazine covers. Cho won several national and international competitions as a taekwondo competitor, and has appeared in several films, including Fight to Win, Best of the Best, Bloodsport II, and Bloodsport III. He founded the Action International Martial Arts Association (AIMAA) in 1980, and is its President. Cho is a member of both Black Belt magazine's Hall of Fame and Tae Kwon Do Times magazine's Hall of Fame.
Yin Yoga is slow-paced style of yoga as exercise, incorporating principles of traditional Chinese medicine, with asanas (postures) that are held for longer periods of time than in other styles. Advanced practitioners may stay in one asana for five minutes or more. The sequences of postures are meant to stimulate the channels of the subtle body known as meridians in Chinese medicine and as nadis in Hatha yoga.
Karyn Turner is an American martial arts expert who has been variously known as “The Queen of Kata”, “First Lady of Kung Fu”, and “The Mother of U.S. Kickboxing”. Named as the “most outstanding woman in the history of martial arts” by Black Belt Magazine in 1978, she was the first woman to take a double victory in both fighting (kumite) and form (kata) in the International Women’s Karate Championship, a feat she accomplished in 1976. She was the first woman to enter men's divisions at the World Championships in kata and weapons, and to become World Champion in the men's division in both. At the peak of her career in 1977, she entered twenty-three tournaments and swept three divisions, including men’s weapons kata. In 1990, Turner was the first woman in history to be nominated into the Black Belt Hall of Fame as “Competitor of the Year”, the same year she was selected by Black Belt Magazine as their “Woman of the Year”. In 2009, she was inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum “Hall of Fame”.
George Spiro Thanos is a martial artist champion. Thanos was born in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1952. He began his martial arts training at the Kim Studio in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1965 at the age of 13.
Sihak Henry Cho, was a Korean taekwondo pioneer and instructor with the ranking of 9th dan who is recognized as one of the first people to introduce Asian martial arts into the United States of America. He was the student of Yun Kwei-byung. S. Henry Cho was originally a teacher of Kong Soo Do.
Johnny 'Gyro' Potter is an American martial arts instructor, and former competitive karate fighter. He holds black belts in Taekwondo, Kung Fu, Hapkido, Karate, Qin Na, and Judo. He started training under Chuck Norris in the art of Taekwondo at the Sherman Oaks Karate School in Los Angeles, California; and earned his first Black Belt in 1978.
Karen Sheperd is an American actress, martial artist and keynote speaker with an extensive career in film, theatre and television.
John Corcoran was an American non-fiction book author, magazine editor, screenwriter and martial arts historian.
The Martial Arts History Museum is a museum in America devoted to the history of martial arts located in Burbank, California. It was created as an educational facility teaching young people and visitors about art, culture and tradition and how Asian history became part of American history through the martial arts. The Martial Arts History Museum is divided into several sections including China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Hawaii, Anime and Media.
Ron Marchini is an American karateka and actor who, according to many martial artists, is one of the top karate tournament fighters of all time.
Anthony Arnett is an American martial artist specializing in Chinese martial arts, particularly Wing Chun. He is a direct disciple of Australian Wing Chun pioneer William Cheung and is founder of his own system, Arnett Sport Kung Fu.
Paul Grilley is an American teacher of modern yoga known for helping, along with Sarah Powers, to develop the slow-paced style, Yin Yoga. He and his wife Suzee Grilley train teachers in Yin Yoga.
Terry Lim is an Australasian Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee, Martial Arts Australia Martial Artist of the year Masters Awards recipient and renowned martial artist who has had a short documentary made about him titled It's him... Terry Lim by Angus Sampson. He is Founder of the Loong Fu Pai Martial Arts Academy in 1981, with over 350 active students. Loong Fu Pai is one of the most successful martial arts schools in Melbourne founded by one person, grading over 60 black belts. He began running inter-club martial arts tournaments in 1985, and since then these tournaments have run 3 times each year. His Branches total 19 making it one of the largest independent Academies in the one state.
