On a frozen Christmas Eve in 1955, a 13 year old mother left her newborn son on a bench in Washington DC's Lafayette Park. Thus began the extraordinary life of Raymond Fogg.
From an orphanage in DC, he cycled in and out of crowded foster homes. The good placements never lasted, and the others he quickly traded for a life on the streets. He befriended a young white police officer, who allowed Raymond to sleep in his squad car while he patrolled, until he died in the line of duty. Raymond then joined the Saints, a notorious street gang, who instilled in him an enduring sense of brotherhood, while ferrying him deeper into the DC underworld. He went to jail, escaped, and was captured. A judge gave him an ultimatum - do hard time in a federal prison, or enlist in the United States Marine Corps. It was the height of the Vietnam War.
After his stint of service in the war, Fogg returned to DC, where he began his tutelage in the martial arts. Seeking entrance to the mysteries of Kung Fu, but facing rejection from the ethnically closed world of Chinese martial arts, it took him a year to win the trust of his first teacher. Soon, he was travelling the world winning underground prize fights and tournaments, and using his earnings to study with legendary masters across Asia. He had extended stays Hong Kong, the Philippines and Thailand, and even lived amongst the native tribes.
Hurdles still abounded. He survived being shot seven times in a case of mistaken identity. His first marriage ended in heartbreak after 27 days, leading Fogg temporarily to retire to a monastery. Soon he met his second wife while working the wards of a mental hospital.
After moving to Texas, he opened a series of prestigious Kung Fu academies. He completed graduate school, and became a professor of US History, and started a family. Today, thousands of martial artists trace their lineage through Grandmaster Fogg, who continues to teach and inspire.
Help me tell his amazing story.
Your contribution will allow me to spend four weeks interviewing Grandmaster Fogg, so we can learn more of his incredible life, his wisdom and his humor. Funds will be spent on my travel to and from his home in Texas, simple accommodations, and an honorarium.
This is the first stage of my biographical project, to culminate in a full written account of his unbelievable journey. Thank you for your patronage.
