That did look like Billy Blanks as I remember him from way back in the day.
Everyone in competition get's knocked out at some point and Billy also did some serious knock outs as well. I remember a montage that I have on video somewhere where Billy laid out Jerry Fontanez with a lunging jab. It was an awesome knockout. That is just competition in general sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
I saw Billy Blanks in competition quite a few times and even trained with him once. He was a really, really, really athletic martial artist. He also hit hard. Then Tae Bo came along and well the rest is history.
There I saw it, and it did look like Billy way back in the day. But he was a fighter back then and from what I remember a pretty good one. But it is not surprising that as a fighter you get knocked out once and awhile
OK, lets talk about "back in the day". I was competing at a "light" contact tournament in Portland Oregon. Oh, maybe 20 years or more ago. Billy Blanks was there as was Steve "nasty" Anderson. Well, any way, Billy was sparring a WTF BB and the BB was coming really hard. Everything came to a stand still when Billy grabbed said BB, lifted him over his head and body slammed him into a hard wood gym floor. As the BB lay there stunned all Bill said was "hey dude, light up, this isn't full contact". Yeah, Billy did get nailed in this video but I have seen him move and spar and there is no way I would have gotten in the ring with him if I didn't have to. It doesn't matter how good you are, some one, some where is going to get you. So, enjoy the video, just don't get in the ring with him if you don't have to.
Hehe, no kidding!
I've always greatly admired him, and unfortunately I never got to have him kick the snot out of me heh.
On a quasi-tangent, Wade, did you ever come down for Frank Perry's Albany tournaments? I got to fight Mel Cherry at one of those, and I STILL have great memories of that one. Amazing amazing times.
It was a beautiful kick, delivered really fastkind of a textbook example. In an awful lot of sparring the kicks are kind of rough, even sloppy-looking... this one could've been part of a well-rehersed demo. Very, very impressive form, especially considering how high it was...
Dave, back then I think every one fought Mell Cherry, I just don't think they enjoyed the experience all that much. I did one time and was DQ'ed for excessive contact. Hey, I wasn't hitting that hard, really. I was just trying to survive. Man, I hadn't thought about that in years. WOW! You know, I thought your name looked familiar.
Billy Blanks is originally from the Pennsylvania / Virginia area. When he was a very young man he moved into the townships of Rockland & Weymouth in the state of Massachusetts. During this time he became a very well know tournament competitor. He train with other champions like Doug Peoples, Stingo Garcia etc. While in his mid twenties he developed his own martial arts system. This system was geared for tournament application only. It's was base was taken from the Korean kicking systems.
After a period of time he closed down all of his schools and moved out to the state of California to begin another career, this time as an actor. This didn't work out to well so along came "Tai Bo" by Billy Blanks.
Rofl I hear you!
After the first time he hit me, I just REALLY didn't want him to hit me again ;p.
And I found that it's bad to block too soon heh, he threw a side kick and my block got there first, instead of blocking it got between. So I had to switch sides, as that arm pretty much hung completely at my side for the rest of the match heh. Amazing fighter though, I miss those days. (of course I had hair then too, and um, was a little less affected by gravity ;p)
I only had the one fight with him, I think it was 87... but it's still one of my fondest memories in the ring. The look on his face when my side kick went straight up his chest into his face hehe, course that was my only score, but we ended 3/2.
It was hilarious though, see I had no idea who he was stepping into the ring, so I shook his hand and wished him good luck like I do all my opponents. He looked at me with this look of incredulous 'what?' heh. I found out why of course ;p.
I think I'd rather get smoked in the ring and learn one or two things, than just get out there and cakewalk. Of course cake isn't bad sometimes either heh.