Kickboxing King Benny Urquidez urges Support for Martial Arts History Museum
(NewMediaWire) - May 21, 2016 - Burbank, CA – In an effort to bring new awareness to the Martial Arts History Museum, Benny “the jet” Urquidez, the greatest professional martial arts kickboxer of all time, conducts an impromptu interview with museum president Michael Matsuda to inspire others to offer their support to help grow the museum.
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“Truly, it is important to keep this museum alive, to keep the martial arts alive, to keep the heroes alive, says Benny Urquidez. “If you want to learn how it was from the beginning. Everyone needs to support. Good intentions are great, but you need to act on them.”
Urquidez, who played a major role in pioneering full-contact karate, later called kickboxing, opened the doors of kickboxing to a new generation. Through his unique training methodology and his boxing background, he revolutionized the art and kept it alive for many decades. Today's mixed martial arts and the United Fighting Conference (UFC) owes their success to Urquidez's accomplishments.
“I have been honored to know Benny Urquidez since I was little. He was part of our neighborhood. Being there to see him become one of greatest pioneers in martial arts history had a big effect on all of us. He was an inspiration to both the Latin community and proved that with hard work, anyone can make their dreams come true,” says Matsuda.
“Support is greatly needed to take the Martial Arts History Museum to the next level. The museum is wonderful place and is enjoyed by thousands of kids every year. But as a non-profit, space is very limited for the events we would like to hold. It is our goal to have a 200-seat theater to host movie premieres, cultural performances and more,” says Matsuda. “We get calls from schools all the time looking for new places to take their kids. Unfortunately, the museum is not big enough to host the volume the school districts plan to bring.”
Urquidez is not only one of the most popular figures in the martial arts community, but he is well-known throughout Hollywood's top stars. “Los Angeles Magazine” named him “Los Angeles Best Personal Trainer.” “The Jet” has trained Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, Nicolas Cage, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jimmy Smits, Chuck Norris, Kurt Russell, Mark Wahberg, Louis Gossett Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer, Juliette Lewis, Michael Keaton, Woody Harrelson, Rene Russo, and Patrick Swayze. David Lee Roth, who trained with “The Jet” for years, has dedicated the Van Halen hit “Jump” to his teacher.
The Martial Arts History Museum, the first and only one of its kind in the world, began as a traveling exhibit in 1999 and toured across the nation. In 2006, it opened in Santa Clarita, CA and relocated to the city of Burbank in 2011. This year the museum celebrates its 17th year.
The museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and is fully supported by donations, visitations and memberships.
“There are many companies that have extra funds that can give to support the museum. Because the museum is a non-profit, it's a tax write off,” adds Urquidez. “It's important to keep this alive.”
The Martial Arts History Museum is located at 2319 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA. (818) 478-1722. Website is www.Mamuseum.com.
