Billy Blanks

William Wayne Blanks (born September 1, 1955) is an American fitness guru, martial artist, actor, and the creator of the Tae Bo exercise program.[1][2][3][4]

Billy Blanks
Blanks in 2017
Born
Billy Wayne Blanks

(1955-09-01) September 1, 1955
Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupationfitness guru, martial artist, actor
Spouse(s)
Tomoko Sato
​
(m. after 2009)​
Children
  • Billy Blanks, Jr. (son)
  • Shellie Blanks Cimarosti (daughter)
  • Marriett Blanks (daughter)
  • Elisabeth Erika Blanks (daughter)
  • Angelika Blanks (daughter)
Medal record
Men's karate
Representing the  United States
World Games
1981 Santa Clara Kumite open

Early life and education

Blanks was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, the fourth of fifteen children.

Blanks began his study of the martial arts at the age of eleven, attending Karate and Taekwondo classes.[1][5] He was born with an anomaly in his hip joints that impaired his movement. The resulting clumsiness caused 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.[6]

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.[7] 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).

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.[8] The name is a portmanteau of tae (as in taekwondo) and bo (as in boxing).[9] 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,[10] and is reported to have grossed between $80 million and $130 million in sales.[10][11]

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.[12]

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 dancer, singer and fitness instructor. Blanks Jr. produced several best-selling DVDs,[13] 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.[13][14][15][16][17]

Blanks and Godfrey divorced in 2008 after 33 years of marriage. Godfrey filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.[18]

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.[19] 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. He has also adopted Sato's two daughters, Marriett and Erika Peterson.

Filmography

Film
Blanks on board USS La Salle in January 2002
Blanks in US Military Base in Yokosuka, Japan in April 2006
YearFilmRoleNotes
1986Low Blowguard
1988Driving ForcePool
1989Tango & Cashprison thug(uncredited)
BloodfistBlack Rose
1990The King of the KickboxersKhan
China O'Brien IIBaskin's fighter #1(uncredited)
LionheartAfrican Legionnaire
1991The Last Boy ScoutBilly Cole
TimebombMr. Brown
1992Zhan long zai yeBilly
Talons of the EagleTyler Wilson
The Masterblack thug(uncredited)
1993ShowdownBilly Grant
TC 2000Jason Storm
Back in ActionBilly
1994A Dangerous PlaceBilly
1995Expect no MercyJustin Vanier
Tough and DeadlyJohn Portland
1996Balance of PowerNikoaka Hidden Tiger
1997Kiss the Girlskickboxing instructor
Assault on Devil's IslandCreagan
2007Dance Club: The Moviedance club dancer(short)
2011Jack and JillhimselfGolden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Ensemble
2017The Clapperhimself

Television
YearFilmRoleNotes
1987Spenser: For HireMan Fighting on the StreetEpisode: "Heart of the Matter" (uncredited)
1989Kids IncorporatedBillyEpisode: "Karate Kids"
1992Street JusticeTsiet Na ChampionEpisode: "Circle of Death"
1994Sister, SisterDriverEpisode: "Love Strikes"
1996Muppets TonightDancing MuppetEpisode: "Paula Abdul"
1998ERKickboxing InstructorEpisode: "The Storm Part 1"
1999The Parkers HimselfEpisode: "Taking Tae-bo with my Beau"
Special guest star
2003The Fairly OddParentsSpecial guest star
Episode: "Kung Timmy"

References
  1. "Blanks' life not letter perfect". CNN. September 26, 2002. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  2. Green, Penelope (March 21, 1999). "MIRROR, MIRROR; Punching and Kicking All the Way to the Bank". The New York Times. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  3. Doyle, Alicia (November 4, 1994). "A New Exercise Kick". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  4. "On Top of the World". Inside Kung Fu. Archived from the original on December 16, 2010. Retrieved February 11, 2011.
  5. "Billy Blanks: From tough-town beginnings to "putting on the power"". GAIM. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
  6. "Billy Blanks: Get Fit the Tae Bo Way! - The 700 Club". The Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  7. Marilyn Beck (October 17, 1988). "To Protect and Serve". Herald-Journal. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  8. Gardetta, Dave (August 15, 1999). "Elvis Has Just Entered the Building". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
  9. Vitucci, Claire (December 8, 1997). "Kick-Boxing Craze: A new form of aerobic exercise has..." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
  10. 7 Black Body Trainers Capitalizing On The $17 Billion Fitness Market
  11. Jack Dickey (2015)Tae Bo's creator Billy Blanks teaches to smaller audience with equal fervor Sports Illustrated, accessed December 30, 2016
  12. "Billy Blanks". Trinity Broadcasting Network. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  13. Cuneo, Kevin (January 12, 2012). "Fitness runs in the family for Blanks". Erie Times-News. Erie, Pennsylvania, USA. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  14. Castagna, Cary. "Dancing your way to Keeping Fit". 24 Hours. Ontario, Canada: Sun Media Corporation. Archived from the original on July 22, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  15. Christian, Margena A. (January 28, 2008). Where is the cast of Good Times?. Jet Magazine. Johnson Publishing Company. p. 34. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  16. Ortega, Courtney (December 16, 2011). "Reviews: 'Fat Burning Hip Hop Mix' and 'Dance Off the Inches' workout DVDs". Star-Telegram. Texas. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  17. Bluff The Listener. Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!. United States: National Public Radio. December 4, 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2012 – via NPR.org.
  18. "Billy Blanks' Wife Kickboxes Him to the Curb". TMZ.com. April 23, 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  19. "Billy Blanks and his Japanese wife". JapanProbe.com. April 16, 2009. Archived from the original on April 17, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2009.

Further reading
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