From the time I was a young man teaching my first martial arts class, God had laid it upon my heart to help people understand the power of their spirit, their will and their mind. So having this opportunity to reach out, especially to my Christian brothers and sisters, is an awesome responsibility that is very exciting to me. I hope to make it informative and exciting for you, as well.

I started my first martial arts class when I was about twelve years old. Growing up in a poor section of Erie, Pennsylvania, in a family of seventeen (ten boys, five girls, my mother, Mabeline, and my father, Isaac), the fifteen dollars a month for karate was not within the family budget. Thankfully, my father and mother had instilled in me a very strong work ethic. On the weekends, during summer vacation and whenever time allowed, I helped my dad on his rubbish hauling truck. It was one of the many jobs that my father had in order to sustain the needs of such a large family.

Hauling rubbish around my neighborhood subjected me to some harsh ridicule from my peers, but it put enough money in my pocket to take karate and begin to fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming like Bruce Lee. Classes were held at the local Martin Luther King Community Center. My instructor did not have enough patience for my awkwardness. As a matter of fact, I frustrated him so much that he bet me five dollars that I wouldn’t last. He insisted that if I were to remain in his class I would have to work out and practice by myself in the corner. He said that teaching me was holding back the students that were learning quickly. Yes, I was uncoordinated, and, yes, it took me a little longer to catch on, but when it clicked for me, it really clicked. I ended up being his first black belt and the youngest champion competitor on the tournament scene. Needless to say, I happily collected my five dollars from him. That was a long time ago. These experiences instilled in me the knowledge that I had to believe in myself and have patience with myself even when others didn’t.

I have spent too many years feeling awkward and too shy to communicate what was really in my heart and on my mind. I had always envied my brothers and sisters who were good athletes and were comfortable communicating with others. I was always considered too quiet and shy. It certainly didn’t help that I was in Special Education classes. To me it was embarrassing, and it reaffirmed what most people already said or thought about me – that I was just plain dumb. When I think back, I realize that it stigmatized me so much that I didn’t even tell my wife about these experiences for the first fifteen years of our marriage. I remember the impact it had on me as I sat in class and looked at the other kids that were with me. Just as I knew there was more inside of me, I knew there was more inside of them, too. There was something that made us all move, and that is the spirit of life. I knew that each of us was valuable, if only others could get past their judgments.

Unfortunately, we are judged, or we judge others, by the color of our skin, where we live, what kind of clothes we wear, our education, or lack thereof. I certainly felt judged and cast aside by many. At the time, karate helped me to learn about myself and communicate on a physical level.

It wasn’t until I was thirty-eight years old that I was finally diagnosed as having dyslexia. By that time, I had been married for twenty years and had raised two children of my own. I had traveled the world because of martial arts, winning many competitions and even several world championships. I had made several action movies and had successfully started businesses and taught others. I had invented Tae Bo®, which has broken sales records and rejuvenated the fitness industry. Tae Bo® is currently in 100 countries and in thirty-three languages. One thing is certain: I thank God that I didn’t believe what others said and thought of me.

Recently, I have been privileged and honored to serve on the President’s Council for Physical Fitness and Sports, and to travel the world teaching Tae Bo® and giving motivational speeches. During my travels, I have met so many people who have common concerns, and are looking for the truth. I am very honored to be able to travel the world and talk to our military men and women who serve all of us with courage, dedication, and skill. God Bless them all. I do not talk about me, Billy Blanks; I talk about our awesome God and His mighty works.

I have always believed in God. Even with all that I had done in my life, there was still something missing. It wasn’t until I asked Jesus Christ to be Lord of my life that I learned what true happiness, true love, true fulfillment and true power were about.

I am very grateful for my church home, Crenshaw Christian Center, and my pastor, Dr. Frederick K.C. Price. He is an awesome man of God and a great teacher. He has helped me to grow in the Word of God and to apply biblical principles to everything I do. I love and respect his boldness and integrity. I am often asked who my hero is, and of course my first response is, Jesus Christ. I am then sometimes asked for a human mentor and that would be Dr. Price. I also admire his wife, Dr. Betty Price. She loves and honors God, and is one of the kindest and most godly women I have ever met. My mother, Mabeline, and wife, Gayle, have all of these qualities as well.

I continue to want to please the Lord, and I know that is why Tae Bo® has been so successful and has touched the lives of so many people. It’s not the exercise alone, because there are many good forms of exercise out there. I believe the success of Tae Bo® is because I am a willing vessel, and I love to help others realize the power of their spirit, will, and mind. The enemy doesn’t want us to have the necessary tools in life to succeed. We spend so much of our time being deceived by our senses, primarily by our eyes and ears. Therefore, we end up getting sidetracked from the truth. Eating disorders, obesity, poor physical fitness, disease and vanity dominate our lives. It hurts my heart everyday to know that there are others out there who are being missed or being labeled incorrectly. There are those who are being deceived and not living up to their potential.

Do you know how many beautiful people I encounter each day who are critical of themselves? Sometimes they are blinded by misconception. Are they seeing clearly with their eyes, or are they listening to negative comments made by someone else? Are they basing how they should look on magazine models or someone they admire on television? What is the motivation to be so displeased with oneself? Is it reality or deception? There are so many people living in torment. So many people that disregard their spirit and only focus on the physical, and they are never content. We are more than what we and others see with our eyes. As Christians, we are to walk by faith, not by sight. Are we doing that? Or are our senses dictating our decisions? Isn’t walking by faith an action?

We have to learn our limitations and start exercising our free will so that we can achieve our spiritual and physical goals. Let’s take on the challenge of living up to our full potential, because it is attainable. We are more than conquerors through Christ, so let’s start conquering some real life issues that confront us each day. They are stumbling blocks and lies that try to hold us back. Sisters and brothers, together let’s move forward toward our goals. Let’s help ourselves and let’s help others see the glory of God.