The legend of Benny “the Jet” Urquidez

Benny Urquidez, born June 20, 1952 and son of a wrestling mother and a boxing father, with a sister who pioneered in kickboxing for women, was voted “Fighter of the Year” by Black Belt Magazine in 1978. In 1958, at the age of five, he competed in “peewee” boxing in Los Angeles. He started his formal training in martial arts under Bill Ryusaki at the age of eight and received his black belt at the age of 14. He was considered as one of the best martial artists of our time. His total record in full-contact fighting between 1974 and 1993 was an amazing 58 wins, 0 losses and 0 draws. While in title defenses, his fight record in kickboxing tournaments is 200-0 with 57 knockouts.

Through the years, Benny The Jet Urquidez has been known for his kickboxing instructions, a martial arts choreographer, actor and an author of instructional martial arts books and videos. Together with his late brother named Rueben, they appeared in a training video “World of Martial Arts” in 1982 alongside actors John Saxon, Steve Sanders and Chuck Norris. He had played a leading role in a variety of martial arts movies such as Force: Five, with Bong Soo Han and Joe Lewis, Wheels on Meals and Dragons forever with Jackie Chan and Grosse Pointe Blank with John Cusack. He also played a cameo role in the movie Street Fighter. During this course of his career as both a martial artist and actor, he had developed a special friendship with actor John Cusack and eventually asked for his aid in giving him some kickboxing instructions. Benny is currently teaching at “The Jets Gym” in North Hollywood, California but he and John Cusack are planning to become partners and open a bigger gym in Santa Monica. Their target clients and trainers will be former martial arts champions.

Urquidez, one of the best martial artists of his generation, is the founder of Ukidokan Karate, and is a black belt in nine martial arts styles such as karate, aikido, jujutsu, judo, kajukenbo, shotokan, taekwondo, white crane kung fu and lima lama. He has also gained a reputation of having an outstanding record for all his kickboxing tournaments and renowned for his contribution in martial arts movies.