Beautiful discussion that there's more to the Martial Arts than just fighting and that by awakening to your own full potential, your able to help those who need your guidance and help !
it was a pleasure training under you and fighting for you Kat 🙏...i hope i get the chance to meet one of my favorite fighters Benny "The Jet" Urquidez. Awesome Video.
I was once asked by a student if I thought one of our very outstanding students could beat up our instructor. I told him that is a very bad way of thinking. There is far more to the martial arts than who can beat up whom. I understand in the ring things get real competitive.. especially if ones livelihood is on the line. But to sit down and talk without ego about their experiences is a good thing. Great to see Mr. Urquidez and Ms. Long doing so.
The wordd 'legend' is bandied around everywhere, and by and large has lost it's meaning - but for those who know, these are two actual legends. People who made a lasting and indelible impact on the martial arts landscape.
How humble is she to admit that not only did she fight men, but that they beat the crap out of her! Most women would’ve left that part of the story out just to promote a certain image of themselves, but she includes it, and it only adds to her story, an image about her resilience for warrior spirit, and physical and mental toughness
On leaving the world, Lao Sifu Chin Sui Dek left this world, but he passed on his "riches" which is San Soo. He passed those riches to my Sifu's Sifu. I got some the riches from my Sifu and his wife. I never met Jimmy Woo, but for some reason I miss him. I really wish could have spent time Jimmy Woo. Now I teach because I want to continue working out, but also because I am passing on what was handed down to me. I really love to see students young and old learn San Soo and learn it so quickly. My oldest student was a 70 year young woman who is good ("is" as opposed to was). My Sifu told us to keep coming to class even when we so tired from work and our daily routines; he said, "Come to class even if your in a cast." I came one night wearing a big heavy boot like a cast. My Sifu redid the class lesson to "fit" me a couple of times that I came to class with injuries as he did with other students. I have a woman student who works with hosres and routinely gets stepped on, sholved into a fence, or a horse throws her, and so on, and I make a lesson specifically for that entire class does. I learned to reconfigure lessons from my Sifu, he passed that on to me. I have worked with handicapped students who most people would think they are an easy target. One of my Sifu's fellow students also a San Soo teacher had a black belt on crutches. I thought if he could do San Soo I could. I learned watch Master Ron Scanlon in his wheelchair how to do San Soo. My Sifu used to say, "Never underestimate the opponent." My Sifu said that the opponent's entire body is a target and our entire body is a weapon. I miss training with my Sifu and working out with my fellow students. Finally, on leaving this earth, We all have the opportunity to pass on what was handed down from Lao Sifu Chin Sui Dek, our Sifu, trainers, instructors, mentors and so on. And it is not just San Soo, but our life experiences so others and especially youngins will learn from our good and our not so good life experiences.
Kathy, long was no joke. She was a killer. She was a great finisher and not just a cute girl a round house kick now and then Kathy would destroy her opponents for technique in my opinion was flawless and she always liked. Benny looked like a Martial artist when she fought meaning her technique aesthetically was still there and not just random brawling like so many others who fought during that era glad to know that she’s doing all right
Cameron Quinn I’ve trained with Kathy and call her a friend. One of the sweetest souls I’ve ever met. Was almost hard to believe she was a fighter until I worked with her. Not so hard to believe after that.
Having a bit of a boxing background in the mid 1980’s I was approached by Scott Coker and Ernie Reyes Jr. to take a PKA fight at Benny The Jets Gym in Van Nuys Ca. and having never heard of BTJ and having no kicking experience said let me train with your martial artist to see if I can defend against the kick. Similar to Kathy’s story I think k it was about 10-14 days before fight night…
