“A lot of people, when they hear ‘Te Bo,’ they say, ‘Oh, that was made a long time ago,'” Billy Blanks tells PEOPLE. “But it’s still one of the most popular exercises people do, and I plan on teaching it until the day I leave this earth.”
Blanks, now 69, means it. After inventing the hybrid workout in the 1970s and making it mainstream in the 1990s, he never stopped, traveling the world to share not just the moves but the meaning behind them.
When asked why it’s still so popular, he quickly replied: “Because that’s the core of it.”
“I tell people the truth,” he says. “When I talk eye to eye, people understand it.”
Although Blanks has spent much of her life in front of the camera, both in her popular workout videos and in dozens of feature films, she’s actually quite unassuming. I am humble, grateful, and willing to share the wisdom I have gained over my long career.
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“God is number one in my life,” he says. “And sometimes I think people can have big egos when they make something like I made. But I’m just me, just a server. And I help people.” I love it.”
He was shaped by some of his more difficult childhood experiences. At the age of nine, he witnessed a friend drowning, but was unable to help him in time. He also grew up one of 15 children in what he called a “bad neighborhood” in Erie, Pennsylvania, and went through school battling undiagnosed dyslexia.
He decided, he says, “to never, in any way, anywhere in my life, put myself in a situation that I can’t help.” “That drove me and gave me the strength to do what I do today.”
Eventually, Blanks became involved in martial arts at a local youth center after seeing many of his brothers succeed in other sports.
“I had the opportunity to see for myself that I could be successful,” he says. “It changed everything.”
He credits his parents with giving him the work ethic that drove him to become an international karate champion and eventually open a studio in Los Angeles, which he called “Teaching Women to Protect Theirselves.” It started with the goal of “teaching people how to do it.”
“I knew a lot of women liked to do aerobics, so I added karate and boxing and different kinds of aesthetics to that, and started doing a little bit of weight training, and I was able to teach women that they don’t have to exercise. “It gave me the opportunity to feel like I could do aerobics,” he says. “They started feeling like warriors.”
Celebrities were lining up to take his classes in person, but there were some hiccups in getting his videos off the ground. One of the first production companies that met with him decided not to sign a contract. The reason is, I remember one executive saying, “I don’t think you’ll work in the Midwest. I don’t think a white woman will work with you.” ”
“I wasn’t angry,” Blanks says. “Because all my life, people have told me, ‘You can’t do this, you’re not going to do that. You’re going to be fucked, or this is going to happen to you. It’s going to happen.’ But my mom and dad always told me that hard work pays off, so I just kept working hard.”
Although he eventually landed a highly successful video contract, he says he was never properly compensated for his work. (Producer Paul Monea was arrested in 2006 and convicted in 2007 of conspiracy and three counts of money laundering. cleveland.com. )
Again, he could have been angry, but “I wasn’t,” Blanks says. “In any case, this is not something he gave me. God gave it to me. So let me continue to do what I’m doing, and I did. I didn’t do it for the money, it was to help people.”
Blanks calls Taebau a “lifestyle” and not a trend. “I can help people change from the inside out, and that’s what it’s all about,” he says. “I tell my clients to forget what they see in the mirror and follow their heart, and the outside will follow.”
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While some people think of it as a portmanteau of taekwondo and boxing, Blanks says it’s actually an acronym. “T is for total, A is for consciousness, E is for excellence, B is for body, and O is for obedience. I like to tell people, wholeheartedly, and obedient.” If you come to the gym and meet me, If we work out together, I’ll turn it on. ”
He believes that many people who are trying to get in better shape “look and act like what they see in the mirror.” But “I like to look into your eyes and see what’s in your heart, because if we can see what’s there, we can help each other change.” “If we can’t do that, then whatever we do in the gym is useless,” he says. “I don’t know what’s holding you back, what’s keeping you from growing. As a trainer, I have to look at people and think, ‘What’s going on?’ ” Even if you don’t want to say it, it has to be delivered to your door. ”
To this day, Blanks arrives to class early, stands ready at the door, and greets each student. “I love what I do and I love seeing people smile,” he says. “I love seeing people achieve their goals and do things they never thought they could do. I love seeing people come up to me and say, ‘Hey, thank you. Here’s what I have to deal with. Now I have a way to deal with it.’” For me as a coach, as a trainer, that’s my goal. ”
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Blanks, who has built a connection with fans through past videos, believes that the key to his success was his choice not to use a script, omitting routine “choreographies” due to his dyslexia. “People knew deep down that this guy was the real deal,” he says.
He was able to maintain that connection far beyond the days of VHS, giving rise to social media such as: Instagram and YouTube You can even step into a virtual reality space. Tebori reboot. (He also has two movies in his hopper, including a 2024 movie. Circuit 4: Face Fighter.)
“Even if I leave, I think Tebo will always be there,” he says. “This helps people realize what they need to do to best help themselves.”
He himself admits that there are days when he doesn’t want to get out of bed to exercise, but says, “As long as I can stay in shape and stay healthy and fit, I’m always happy to do what I teach somewhere.” You can hear it,” he says. Say. “I’m still amazed every day,” he added. “Who would have thought?”
