# Billy Blanks



## 7starmantis (Aug 27, 2002)

OK, here's the question, what do you guys think of Billy Blanks? I have "haerd" that he won some tournements or so, back in the day? He seems to know how to kick and punch, and I've tried tae bo, seems to be a pretty good cardio workout.



7sm


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## 7starmantis (Aug 28, 2002)

Does everyone know who Billy Blanks is ?


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## Kenpo Wolf (Aug 29, 2002)

In his time, the early to mid 80s, he and Steve 'Nasty' Anderson was the best tournament fighters around. I had the good fortune to watch them compete on a couple occasions. Pure technical brillance at the time. I would love to see Billy Blanks get back into the ring to see if he still has it.


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## Samurai (Aug 29, 2002)

Several people have told me that Billy was an awesone fighter.

I think he can still hold his own against some of the "instant black belts" that you see in the ring today.

Thanks
Jeremy Bays


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## 7starmantis (Aug 30, 2002)

Yeah, I would be interested to see Billy in the ring again!


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## DJDragon (Aug 31, 2002)

Did he also make a few movie appearances?


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## 7starmantis (Aug 31, 2002)

> _Originally posted by DJDragon _
> 
> *Did he also make a few movie appearances? *



I believe he has several of his "own" movies out. All 80's though I believe.


7sm


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## Blindside (Aug 31, 2002)

Oh dear,

BAD, BAD movies.

No you don't understand, BAD movies.  :shrug: 

Lamont


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## 7starmantis (Sep 1, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Blindside _
> 
> *Oh dear,
> 
> ...



:rofl: I have only seen part of one movie of his. He had to go through some "chinese torture test". He was like in a cave, and thy turned the heat up, and he had to stay in there and do all these "tests" and stuff. It was deffinatly very BAD!!!   :rofl:


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## Shinzu (Sep 9, 2002)

i like billy blanks.  i believe he is a true martial artist.  not one of thiose fakes that claim to know everything.

i have also trained with his tae bo tapes.  although the techniques are not so great, it is an excellent workout.


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## Sabaki (Sep 11, 2002)

Hey he did make one ok movie! Not for the plot I'll admit, or the title that matter - "KING OF THE KICKBOXERS". 

However the movie did have some nice fight scenes in which Billy played the "bad guy". 

Anybody seen it?


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## Klondike93 (Sep 11, 2002)

My thought, bad movie real bad movie.

I used to watch Billy and Nasty Anderson go at in the 80's and they were simply the best of the day. When they fought it was in point fighting but it might as well have been full contact when they hit. What I remeber Billy Blanks for is showing that you could lift weights and get big and strong and not lose flexibility or speed. 

I think though that too many will remember him for Tae Bo or some of his bad movies   


:asian:


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## cdhall (Sep 11, 2002)

> _Originally posted by 7starmantis _
> 
> *OK, here's the question, what do you guys think of Billy Blanks? I have "haerd" that he won some tournements or so, back in the day? He seems to know how to kick and punch, and I've tried tae bo, seems to be a pretty good cardio workout.
> 
> 7sm *



I heard that he had won 7 world fighting titles and that he was definitely one of the best fighters ever.  

This info looks good on him
http://www.taebo.com/billy-blanks.html

I'm assuming it is all accurate.  I've never heard anything bad about him, except that Tae-Bo is more aerobics than martial arts but I think even he says so, so this is not really a negative in my opinion. I don't think he would send any of his TaeBo Heroes into the UFC for example.
:asian:


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## ace (Oct 11, 2002)

I don't know if he was or is a good FIGHTER.

But he has given back to the Martial Arts.
Tae-Bo  started a Craze that got people wanting to
Go to the Dojo.

It now has hundreds of names from
Cardio Kickboxing.Kwan do,  even Tae kick
are just some of the names i've heard.

Billy gave people a new way to look at Martial Arts.


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## ChoyLiFutDude (Oct 11, 2002)

Billy Blanks might have been a really good tounament fighter, but marketing a cardio workout as self defense is stupid. These people "master" all their Tae Bo tapes and think they can actually defend themselves. That my friends, is a recipe for disaster.


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## ace (Oct 11, 2002)

It is not self defence.
But he did create a way to bring people in.

Not everyone does M.A. for the same reason.

I my self prefer Mixed Martial Arts Fighting,

But that is not for everyone.
Just like Kickboxing is great but not for Everyone.

There is something for everyone & Billy 
Found a way to Expose people to M.A.

For that he deserves Credit.


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## Carbon (Oct 12, 2002)

Its true the tapes might not give you the same self-defense knowledge as if you went to a real Dojo.

But I think that it does have benefits when it might show punches/kicks where people might of been doing them wrong I see alot overhead swinging like throwing a baseball from people.

It just makes me laugh.


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## tshadowchaser (Oct 12, 2002)

Mr. Banks was a top knotch fighter in his day.  
 He found a way to make money with Tae Bo cashing in on the arobic crazyness that was/is going on. Good for him , it shows he has a good buiness head. The routin actualy isnt that bad but it is not martial arts training it is an excercise  veido.
 Mr. Banks has produced some good students and looks to still be in great condition himslef.
 His films Sucked raw eggs. Not his fault other than he choose the wrong ones to make.
MHO
Shadow


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## ace (Oct 13, 2002)

No Tae Bo is not selfdefence
But it has drawn many People to the M.A.


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## Shinzu (Oct 13, 2002)

i dont think tae bo is at all any means of self defense, but i do think it gives people a taste of the martial arts.  it has no doubt sparked the interests of many.  hats off to billy


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## 7starmantis (Oct 14, 2002)

It is a pretty good cardio workout for people who do not have alot of time in their schedules though.

7sm


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## kenposcum (Oct 14, 2002)

:shrug: 
I was up late watching infomercials and the "New Tae-Bo LIVE!" came on.  "Erp," I belched.  
Some teensy weensy little thing in a leotard came on to extoll the benefits of Tae-Bo.  "Erp," I belched again.
"And not only is it a great workout," this pretty little thing with the eyes big like Bambi's were big goes on, "but I know that if somebody tries to mess with me now, I can HANDLE them!(paraphrased)."
At this point the little misguided wisp clenched a fist and I proceeded to choke down a large mouthful of vomit(my own, that is).
The very idea that learning aerobic kickboxing, with no other training, could help one defend oneself, is so ludicrous I don't want to make a snide comment because I may laugh too hard.  But some misguided individuals (potential McDojo fodder) seem to think that Tae-Bo is self-defense/fight training.  And Billy makes zero effort to dissaude them from this idea.  That's why he sucks.  Plus his movies suck.  Yeah, he could fight like a demon...but that's the one area he didn't suck at.  Well, and money-making.  He doesn't suck at that either.
:asian:


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## tshadowchaser (Oct 14, 2002)

I have to agree with kenposcum on this one.  The local YMCA teaches a class on areobic kickboxing that is so stupid it hurts to watch  A local martial arts school also has one of "their own" creation.  Both are half way good cardio workouts but my problem is they are promoted as Kickboxing and TaeKwoonDo  workouts, and people take them and then tell me they have studied kick boxing and TKD.
  It makes my blood oressure goo up a little to see the bull that is being passed off as a martial arts  workout and not calling it simply what it is a cardio workout.:soapbox: 

 Ok this really is not talking about Mr. Banks but he had a lot to do with starting this current phase of nonsence.

Shadow


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## 7starmantis (Oct 16, 2002)

> _Originally posted by tshadowchaser _
> 
> *
> It makes my blood oressure goo up a little to see the bull that is being passed off as a martial arts  workout and not calling it simply what it is a cardio workout.:soapbox:
> ...



That is true, but isn't it better to have tae bo than nothing at all? Or do you think it is creating a false sense of security?


7sm


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## tarabos (Oct 16, 2002)

> _Originally posted by 7starmantis _
> 
> *That is true, but isn't it better to have tae bo than nothing at all? Or do you think it is creating a false sense of security?
> 
> ...



the way they advertise tae bo with all of the women saying how they feel they can take anyone down now, yeah, i think that many of them have a false sense of security. it's the same with women's self defense courses. we actally used to have one at our school, but decided to get rid of it for that reason. participants would show up for a couple weeks and would decide that they had enough skill and knowledge to be able to survive an attack on the street. it just winds up putting people's lives in danger.

it would be great if billy had a disclaimer saying that this stuff doesn't prepare you to really defend yourself, but i think he would lose a lot of his business if he actually stated that.


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