ALLY McBEAL stunner LUCY LIU was forced to become a karate expert to live up to cultural stereotypes.

The sultry actress plays a princess who is rescued by JACKIE CHAN in martial arts blockbuster SHANGHAI NOON - but isn't normally the sort of woman who needs saving.

Lucy, 31, who's studied the ancient KALI-ESKRIMA-SILAT fighting technique, says, "When I was little, people would come up to me and do the moves and say, 'Oh, you're Chinese, you must know karate'. I hated it. "Now if anyone asks me if I know karate, I can say, 'Yeah, I do, and I can kick your ass'." And her kick-ass attitude extends to relationships. She insists, "I'm extremely independent. It's not my plan to be married. I can't even live with anyone. "Not once have I ever felt that I wasn't in control of my own destiny, and at this point, I just can't imagine letting anyone take control." (KW/WNTST/RP)

Source: WENN