Elemental Kickboxing Academy

Kickboxer, martial arts choreographer and actor

I remember it very clearly, despite the years beginning to drag on now. It was a warm summers day in the east coast mecca of summer holidays that is Skegness¹. It was the early to mid-nineties, I had been cruelly tempted into a black board shorts but had refused to give up my combat boots. My black nail polish had seen better days and I was dodging the sun as I ambled round the massive outdoor market², that resides near to Skeggy in the small town of Ingoldmells³.

I ducked in and out of stalls that took my eye, things with skulls, things with spikes and of course at that time video tapes⁴ or VHS. As a picked over the action, horror and sci fi movies, I gave little hope of finding anything to add to my growing martial arts movie collection. Ruling out trying to find something with Jackie Chan⁵ or Chuck Norris⁶.

It was then that I found it, at the back of a box in the dark recesses of a dusty stall, not per say a martial arts movie but a video box labelled Kings Of The Square Ring⁷, a blurry picture of Muhammed Ali⁸ on the front, obviously trying to draw in the boxing fans.

It was £1.50, which by today’s standards is not a whole chunk of change, but at the time, it would equal a night and half’s arcade expenditure. After reading the back of the box blurb a few times I invested.

Having to wait the rest of the holiday, before I could return home to my beloved Ferguson Video Star⁹ in all its top loading, remote on a wire glory. I was not disappointed. A collection of almost short article pieces focusing on:

Muhammed Ali Vs Antonio Inoki¹⁰ – Boxing¹¹ Vs Wrestling¹²

Benny the Jet mini documentary.

Willie Williams¹³ – Karateka Vs Man Eating Bear

Immediately as a self-confessed Mark¹⁴, I was drawn in the boxing versus wrestling, which is a story in itself.

But the highlight of the cassette and a name I had never even heard to that day, Benny Urquidez¹⁵. In the grainy footage contained I watched a compact man in exhausting gym sessions as a rather stiff announcer explained his pedigree, then came the fights, one of which I will try and find for this article, one that ends with a jumping back kick (Tobi Ushiro Geri)¹⁶. The kick lands hard in the abdomen and after a quick throw the opponent is not just taken off his feet but unable to stand for several minutes. In fact, I keenly remember the announcer calling the result of the match, whilst you can vaguely hear the anguished cries of the downed man.

As I have continued through my martials arts journey, I have pointed out the name Benny the Jet to those who want to know more. And it is with this piece I hope to bring you on board with my adoration.

Name: Benny Urquidez

Known As: The Jet

Date Of Birth: 20^th June 1952

Height: 168cm (5’6”)

Weight: 66kg (145lbs)

Place Of Birth: Tarzana¹⁷, California¹⁸, United States of America¹⁹

Stance: Orthodox²⁰

Style: Kenpo²¹-Shotokan²²

Black Belts in:

Judo²³

Kajeukenbo²⁴

Shotokan²⁵

Taekwondo²⁶

Limalama²⁷

White Crane Kung Fu²⁸

Ju Jitsu²⁹

Aikido³⁰

American Kenpo³¹

Founder of Ukidokan³² Karate

Titles:

KATOGI³³

KATOGI super-lightweight (-63.6 kg) world champion (0 title defences - vacated): 1978

Muay Thai Bond Nederland³⁴ (M.T.B.N)

M.T.B.N. welterweight (-66 kg) world champion (0 title defences - vacated): 1984

National Karate League³⁵ (N.K.L)

N.K.L. lightweight (-70.5 kg) world champion (3 title defences - vacated): 1974-1975

Professional Karate Association³⁶ (P.K.A)

P.K.A. lightweight (-65.9 kg) world champion (2 title defences - vacated): 1976-1977

Standardized Tournaments And Ratings System³⁷ (S.T.A.R) System World Kickboxing Ratings

S.T.A.R. undisputed welterweight (-66.8 kg) world champion: 1985

S.T.A.R. undisputed super-welterweight (-70.5 kg) world champion: 1974

World Kickboxing Association³⁸ (W.K.A)

W.K.A. super-welterweight (-70 kg) world champion (0 title defences - vacated): 1993

W.K.A. welterweight (-66.8 kg) world champion (0 title defences - vacated): 1985

W.K.A. super-lightweight (-64.5 kg) world champion (14 title defences - vacated): 1977-1985

World Professional Karate Organization³⁹ (W.P.K.O)

W.P.K.O. lightweight (-65.9 kg) world champion (0 title defences): 1975

World Series of Martial Arts Championships⁴⁰ (W.S.M/C)

W.S.M.A.C. lightweight (-79.5 kg) world champion (4 title defences - vacated): 1975-1976

W.S.M.A.C. open weight (unlimited weight) world champion (1 title defences - vacated): 1974-1976

Record: at time of article

Kickboxing:

Matches: 68

Wins: 63

Draws/No contest: 4

Losses: 1

Wins by KO: 57

Urquidez was born with martial arts already in his blood, with his mother a professional wrestler⁴¹ and his father a boxer⁴², by the age of 5 he was competing in ‘Pee Wee’⁴³ boxing. Before starting his instruction in Kenpo at the age of 7, gaining his first blackbelt by the age of 14.

It was around this time that he first began competing in the point fighting circuit in California, but 10 years later he had tired of the no contact discipline. Entering the World Series of Martial Arts Championship, a very rough environment saw him win the tournament, before entering serious competition such as N.K.L, W.P.K.O, P.K.A, W.K.A, All Japan Kick Boxing Association (AJKBA)⁴⁴ , Shin-Kakuto Jutsu Federation⁴⁵ and New Japan Pro Wrestling⁴⁶ (N.J.P.W). Where he fought for two decades gathering a professional record of 58 wins and no losses.

It is over this time his legacy and reputation was built. In 1977, knocking out Katsuyuki Suzuki⁴⁷ at a major event in Japan. Which had transpired from the event, where Antonio Inoki fought Mohammed Ali.

From these multiple organisational matches, a number of titles were won (See Titles above).

Little is detailed about his life outside of his fighting achievements; however, his in-ring footage gives more than enough entertainment. During his fighting career, he has remained a proud supporter of his heritage, a member of the Blackfoot⁴⁸ tribe, often wearing native American garb to the ring.

Officially retiring in 1989, that didn’t not stop him competing, as in 1993, he came out of retirement to beat Yoshihisa Tagami⁴⁹, to win the World Middle Weight Championship.

Not to say that he is not without his controversies over match stipulation and such a dominative no loss record.

Beyond his accomplishments in the ring, Urquidez, has used his skills in not only formulating his own martial arts system, Ukidokan (A Way Of Life) and is a continual giver of lectures and courses. As he continues to teach even today.

Another part of his legacy being the martials arts movies he had appeared in, and choreographed fights and stunts for as given here below:

Film Name	Year Of Release	Role
Force: Five⁵⁰	1981	Actor⁸⁷
Wheels On Meals⁵¹	1984	Actor
Dragons Forever⁵²	1988	Actor
Road House⁵³	1989	Actor/ Fight Trainer⁸⁸
The Fighter⁵⁴	1989	Actor/ Fight Choreographer⁸⁹
Tango & Cash⁵⁵	1989	Actor
Down The Drain⁵⁶	1990	Actor
Ragin’ Cajun⁵⁷	1990	Actor
Martial Law⁵⁸	1990	Actor
Bloodmatch⁵⁹	1991	Actor/ Fight Choreographer
Lucky Dragon⁶⁰	1991	Actor
Midnight Sting⁶¹	1992	Actor/ Fight Trainer
For Life Or Death⁶²	1996	Actor
Grosse Point Blank⁶³	1997	Actor/ Fight Choreographer
And Now You’re Dead⁶⁴	1998	Actor/ Fight Coordinator⁹⁰
Spider-Man⁶⁵	2002	Actor/ Stunts⁹¹/ Fight Coordinator
Shackles⁶⁶	2005	Actor
1408⁶⁷	2007	Actor/ Fight Coordinator/ Stunts
Awaken⁶⁸	2015	Actor
Battling Amazons⁶⁹	1987	Fight Choreographer
Kick Boxer II: The Road Back⁷⁰	1991	Stunts
Bound By Honor⁷¹	1993	Stunts
Good Cop/ Bad Cop⁷²	1993	Fight Choreographer
Hellound⁷³	1994	Fight Trainer
Natural Born Killers⁷⁴	1994	Stunts
Streetfighter⁷⁵	1994	Stunts
Con Air⁷⁶	1997	Stunts
The Big Hit⁷⁷	1998	Fight Coordinator
Safe House⁷⁸	1998	Fight Coordinator
Soldier⁷⁹	1998	Fight Trainer/ Stunts
Price Of Glory⁸⁰	2000	Stunt Coordinator
Pearl Harbour⁸¹	2001	Fight Coordinator/Stunts
The Medallion⁸²	2003	Fight Trainer
The Contract⁸³	2006	Fight Coordinator
War Inc⁸⁴	2008	Fight Coordinator/ Fight Trainer
Shanghai⁸⁵	2010	Fight Coordinator
Hard Rush⁸⁶	2013	Stunts

My Perspective

From making my find in the east coast market to today, I always remember this as one of my first tangible aspects of martial arts. The acrobatics of Jackie Chan for me are always entertaining, but not something I could ever see myself being able to pull off. What Urquidez showed me is savagery of real fighting, the power and progression of martial arts in earnest.

I also feel that this is a good marker to hold for practitioners who are not brutes as myself, despite his smaller frame Urquidez holds power much larger than this and uses his full potential each time.

Below are a number of fights I have dug out of the internet, but one film recommendation I can make from the above is Grosse Point Blank. In whish the lead star John Cusack⁹², is a devotee of the teachings of Ukidokan. The fight we’re they face off is more than a story progressing encounter but a sparring match between master and pupil. (Sound tracks pretty kickin’ too)

Fights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtiPRTDfeYE - Urquidez Vs Cornin⁹³ (1974)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1Evh_kxkmo - Urquidez vs Kurban⁹⁴ (1974)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1zcd0fFnxU – Urquidez Vs Okao⁹⁵ (1977)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yE_7kErlBQ - Urquidez Vs Jackson⁹⁶ (1977)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ0HvBBYYQs - Urquidez Vs Suzuki⁹⁷ (1977)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfHDavtiBZA - Urquidez Vs Onuki98 (1978)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyaITbSNsYw - Urquidez Vs Simerly99 (1979)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV0lOnTgezY – Urquidez Vs Onuki100 (1980)

https://www.elemental-kickboxingleeds.co.uk/admin/entries/blog/1439-working-the-body - relates to above video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTV9__7p1Iw - Urquidez Vs Koshikawa¹⁰¹ (1982)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnPx727xUb4 - Urquidez Vs Fujimoto¹⁰² (1983)