Billy Blanks and the Invention of Tae Bo
individuals, exercising is a passion in their life, whereas to others, it may seem as a chore. One of the best
exercises that has been available for years and has literally swept all around the world is Tae Bo.
Tae Bo was created by its inventor, Billy Blanks. Billy Blanks, a seven time world Karate champion, as well as
a seventh degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, seemed to have started life off on the wrong foot.
He was born in Pennsylvania on September 1, 1955, as the fourth of 15 children. Billy faced many challenges
while growing up, such as dyslexia, and a severe hip disorder. Due to the hip disorder, many individuals in
Billy’s life informed him that he would face many difficulties, and more than likely would not be able to
accomplish much in his life. To the dismay of everyone, Billy proved the negative individuals in his life wrong.
Billy began his Tae Kwon Do career at the very young age of 11. Not only does Billy hold a seventh degree
black belt in the martial arts, but he has five various other black belts as well. Billy is also a noted seven time
world champion in karate, and in 1982 was inducted into the Karate Hall of Fame, among other multiple
accomplishments.
Later in life, Billy moved to Boston, where he opened a karate studio. While living in Boston and running the
karate studio, Billy was thinking of an innovative way to motivate individuals with karate. It was at this time that
Billy decided to incorporate the karate with dance moves, thus creating Tae Bo. Billy knew that he was on to
something big, as the concept for his idea exploded in Boston. Billy decided to pack his bags and move to the
hills of California…Los Angeles, California, that is. After moving to California, Billy taught his classes from his
garage, eventually moving them to Sherman Oaks, California, where his center was aptly named the ” Billy
Blanks World Training Center”.
Billy began teaching the new Tae Bo moves to many individuals, but it was not until celebrities, such as
Pamela Anderson, Paula Abdul and Lou Diamond Phillips, began to work out with Tae Bo that it became such
an enormous craze. The celebrity endorsements began to follow, only fueling the fire to the popularity of Tae
Bo. Billy has also worked with the US military, making sure that our soldiers are in the best of shape for the
call of duty.
