Billy Blanks

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William Wayne Blanks (born September 1, 1955) is an American actor, martial artist, and fitness personality. He was a nationally ranked competitor in semi-contact and point karate during the 1980s,[1][2] winning a bronze medal at the 1981 World Games,[3] before creating the Tae Bo exercise program.[4][5][6][7]

Early life and education

Blanks was born in Erie, Pennsylvania. He began his study of the martial arts at the age of eleven, attending Karate and Taekwondo classes.[4][8] He was born with an anomaly in his hip joints that impaired his movement. The resulting clumsiness aroused taunts from Blanks' siblings and led his instructors to believe that he would never accomplish much. Blanks found the answer to these challenges in karate. When he saw Bruce Lee on TV, he decided he wanted to be a world martial-arts champion.[9]

Martial arts

Blanks holds black belt ranks in taekwondo (7th dan) and karate (5th dan), and a black sash in Hung Ga kung fu (under Sifu Wong Ting-fong).[10]

During the 1980s, Blanks was a top competitor on the point competition, semi-contact, and sport karate circuits, notably against Steve Anderson.[1][2] He finished in 3rd place at the World Union of Karate-do Organizations (WUKO) World Championship in the Male Kumite category in 1980.[11] He represented the United States at the 1981 World Games in Santa Clara, California, and won a bronze medal in the Men's Kumite Open (Heavyweight).[3] He was Karate Illustrated magazine's National Champion and Rookie of the Year for 1983.[12]

Blanks was an early member of USA Karate, the precursor to USA National Karate-do Federation, after it broke away from the Amateur Athletic Union.[13] He also was a member of Chuck Merriman's Atlantic World Karate Team with Anderson.[1][14][10]

Career

Blanks was hired as a bodyguard for lead actress Catherine Bach during the filming of 1988's Driving Force, which was filmed in Manila during a time of political unrest. Blanks impressed the producers and was written into the script in a supporting role.[15] This led to Blanks' work in several martial arts films, including King of the Kickboxers and Bloodfist. Blanks also appeared in the opening scene of Tony Scott's The Last Boy Scout, where he plays a doomed pro-football player. Blanks played Ashley Judd's kickboxing instructor in Kiss the Girls (1997).[16]

In the late 1980s, Blanks developed the Tae Bo workout, while running a karate studio in Quincy, Massachusetts. He used components of his martial arts and boxing training.[17] The name is a portmanteau of tae (as in taekwondo) and bo (as in boxing).[18] Blanks opened a fitness center in Los Angeles to teach his new workout. He later attracted celebrity clients such as Paula Abdul, and the popularity of the workout quickly grew, becoming a pop culture phenomenon after Blanks began releasing mass-marketed videos. He sold over 1.5 million VHS tapes in his first year,[19] and is reported to have grossed between $80 million and $130 million in sales.[19][20]

Personal life

Blanks is a Christian and released a special line of Tae Bo workouts called the "Believer's" series that includes motivational prayers and other Christian components. He has appeared on the Christian television network TBN.[21] He attended Crenshaw Christian Center.

In 1974, Blanks married Gayle H. Godfrey, whom he met in karate class. Shortly after the marriage, he adopted Gayle's daughter, Shellie, who was born in 1973. Shellie Blanks Cimarosti, a martial artist, is prominently featured in many Tae Bo videos. Shellie has also produced her own video called Tae Bo Postnatal Power, as well as hosted her father's new infomercial Tae Bo T3 (Total Transformation Training). Gayle and Blanks also have a son, Billy Blanks Jr., who works as a fitness instructor. Blanks Jr. produced several best-selling DVDs,[22] including Cardioke and Fat Burning Hip Hop Mix. He has also starred in a touring production of the musical Fame, and has worked as a dancer in music videos with Madonna, Quincy Jones and Paula Abdul.[22][23][24][25][26]

Blanks and Godfrey divorced in 2008 after 33 years of marriage. Godfrey filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.[27]

In November 2008, Blanks became the father of a new daughter, named Angelika. The mother is Tomoko Sato, whom Blanks met in 2007 when she worked as his Japanese interpreter.[28] Blanks and Sato's marriage was formally registered in January 2009 and their wedding ceremony was held on June 20, 2009. He relocated to Japan in 2009.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Filmography

Film

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Blanks on board Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". in January 2002
File:US Navy 060407-N-5686B-002 Billy Blanks, creator of Tae Bo, instructs a class at Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka Japan's Fleet Recreation Center for active duty personnel stationed in the area.jpg
Blanks in US Military Base in Yokosuka, Japan, in April 2006
Film performances
Year Title Role Notes
1986 Script error: No such module "sort". Script error: No such module "sort". Script error: No such module "Sort".
1988 Script error: No such module "sort". Script error: No such module "sort".
1989 Script error: No such module "Sort". Script error: No such module "sort". Script error: No such module "sort".
1989 Script error: No such module "Sort". Script error: No such module "sort".
1990 Script error: No such module "Sort". Script error: No such module "sort".
1990 Script error: No such module "Sort". Script error: No such module "sort". Script error: No such module "sort".
1990 Script error: No such module "sort". Script error: No such module "sort".
1991 Script error: No such module "Sort". Script error: No such module "sort".
1991 Script error: No such module "sort". Mr. Brown
1992 Script error: No such module "Sort". Billy
1992 Script error: No such module "Sort". Tyler Wilson
1992 The Master Black Thug Script error: No such module "sort".
1993 Showdown Billy Grant
1993 TC 2000 Jason Storm
1993 Back in Action Billy
1994 A Dangerous Place
1995 Expect No Mercy Agent Justin Vanier
1995 Tough and Deadly John Portland
1996 Balance of Power Niko
1997 Kiss the Girls Kickboxing Instructor
2007 Dance Club: The Movie Dance Club Dancer Short film
2011 Jack and Jill Himself Cameo role; Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Ensemble
2017 The Clapper Cameo role
2024 The Last Kumite Loren

Television

Television performances
Year Title Role Notes
1987 Spenser: For Hire Man Fighting On The Street Episode: "Heart of the Matter"; Script error: No such module "sort".
1989 Kids Incorporated Billy Episode: "Karate Kids"
1992 Street Justice Tsiet Na Champion Episode: "Circle of Death"
1994 Sister, Sister Driver Episode: "Love Strikes"
1996 Muppets Tonight Dancing Muppet Episode: "Paula Abdul"
1997 Assault on Devil's Island Creagan Script error: No such module "Sort".
1998 ER Kickboxing Instructor Episode: "The Storm (Part I)"
1999 Sunset Beach Billy Episodes: "605, 606"; Script error: No such module "sort".
1999 The Parkers Himself Episode: "Taking Tae-Bo with My Beau"
Special guest star
1999 Sabrina the Teenage Witch Episode: "Prelude to a Kiss"
Special guest star
2003 The Fairly OddParents Episode: "Kung Timmy"
Special guest voice

Music video

Music video performances
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2022 "Light Switch" Charlie Puth Tae Bo Instructor

References

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  10. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  16. ↑ Kiss the Girls - Full Cast & Crew - TV Guide
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ a b 7 Black Body Trainers Capitalizing On The $17 Billion Fitness Market
  20. ↑ Jack Dickey (2015)Tae Bo's creator Billy Blanks teaches to smaller audience with equal fervor Sports Illustrated, accessed December 30, 2016
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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Further reading

  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

External links

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