JRE MMA Show #173 with Benny "The Jet" Urquidez & William "Blinky" Rodriguez

Benny Urquidez (0:01)

Joe Rogan Podcast, check it out.

William Rodriguez (0:03)

The Joe Rogan Experience.

Joe Rogan (0:06)

Trained by day, Joe Rogan Podcast by night, all day. Gentlemen, what's happening?

Benny Urquidez (0:15)

Where do we begin?

Joe Rogan (0:16)

Where do you begin? Let me tell you, when I first came to Los Angeles in 1994, there was two places that I had to go. One of them was the Comedy Store, and the other one was the Jet Center. And I started training the Jet Center in 94 before you guys shut down because you had the earthquake and you had the roof damage. So I was there before that happened, and I took your classes. I took your kickboxing classes because I remember it was very scary because you had a bunch of gang members in there because you were doing that sort of outreach program where you're helping young gang members. So I had to spar with gang members. So I was training at the Jet Center until it shut down. And then I went briefly when you guys reopened in North Hollywood. I went to that place for a little bit, too.

Benny Urquidez (0:55)

It's Jim.

Joe Rogan (0:57)

But then I started training at Majiro Gym, which is in the Valley. But legends, you guys are legends, man.

William Rodriguez (1:04)

Well, thank you, Joe.

Joe Rogan (1:05)

True pioneers in martial arts.

William Rodriguez (1:07)

For you to remember was really humbled me. You mentioned my son and why I was starting that.

Joe Rogan (1:16)

Yes.

William Rodriguez (1:17)

And you don't even know what it's grown into since that day.

Joe Rogan (1:21)

You've seen what was going on. Well, tell the story about your son and how that whole thing started.

William Rodriguez (1:25)

Well, you know, unfortunately, in some communities, drive-bys aren't uncommon. And so when it becomes a generational curse, you know, and kids are getting killed sometimes randomly, that happened to me. It came knocking on my door in a valley that's got two million people. Knocked on my door and I was just, I was, I'm going to put it this way. I had a calling on my life to, to do something about it because it became a situation where, where families and community was like, well, yeah, well, that's what happens in our community. And I was saying, that is not what happens in our community. This is our community. And so I begin to move. I begin to move ironically with some churches that, that had that kind of ministry, in their ministry and peace marches, etc. But my son got shot while he was learning how to drive a stick shift. And it took his life. And that's not normal. And that's not, that should not be common.

And so I'm still at it.

Joe Rogan (2:40)

You're still doing that?

William Rodriguez (2:41)

Still going, 36 years later, put an organization together. And some with real lived experience, others with degrees and really put together a whole nonprofit that speaks directly to where it's at. And so at the end of the day, yeah, it's over when we say it's over. You know what I mean? And ironically, what led the charge for me at least, Joe, was forgiveness.

The forgiveness that only God can give. I got to tell it the way it is. And that forgiveness ended up taking me to the neighborhood that killed my son. And we had a huge meeting in that neighborhood, in the park, and a peace treaty kicked into place. No mother's crying, no baby's dying. So to this day, I still continue to press in with a whole different, how would I say, integrated service delivery, but keeping violence in the middle of it and dealing with it.

Joe Rogan (3:54)

That's awesome. But yeah. And it's awesome that you brought them to a place like the Jet Center, where they can learn discipline, learn how to fight, build real confidence, learn real martial arts skills, and also real martial arts mentality, especially when it's coming from guys like you. I mean, I remember when you knocked out Jean-Yves Theriot. Jean-Yves Theriot was the fucking man. He was the man. Everybody was terrified of that guy. And I believe you knocked him out with a left hook. Is that correct?

William Rodriguez (4:22)

Right leg, left hook.

Joe Rogan (4:23)

Yeah, the combo.

William Rodriguez (4:25)

The most traditional shoulder con sweeps, you turn it over with the instep, and you know what I'm talking about. And you re-sit and come back with the money.

He's a bad dude. He went on to have a great career.

Joe Rogan (4:38)