Christine Bannon-Rodrigues from the Don Rodrigues Karate Academy, plays herself in the film “The Martial Arts Kid,” which will be playing at the Showcase Cinemas on Quaker Lane this Thursday, Oct. 22.

Bannon-Rodrigues said she is used to huge action scenes, so playing herself as a champion was something new.

Rodrigues plays a nine-time Champion in Fighting, Weapons & Forms, an actor and stuntwoman giving a seminar with other grandmasters.

“The Martial Arts Kid” follows the story of “Robbie,” played by Jansen Panettiere, after his move from Ohio to Florida with his aunt (Cynthia Rothrock) and uncle (Don “The Dragon” Wilson). Robbie meets “Rina,” played by Katherine Newton, who unfortunately is dating the town bully Bo (Matthew Ziff). After getting beaten up by Bo, Robbie trains in the martial arts to stand up against the bully and win the girl.

The film took 14 days to shoot in Cocoa Beach and Melbourne, Florida and Los Angeles.

Bannon-Rodrigues, who was born and grew up here in Rhode Island, said the movie has a great anti-bullying message and would be perfectly suited for all ages, especially younger children.

Karate movies often focus on how to deal with bullies hoping to teach children non-violence yet how to stand up for themselves.

“Bullying is a hot topic now,” she said. “Kids with low self-esteem are usually the ones picked on most. When kids train in karate they develop a lot of confidence. They can look someone in the eye; they know how to walk away. But in an extreme bullying situation they also know how to defend themselves.”

The showing of the film also aligns with Anti-Bullying Month, which is October. This month, Bannon-Rodrigues said that students in the Karate Academy are learning how to handle bullying, how to report bullying and such.

“A lot of our students are going to see the movie and I think they will enjoy it,” she said.

The movie will soon be coming out on DVD and its availability on Netflix is in discussion.

The single showing of “The Martial Arts Kid” will be Thursday at 6 p.m. Tickets at $12 must be purchased online and can be found at www.tugg.com/events/55999.

For more information and to watch the trailer visit www.martialartskidmovie.com.