Fredia “The Cheetah” Gibbs (𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 July 8, 1963), is an American former professional martial artist, kickboxer, and boxer who competed from 1975 to 2005. During her kickboxing career, she held ISKA, WKA, and WKF World Titles. Before her kickboxing career, she was an All-American in basketball and track.
She is also a model and actress. Fredia has been featured on the Fresh Prince of Bel Aire with Will Smith. She was one of the women who was throwing Will Smith around in his nightmare. Her latest film is called Knockout.
“Gibbs made history when she became the first African-American female Kickboxing ISKA World Champion. She earned the name “The Most Dangerous Woman in the World” after an upset in 1994 in her fight against World Champion Valérie Wiet-Henin of France in the “Battle of the Masters” Pay Per View Event in San Jose, California. She went on to become one of the most dominant champions of all time, and remains a significant historical figure in light and super lightweight kickboxing divisions. She competed from 1991 to 1997, amassing a record of 16 wins, 0 losses, and 15 KOs, and three world titles. She also competed as a top contender in women’s professional boxing from 1997 to 2005 with a record of 9 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw.
She wrote The Fredia Gibbs Story about her life in 2016“Being bullied is such a terrifying experience, especially for a 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥,” Fredia said. “[We] are just trying to learn our identity and learn who we are; to be threatened and quartered by kids who are supposed to be your classmates, whom you help with homework, it was uncomfortable, ugly and very negative.”
As she ran home to escape her bullys, her uncle Dr. William Groce, met her at the door this last time. “Look, 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 girl, you can’t continue to run all of your life. You’re going to have to learn how to stand firm and face your fear(s),” he advised.
Gibbs began her instruction in Jeet Kune Do/Aikido fight style at Quiet Storm Martial Arts School in Chester, Pennsylvania. She learned martial arts to rebuild her self confidence and self esteem, which suffered as a result of being bullied. She was trained with her Uncle Will and by a group of lethal martial artists, lawyers, judges, doctors, business leaders, and blue collar workers. Earning her black belt was the unorthodox result of throwing powerful jab combinations and mastering tactical takedowns to obtain the glittering key on the ground behind Groce, the only way out of The Storm.
“It was tough. It was difficult but, I got the key. I unlocked the door and walked out.”KIDNAPPEDIn 1993, Gibbs martial arts training saved her life. She had lost her paycheck and bus fare in a game of Dominoes at a gathering in Inglewood, Calif. Strapped for cash, stranded and wanting to sleep in her bed instead of the couch she was offered, Gibbs accepted a ride from Lonnie Franklin Jr. after spending hours playing against him. She had no way of knowing her Domino opponent was California’s infamous Grim Sleeper, the serial 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁er responsible for murdering at least 100 Black women in South Central, displacing their bodies throughout Los Angeles circa 1985.
Now with him in his RV, something sinister in his sudden need for coffee awakened her intuition as he pulled into a secluded area. She refused to let him “violate” her. She tried to exit the passenger’s side door. The handle had been removed. When she scrambled for the van’s rear doors, she came face-to-face with a monster intent on violating, then adding her to his list of lifeless victims.
“He came charging at me like a football player…” She explained the aikido technique that uses an assailant’s clothing against them. “I tied his shirt over his head, pulled his pants down and grabbed his… so he couldn’t move,” demanding that he tell her where his keys were.With her second key to freedom in hand, she told Grim, “When a “b” says, ‘No,’ she means, ‘No.’”Gibbs was terrified and called her mom. She moved away from the Los Angeles area immediately.