Episode 63 - Benny "The Jet" Urquidez

Martial arts legend Benny "The Jet" Urquidez was born into a fighting family. His father was a boxer; his mother, a professional wrestler. The second youngest of nine siblings, Benny had to fight to be heard, adapting quickly to the martial arts until, by the age of 14, he had received the first of many black belts across a number of different fighting styles. In the 1970s, he pioneered full-contact karate, which was later termed 'American kickboxing', paving the way for the sport in the USA. He remained undefeated throughout his 27-year professional martial arts career, and is the only fighter to have retained six world titles across five weight divisions. On top of all this, he has also enjoyed great success in the film world as an actor, fight choreographer and trainer, coaching huge stars like John Cusack, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Patrick Swayze. His groundbreaking work with Jackie Chan in the Hong Kong action comedies Wheels on Meals (1984) and Dragons Forever (1988) is considered by many as one of the best displays of hard-hitting, breathtaking fight choreography ever captured on celluloid. His intense, intimidating presence on-screen is in direct contrast to his humble, open, and spiritual persona in real life, as demonstrated in this conversation, recorded in April 2020 at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Benny has always seen sparring as an opportunity to learn and pass on new skills. His own style, Ukidokan, means 'way of life', accurately summing up his own philosophical approach to the martial arts. It's a road he continues to travel and, now aged 68, he still shows no sign of slowing down. This show is the last in the current season of podcasts. The podcast will return in December for our 2020 End of Year Show.

LINKS

Benny Urquidez's website: https://bennythejet.com/

Benny Urquidez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realbennythejet/

Benny Urquidez on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BennyTheJetUrquidez/

Benny Urquidez on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BennyTheJetUrquidez

Fight scene with Jackie Chan from 'Wheels on Meals' (1984): https://youtu.be/MOjzADJxihA

Fight scene with Jackie Chan from 'Dragon Forever' (1988): https://youtu.be/DsUclzcY8HE

Benny Urquidez profile on Kung Fu Movie Guide: http://bit.ly/ProfileBennyTheJetUrquidez

COMPETITION

We have 3 digital copies of 'Legacy of Lies' - starring Scott Adkins - and 3 DVDs of 'The Driver' - starring Mark Dacascos - to give away in this month's competition. Sign-up to our newsletter at http://kungfumovieguide.com/ to be in with a chance of winning. Full competition details will be announced in our next newsletter, released 31 October. Sign-up now and good luck! 'Legacy of Lies' is available now in the UK courtesy of Signature Entertainment. 'The Driver' is available now in the UK courtesy of Lionsgate.

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