Billy Blanks

Muscular African American sports star actor media identity and inventor of the phenomenally popular Tae Bo fitness system derived from his extensive martial arts training Blanks was born in Eerie Pennsylvania in 1955 amongst humble backgrounds and grew up as one of 15 children battling dyslexia and tendon problems However that didnt stop him from starting his martial arts training at age 14 and eventually achieving black belts in tae kwon do several other arts and winning numerous US martial arts tournaments Blanks first popped up on movie screens in the mid 1980s in tough guy parts utilizing his athletic background and grim faced looks Films roles included Tango Cash 1989 Driving Force 1989 and AWOL Absent Without Leave 1990 Things looked up in 1991 when Blanks scored the minor role of drug addicted running back Billy Cole in the explosive The Last Boy Scout 1991and further work followed often sharing lead billing in low budget high action fare such as Talons of the Eagle 1992 TC 2000 1993 and Expect No Mercy 1995 In the late 1990s Billys innovative and exciting Tae Bo workout routine swept around the world like wildfire and propelled him into the position of one of the worlds most recognizable and biggest selling fitness trainers The remarkable Blanks continues to refine and promote his unique Tae Bo fitness system and he operates the Billy Blanks World Training Center in Sherman Oaks California 7th Degree Black Belt Billy Blanks had one of the greatest karate fight records in the sports long history Blanks was a 7time world karate champion the first Amateur Athletic Union Champ in 1975 the 1984 Massachusetts Golden Gloves Boxing Champion and the TriState Golden Gloves Champion of Champions He was the captain of the United States Karate Team and won over 30 gold medals in international competition He was the number 1 or number 2 rated fullcontact karate fighter in the United States for almost seven straight years His epic battles with Nasty Anderson are legends among martial arts fans He posted over 300 career victories In 1982 Billy Blanks was honored by being inducted into the Karate Hall of Fame