Rayna Vallandingham

Rayna Vallandingham (born c. 2003) is an American mixed martial artist, actress, and social media influencer. She is a 13-time world champion in Taekwondo and holds a fourth-degree black belt.

Rayna Vallandingham
Born	Rayna Vallandingham (2003-01-18) January 18, 2003 Encinitas, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupations	Martial Artist Actress
Years active	2011–present
Known for	Youngest black belt to win 13 World Championships Portrays Zara Malik in Cobra Kai
Awards	13x World Championship Titles Multiple Triple Crowns in Taekwondo

Martial arts career

She began practicing taekwondo at the age of 2, encouraged by her grandfather, who played an instrumental role in her early development. By the age of 8, she won her first world championship, becoming one of the youngest black belts to achieve this feat.

Over her career, Vallandingham has earned 13 world titles, excelling in both traditional combat and weapons forms such as the bo staff and nunchaku. She is inspired by martial arts legend Bruce Lee and has collaborated with the Bruce Lee Foundation to promote martial arts worldwide. Alongside her competition accolades, she is a prominent social media influencer with millions of followers, showcasing martial arts as both a sport and an art form.

Acting career

Early career

After winning the XMA Forms world championships, Vallandingham flew to Los Angeles to start her acting career at the age of 10 on Underdog Kids as Leticia Hernandez, directed by six-time taekwondo black belt and actor Phillip Rhee. The movie was released on July 7, 2015. Vallandingham made an appearance in her first music video role in 2018, starring as herself in Youth by Shawn Mendes, featuring Khalid demonstrating her martial arts skills.

Starring in Cobra Kai

Vallandingham starred in her first television show on Netflix's martial arts series, Cobra Kai. She plays a supporting antagonist in the final season, playing as Zara Malik, a cocky, high-maintenance, skilled martial artist as a co-captain under the dojo Iron Dragons, starring besides Lewis Tan as Sensei Wolf and Patrick Luwis as Axel Kovačević. Malik is introduced during the Sekai Taikai tournament as an undefeated rival team. Vallandingham's martial arts expertise in the final season stands out to audiences and is labelled as one of the best additions to the show. The role aligns with Vallandingham’s ambition to bridge martial arts and entertainment, with her ultimate goal of becoming the first female Indian lead in a major action film.

Advocacy and legacy

As an advocate for women in sports, Vallandingham seeks to challenge stereotypes in martial arts, a field traditionally dominated by men. She embraces the phrase “kick like a girl” as a positive expression of strength and skill. She also uses her platform to promote diversity, proudly representing her Indian heritage.

Personal life

Vallandingham was born and raised in Southern California. Vallandingham credits her family as her greatest support system, with a special emphasis on her grandfather, whose unwavering encouragement sparked her martial arts journey. Her grandfather played a pivotal role in her life, taking her to the dojo as a toddler and inspiring her with cultural values and confidence. He affectionately called her “Kaur,” a Punjabi term meaning "lioness," symbolizing strength and resilience. This term became deeply meaningful to Vallandingham, and she later had "Kaur" tattooed on her arm as a tribute to her heritage and her grandfather's belief in her potential​​​​.

Her family, including her parents Jeff and Joty Vallandingham, provided a nurturing and supportive environment for her ambitions. Despite staying out of the limelight, her parents’ encouragement allowed her to develop discipline, confidence, and a passion for martial arts. Her older brother, Zane, also contributed to her early training but later pursued a career in aviation, showcasing the family’s diverse talents​​.