Tae Bo is a body fitness system that incorporates martial arts techniques, such as kicks and punches, which became popular in the 1990s. It was developed by American
taekwondo
''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...
practitioner
Billy Blanks
William Wayne Blanks (born September 1, 1955) is an American fitness personality, martial artist, actor, and the creator of the Tae Bo exercise program.
Early life and education
Blanks was born in Erie, Pennsylvania. He began his study of t ...
. Such programs use the motions of martial arts at a rapid pace designed to promote fitness.
Name
The name Tae Bo is a
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words During the 1990s, a series of videos was mass-marketed to the public; by 1999, an estimated 1.5 million sets of videos had been sold by frequently-aired television infomercials. As a result, Tae Bo became something of a pop culture phenomenon in the late 1990s. Gyms began offering
kickboxing
Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...
-based fitness classes similar to Tae Bo. Since Blanks had obtained a trademark on the name they were not allowed to use the term Tae Bo without paying a licensing fee. Tae Bo videos and DVDs continue to rank among the top sellers in the fitness genre and derivative classes are still offered at many gyms.
Tae Bo classes are taught worldwide. It includes many of the same punches and kicks as
karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
, but is not intended for fighting — it was not meant for any combat or self-defense activities. There are no throws,
grappling
Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a position or causing injury. Grappling ...
moves, or
ground fighting
Ground fighting (also called ground work or ground game) is hand-to-hand combat which takes place while the combatants are on the ground. The term is commonly used in mixed martial arts and other combat sports, as well as various forms of marti ...
techniques in Tae Bo. Its only intent is to increase fitness through movement. It also includes
aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise (also known as endurance activities, cardio or cardio-respiratory exercise) is physical exercise of low to high intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. "Aerobic" is defined as "relating to, inv ...
s intended to strengthen all muscles of the body with basic choreography. The high-intensity workout is intended to increase
cardiovascular
The blood circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the entire body of a human or other vertebrate. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, tha ...
fitness, strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility.
Benefits
Tae Bo has been characterized as an excellent cardiovascular workout with very good distractions.
Because of the movements it involves, Tae Bo is effective in toning and defining the body's musculature. It can also improve one's balance, flexibility, and coordination. According to Blanks, the cardiovascular benefits are a result of the dance moves added to the already high-energy workout. An hour-long Tae Bo workout will burn 500 to 800
calories
The calorie is a unit of energy. For historical reasons, two main definitions of "calorie" are in wide use. The large calorie, food calorie, or kilogram calorie was originally defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of o ...
, compared with the 300 to 400 calories burned with a more conventional aerobics class.