Jesse Benavidez, a mainstay of the Texas sport karate circuit, passed away in Santa Fe, Texas Saturday at the age of 77 from pancreatic cancer. In the 1970s Benavidez was a founding member of the Amateur Organization of Karate, one of the largest regional martial arts organizations in the country.
Benavidez's Battle of Texas tournament, which has run since 1978, has long been a major event on the state's karate calender. As an instructor he produced several notable students including his daughters, Cindy, with whom he ran the Battle of Texas, and Annette, both top-ranked tournament competitors in the Southwest.
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