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Billy Blanks is the world-class championship athlete who is behind the high-energy, no excuses Tae Bo workouts that the world has come to know through his Tae Bo classes that he teaches. Billy drew upon his expertise in the world of martial arts and combined movements from that discipline with kicks and punches from kickboxing, then set the routines to dance music. The result was a fun and challenging set of workout routines that became a global fitness craze.

Billy started teaching live classes not long after he discovered how to put kick boxing punches and kicks and Tae Kwon Do movements to upbeat dance music. Even though Billy originally set out to refine his own workouts to make them more interesting, fun, and motivating, it was not long before this world-class athlete knew he needed to share this new Tae Bo cardio workout with others.

When Billy started to put together the moves and grooves that would become the basis of the Tae Bo classes and Tae Bo videos, he was already an accomplished world-class athlete. He had won the World Karate Championship not once, but seven times. He had already earned his black belt, seventh-degree, in Tae Kwon Do, and had black belts in five other martial arts disciplines. In 1982 he was inducted into the Karate Hall of Fame, after serving as captain of the US Olympic Karate team in the 1980 Olympics. In addition, while he was the captain of the US Karate team, they came away with 36 gold medals from international competitions.

Perhaps the Billy Blanks Tae Bo classes would never have even come about if it weren’t for the fact that, as an eleven year old boy, he was enrolled in his very first martial arts class. He almost dropped out of the class, not because of misbehavior, but because a hip problem impaired his ability to do the required movements. But with time and effort and the patience of his instructors, he soon discovered that the activity actually helped to correct the hip and joint anomaly that vexed him.

Over the years since Billy first brought his classes to the public, he has gained a large following of fans who have put the Tae Bo fitness routines to work for them. One of the things that continues to draw new fans, and keep his current fans following him, is the dedication and drive that is so evident in everything he does, especially in the Tae Bo workouts that he teaches, both in live classes and through videos.

While watching Billy Blanks lead one of his classes, it is clear that this man brings his heart and soul to the instruction. Billy leads the classes not only through his high energy demonstrations, but also with a contagious enthusiasm and with an attitude that can’t help but motivate and inspire his students.

Billy explains that by taking the martial arts movements and melding them with upbeat, lively, energetic music, this helps people to stay engaged in the process and stay motivated. The Tae Bo classes have helped countless people improve their fitness levels, lose weight, tighten and strengthen muscles and do it all while having fun. And, according to Billy, that is a key part of fitness. “You have to have fun,” he says.

By Fitness Editor

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