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Kung Fu Queens: 5 Groundbreaking Women in Martial Arts Who Shaped Action Cinema

Updated: May 12

Martial artist mid-air flip, wearing white pants and black shoes, on dark stage. Text: "Life as a Martial Arts Performer, What It's Really Like."
Two "Black Belt Magazine" covers featured; one with a woman in a hat, the other with a man in a red gi. Spring '25 issue promotion.

There was a time when Saturday afternoons meant grainy VHS tapes, dubbed dialogue, and the unmistakable rhythm of kung fu battles on screen. We all knew the names—Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li—icons who kicked and punched their way into film history. 


But if you looked beyond the spotlight, there was another set of heroes blazing their own path. 

The women of martial arts cinema weren’t just holding their own—they were redefining what strength looked like.

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