Paola Idrontino is a famous Filipino actress and martial artist. Aside from being the first Filipino to appear on US television, she has also been featured in Italian and Japanese television programs and has gained popular acclaim. Growing up in Manila in the Philippines during the 1960s, she developed an interest in martial arts, particularly in kickboxing. She received a Bronze medal at the international Karate tournament in London and considered fighting professionally. However, she ultimately decided that she would pursue her acting career first and then try kickboxing professionally.
Throughout her early years in the Philippines, Paola Idrontino had the opportunity to work with some of the country’s top martial artists. Her first professional training was with Filipino kickboxer Vicenteino Farang, who taught her the basics of striking and block holding but did not teach her anything specifically about grappling or fighting. When Farang passed away in the mid-1990s, Paola formed her own company, tagged as “Acexia”, and trained with several other martial artists including Sang H. Kim, later known as Sang Chi Kim. While working with them, she learned from them and incorporated their techniques into hers. Eventually, she became known as one of the best kickboxers in the Philippines. She has since signed a deal with Skyland, a production company owned by Parkes and producer Rob Reis, for a series of movies and television shows.
One of the reasons why Paola Idrontino is now popular in the Philippines and Hollywood is her height difference, compared to her partner. In real life, she is only two feet seven inches tall. However, in the realm of entertainment, she is commonly played by women with a considerable height difference. The reason why the character of Chun Li is originally played by actress Minnie Lee, is due to the fact that Lee’s height is what made her partner’s height so difficult to ascertain in the first place. In the Philippine movie industry however, she is played by actress Alida de Leon, who manages to bring out her partner’s height to make her more marketable.