Billy Blanks is the kind of man who did some big things in his life, but his fans aren’t entirely sure where he went or what happened to him over the years. He is the man behind the Tae Bo program, and he is a man who has been through it all. The 80s were big for him when he first introduced the world to Tae Bo, but things have fizzled out a bit on that front. Exercise programs and workouts alike all go through some changes across the years, and he’s no exception to the rule. He hit it big in the 80s, he fizzled a bit in terms of his fame in the 90s, and now no one knows where he is and what he’s up to. Before you worry about him, however, remember that he is living his life and still thriving.
Billy Blanks’ Early Life
When Billy Blanks was born on September 1, 1955, in Erie, Pennsylvania, his parents had no idea just what he would do with his life. They did not know he would turn into such a celebrity, or that he would become the kind of man who can do no wrong. They didn’t know that he would grow up to invent something cool, and they didn’t know just how famous he would be. They did, however, likely have some big plans and dreams for their son. When he was born, though, it was with an issue. He was born with a hip anomaly. What this means is that he was unable to move the way that most people move. The impairment worried him and his family, and it caused him a great deal of clumsiness as a child. Sadly, his own siblings were unkind to him. They taunted him and his impairment, and they left him feeling bad about himself. Even his own instructors left him feeling as if he would not do much with his life. After all, he was a child with an impairment, and that is never a good thing. Fortunately, he didn’t live long with that feeling.
When he finally discovered karate, he knew that he would do more. He became obsessed with the idea of becoming a martial arts champion on a worldwide platform. It helped him. It inspired confidence in him, and it changed his life forever. His strength and his ability to fight landed him a role as actress Catherine Bach’s bodyguard when she was filming in a place of political unrest in Manila in the late 80s. The people working on the movie were so impressed with him that he was written into the script. That one minor part allowed him to land even more roles in films about martial arts. Then, it was time for him to create his Tae Bo program. He did it, he released the program, and it blew up. He was a household name in the fitness industry, and he was on top of the world. He opened his own business in LA, he taught clients of the celebrity degree (think clients like Paula Abdul), and he made a lot of money in the process.
Where is Billy Blanks Now?
At the time that he was working in Hollywood and hitting it big in the movies and with his workout plans, he was a married man. He married his first wife, Gayle Godfrey, back in 1974. The couple met as teenagers when they were both taking the same karate class, and they had so much in common. She was a new mom to a little girl born in 1973, and Blanks went on to adopt her as his own child. Her name is Shellie, and her father often had her in his videos. He and his wife also went on to have a son who is also involved in the fitness industry. Sadly, their marriage ended in 2008 after approximately 33 years of marriage. The reason his wife filed for divorce is listed as irreconcilable differences, but considering the fact that her husband welcomed a baby in 2008 with a woman he met in 2007 might have caused their divorce. Tomoko Sato is the woman Blanks met in 2007. He was in Japan, and she was his interpreter at the time. He was married, they had a baby, and they were married a year after their own daughter was born. The couple remains married to this day, and Blanks lives with his second wife and their young daughter in Japan. His life might not have turned out how he thought it might, but that’s what he’s been up to since became famous.Exercise programs and workouts
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