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Benny Urquidez

Benny Urquidez brings a fighter’s understanding of movement to the screen. An actor, stunt performer and martial arts choreographer, he built his film career on decades of experience in combat sports rather than simply learning how to look convincing for the camera. Born in Tarzana on June 20, 1952, Urquidez began competing in peewee boxing and wrestling at five. His formal martial arts training started two years later under Bill Ryusaki, and he received his black belt at 14. He entered the point-fighting circuit in 1964 before moving toward full-contact competition during the 1970s. Urquidez went on to fight under several kickboxing organizations in the United States and abroad, including prominent bouts in Japan. His official undefeated record of 58 wins has been disputed, but the breadth and duration of his competitive career remain central to his screen identity. As his appearances in the ring became less frequent, Urquidez increasingly devoted himself to acting, teaching and martial arts choreography. That combination made him especially suited to screen combat: he understood not only how a fight works, but how technique, timing and physical character can be shaped for an audience. His background spans nine martial arts styles, including judo, Shotokan, taekwondo, jujutsu, aikido and American Kenpo, and he founded his own system, Ukidokan Karate. Teaching has remained closely tied to Urquidez’s work in entertainment. He founded The Jet Center in 1981, and in 2000 he and Emil Farkas established the Los Angeles Film Fighting Institute, an early American school dedicated to teaching martial artists the particulars of stunt work. He has continued working privately as an instructor and in the entertainment business as a stunt coordinator. Urquidez’s career sits at the meeting point between practical combat and movie craft. Whether acting, coordinating action or preparing others for stunt work, his contribution comes from knowing the difference between a real fight and one designed to tell a story on screen.