Katalin Zamiar
Encyclopedia
Katalin Rodriguez-Ogren (maiden name Katalin Rodriguez Zamiar, best known as Katalin Zamiar) (born August 14, 1973 in Chicago
) is an American
martial artist, sportswriter
and actress.
and holds a degree in anthropology
from the same university. She has studied martial arts since 1982 and is an accomplished martial artist holding black belt
s in taekwondo
, Gōjū-ryū karate
and Shōrin-ryū
karate. As of 2010, she is the owner of POW! Mixed Martial Arts
and Chicago Krav Maga
training centers.
Along with teaching at her training center in downtown Chicago, Zamiar often covers the Ultimate Fighting Championship
for Grappling magazine, focusing primarily on features and interviews. She has published more than 150 articles in various martial arts magazines including Black Belt
and Inside Kung Fu
, among others, and has been featured in Shape
, Allure
and Self
magazines. Katalin is an international fitness and martial arts presenter teaching at various conferences from Taipei
to Aruba
, and has spent some time as a spokeperson for the MMA gear firm Revgear. She also writes conditioning materials and manuals and can be seen in more than a dozen of workout
fitness/martial arts videos. Her other endeavors include a summer training camp for upcoming basketball players and a non-profit charity M.A.K.E.
, Mileena, and Jade in the 1993 cult classic
video game Mortal Kombat II
(her video shoot costume was Kitana's blue; John Tobias
created Mileena and Jade by altering the character colors to purple and green). In 1997, Zamiar, together with Philip Ahn (Shang Tsung
in MKII) and Elizabeth Malecki
(Sonya
in Mortal Kombat), filed a lawsuit
against Midway Games
over lack of royalties
for the home ports of the game, a case in which Midway emerged victorious.
In 1995, she and fellow Mortal Kombat actors Ho Sung Pak
(Liu Kang
in the game and her boyfriend at the time), Daniel Pesina
, and Phillip Ahn appeared in Thea Realm Fighters
, a never-released fighting game produced exclusively for the Atari Jaguar
. Late she also made two martial arts conditioning videos with Pak. In 1996 she played a Jade-like ninja woman character Chae Lee in the PC all-women fighting game Catfight
. In 2003, she played a minor part in the martial arts film
Book of Swords
. In a cameo
nod to her Mortal Kombat alter ego
s, Katalin once again portrayed a female ninja character, dressed in similar clothing as her MKII counterparts and even wielding two sai
like Mileena does (the movie also starred Pesina, Pak, and another Mortal Kombat actor, Richard Divizio
, who are also seen in MK-style clothing/roles throughout the movie).
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
martial artist, sportswriter
Sports journalism
Sports journalism is a form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events.While the sports department within some newspapers has been mockingly called the toy department, because sports journalists do not concern themselves with the 'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports...
and actress.
Biography
Katalin Zamiar taught an undergraduate forensic science course at the University of IllinoisUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
and holds a degree in anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
from the same university. She has studied martial arts since 1982 and is an accomplished martial artist holding black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
s in taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
, Gōjū-ryū karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
and Shōrin-ryū
Shorin-Ryu
is one of the major modern Okinawan martial arts. It was founded by Choshin Chibana in 1933. Shōrin-ryū combines elements of the traditional Okinawan fighting styles of Shuri-te.-History:Chosin Chibana was a top student of the great master of shuri-te, Anko Itosu...
karate. As of 2010, she is the owner of POW! Mixed Martial Arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
and Chicago Krav Maga
Krav Maga
Krav Maga is a noncompetitive eclectic self-defense system developed in Europe that involves striking techniques, wrestling and grappling. Krav Maga is known for its focus on real-world situations and extremely efficient, brutal counter-attacks...
training centers.
Along with teaching at her training center in downtown Chicago, Zamiar often covers the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
for Grappling magazine, focusing primarily on features and interviews. She has published more than 150 articles in various martial arts magazines including Black Belt
Black Belt Magazine
Black Belt is an American magazine covering martial arts and combat sports founded in 1961 by Mitoshi Uyehara. During the early years of the publication, Uyehara was a hands-on owner and publisher...
and Inside Kung Fu
Inside Kung Fu
Inside Kung Fu is one of the major martial arts magazines in the United States. It is owned by Action Pursuit Group Media.The magazine focuses on Chinese martial arts but also covers martial arts and self-defense topics in general. It annually inducts martial artists into its well-known Hall of...
, among others, and has been featured in Shape
Shape Magazine
Shape Magazine is a monthly English language fitness magazine started by Weider Publications in 1981, founded by Christine MacIntyre and became the #1 women's fitness magazine...
, Allure
Allure (magazine)
Allure is the leading U.S. women’s beauty magazine, published monthly by Condé Nast in New York City. It was founded in 1991 by editor in chief Linda Wells, who has been at the helm of the magazine ever since. From its inception, the magazine has been widely recognized for its intelligent,...
and Self
Self (magazine)
Self magazine is an American magazine for women that specializes in health, fitness, nutrition, beauty and happiness. Published by Condé Nast Publications 12 times a year, it has a circulation of 1,486,992 and a total audience of 5,541,000 readers, according to its corporate media kit. The...
magazines. Katalin is an international fitness and martial arts presenter teaching at various conferences from Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
to Aruba
Aruba
Aruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
, and has spent some time as a spokeperson for the MMA gear firm Revgear. She also writes conditioning materials and manuals and can be seen in more than a dozen of workout
Physical exercise
Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, as well as for the purpose of...
fitness/martial arts videos. Her other endeavors include a summer training camp for upcoming basketball players and a non-profit charity M.A.K.E.
Video game and film roles
Katalin Zamiar is best known for her characterizations of the three female ninja characters KitanaKitana (Mortal Kombat)
Kitana is a recurring player and a one-time boss character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. One of the lead characters of the Mortal Kombat saga, Kitana is the princess of the otherdimensional realm of Edenia and the daughter of Queen Sindel...
, Mileena, and Jade in the 1993 cult classic
Cult Classic
Cult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
video game Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat II is a competitive fighting game originally produced by Midway Games for the arcades in . It is the second game in the Mortal Kombat series. Like its predecessor, various home versions were produced...
(her video shoot costume was Kitana's blue; John Tobias
John Tobias
John Tobias is an American comic book artist, graphic designer and video game designer. Along with Ed Boon he is one of the creators of the groundbreaking Mortal Kombat fighting game series....
created Mileena and Jade by altering the character colors to purple and green). In 1997, Zamiar, together with Philip Ahn (Shang Tsung
Shang Tsung
Shang Tsung is a boss and player character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. A powerful and deadly sorcerer and a primary antagonist in the Mortal Kombat series, Shang Tsung is a shapeshifter who absorbs the souls of those he slays in order to maintain his youth and power...
in MKII) and Elizabeth Malecki
Elizabeth Malecki
Elizabeth Malecki is a professional dancer, actress, and aerobics instructor, who is best known for her portrayal of Sonya Blade in the original Mortal Kombat arcade game....
(Sonya
Sonya Blade
Sonya Blade is a player character from the Mortal Kombat series. She is portrayed in the games as an officer of the United States Special Forces.-In video games:...
in Mortal Kombat), filed a lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
against Midway Games
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
over lack of royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
for the home ports of the game, a case in which Midway emerged victorious.
In 1995, she and fellow Mortal Kombat actors Ho Sung Pak
Ho Sung Pak
Ho-Sung Pak is an American film actor, martial artist, action choreographer, writer, and producer.-Early life and career:Pak, a Korean American, was born in Seoul, South Korea...
(Liu Kang
Liu Kang
Liu Kang is a video game character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. First appearing in the series' first title, Liu Kang is portrayed as a Shaolin monk who enters the Mortal Kombat tournament to save his world, Earthrealm, from being destroyed due to having lost nine consecutive...
in the game and her boyfriend at the time), Daniel Pesina
Daniel Pesina
Daniel Pesina is a martial arts expert and a former employee of Midway. He is most recognized as the actor who played Johnny Cage and ninjas Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Reptile, Smoke, and Noob Saibot in Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat II.Pesina was fired from Midway in 1994 for wearing Cage's costume in...
, and Phillip Ahn appeared in Thea Realm Fighters
Thea Realm Fighters
Thea Realm Fighters was an Atari Jaguar game scheduled for Q3 1995 release. This fighting game by High Voltage Software was one of the Mortal Kombat rip offs developed in response to Mortal Kombat popularity...
, a never-released fighting game produced exclusively for the Atari Jaguar
Atari Jaguar
The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released by Atari Corporation in 1993. It was the last to be marketed under the Atari brand until the release of the Atari Flashback in 2004. It was designed to surpass the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Panasonic...
. Late she also made two martial arts conditioning videos with Pak. In 1996 she played a Jade-like ninja woman character Chae Lee in the PC all-women fighting game Catfight
Catfight (video game)
Catfight is a PC fighting video game developed by Phantom Card and published in 1996 by Atlantean Interactive...
. In 2003, she played a minor part in the martial arts film
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
Book of Swords
Book of Swords
Book of Swords is a 2002 low-budget martial arts film.The film featured four actors from the 1993 cult video game Mortal Kombat II: Ho Sung Pak as Lang , Richard Divizio , Daniel Pesina and Katalin...
. In a cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
nod to her Mortal Kombat alter ego
Alter ego
An alter ego is a second self, which is believe to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. The term was coined in the early nineteenth century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists...
s, Katalin once again portrayed a female ninja character, dressed in similar clothing as her MKII counterparts and even wielding two sai
Sai (weapon)
The sai is a traditional Okinawan martial arts weapon. The basic form of the weapon is that of a pointed, dagger-shaped metal truncheon, with two curved prongs called yoku projecting from the handle...
like Mileena does (the movie also starred Pesina, Pak, and another Mortal Kombat actor, Richard Divizio
Richard Divizio
Richard Divizio is an American actor best known for his work in the Mortal Kombat video game series...
, who are also seen in MK-style clothing/roles throughout the movie).