After Johnson became champion, the media openly pined for a “Great White Hope” to come forward and beat him, and set the racial hierarchy back to its natural order. Former undefeated champion James J. Jeffries came out of retirement to fight Johnson, satisfying both the white masses and fans of alliteration.

(Johnson won, sparking race riots nationwide, and prompting Congress to ban the distribution of all prizefight films.)

Jack Johnson spent time as a jazz musician, Chicago nightclub owner, stage actor, dock worker, coral fisher, bullfighter, volunteer secret agent in World War I for the U.S. Government (and possibly also for the Kaiser) and as a beer salesman. He was a legendary eater and drinker (and spent a night in Russia downing vodka shot-for-shot with Rasputin) and had the onions to deliver a speech on sportsmanship, fair play and the golden rule to the motherf–king KKK.

It should be noted that nothing in the previous paragraph was a joke. All that stuff really happened. He was a goddamned bull fighter, people!

Johnson’s wang had an equally impressive life. Among those Johnson was romantically linked to were Moulin Rouge star Mistinguette, German spy Mata Hari, sex symbols Lupe Velez and Mae West. Why are there not high schools named after this man?

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

In a dick move worthy of the bearded EPA guy from Ghostbusters, authorities convicted Johnson of violating the Mann Act by “transporting women across state lines for immoral purposes” in 1913–despite the fact that the incidents in question took place before the Mann Act was passed, the woman in question was his future wife and he was goddamn Jack Johnson.

While in prison, he eschewed the non-macho act of forced sodomy for the very macho acts of smoking cigars, drinking and even inventing and patenting a new type of wrench. Think about that the next time you’re putting together your fruity little IKEA bookshelf. The wrench in your hand may very well have been invented by Jack Johnson…in prison.

For more profiles of the most badass athletes of all time, visit Cracked. For more about the incredible story of Jack Johnson, read Geoffrey C. Ward’s acclaimed book, or see Ken Burns’ documentary, Unforgivable Blackness.

Over the next few weeks, I will be conducting a series of reader polls and surveys. The first question is:

For how long have you practiced martial arts?

To participate in these ongoing polls, or to view the results, look to the bottom of the right sidebar. (RSS and email subscribers must click through to the website first.)

If you would like to suggest a future survey question, please do so below.

Your Task

1. Compose an original haiku about martial arts or a related discipline.
2. Post the haiku on your own blog or website.
3. Send a pingback. This should happen automatically if you link to this post; if not, you can include the address of your poem(s) in a comment below.

Examples
Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry, consisting of three unrhymed lines. The seventeen syllables of a haiku are arranged in a 5-7-5 pattern.

Staring, confused, at
his teeth on the ground. It worked
in the Octagon?

Parents, remember:
“A true ninja always eats
their vegetables.”

Your haiku may be lyrical or literal, beautiful or brusque, but contest entries must not identify any living person by name.

Prizes and Rewards

• Participants in my previous writing project were informed, entertained, and possibly enlightened. Past performance does not guarantee future results, but…who knows?
• The best haiku by each participant will be featured in a separate post. Each will be accompanied by a link to the participant’s website.


Japanese Swords
(Not the Ninja Play Set!)

• One lucky winner, chosen at random, will receive a Deluxe 忍者セット (Ninja Play Set), including: two plastic katana, one wakizashi, one tanto and one shuko.

Contest Rules

• Multiple haiku compositions are welcome, but will not increase your chances of winning.
• Contest entries must be received by June 22, 2007.
• Eligibility for the Ninja Play Set is limited to adult residents of the USA. Cash value 210円.

Good luck, and have fun!

Did you know there are more than 80 active martial arts clubs in the Seattle area? Whether you are interested in the traditional bujutsu of Japan, non-classical kungfu with the original students of Bruce Lee, or anything in between, Seattle has a school for you:

• Aikido
• Arnis / Kali / Eskrima
• BJJ / Jiu-Jitsu
• Bagua
• Boxing
• Capoeira
• Fencing
• Hapkido
• Iaido
• Judo
• Jun Fan / Jeet Kune Do
• Kajukenbo
• Karate / Kempo
• Kendo
• Ninjutsu
• Poekoelan
• Shaolin Kung Fu
• Taekwondo
• Taiji
• Tanglang Quan
• Wing Chun
• Wrestling
• Wushu
• Xingyi
• and more

I maintain a convenient and comprehensive search engine for Seattle martial arts. You are welcome to use it, link to it directly, or even embed the search box in your own website or blog.

Chinese Wushu & Tai Chi Academy
10am @ Hing Hay Park (423 Maynard Ave S)

Tiantian School of Qigong
10am @ Gas Works Park (2101 N Northlake Way)

Embrace the Moon Taijiquan and Qigong 
11am @ Olympic Sculpture Park (2901 Western Ave)

Zen Odysseys 
10:15am @ Seattle Center Expo Hall (305 Harrison St)

International Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Association
10am @ Grass Lawn Park (7031 148 Ave NE, Redmond)
Hand, sword and saber forms

For a complete list of participating groups in Washington state, check the official listing at ChineseHealth.com.

The start of a new year is a good time to reflect on recent experiences, and to plot a course for continued growth in the martial arts. To that end, I am sponsoring a contest to identify and promote the best martial arts writing of 2006.

Contest Rules

• Select your single best blog post or web page, written between January 1, 2006, and February 17, 2007 (Lunar New Year‘s Eve).  You may only nominate your own work.  (Note: Please see the updated rules.)
• Briefly explain why, or how we would benefit from reading your selection.
• Include a link to your post/page, along with your explanation, in a comment below.
• Contest entries will be accepted until March 17, 2007.

How to Win

• If you read the contest entries and learn something useful: you win.
• If you gain a larger audience for your website, and for your most important ideas: you win.
• If you enjoyed participating in this contest, as a reader, a writer, or both: you win.

The contest is now over.  Thank you to all the participants:

• The first grading…the be all or end all of my sanity by Aikilass
• Testing and Life by baiguai
• Slow constant learning by Elite Guardian
• All Martial Arts are Mixed by Scott Sorley

I understand that Kungfu, a multifaceted system, is a system of combat, and hence dominant and superior combat power is its highest priority. Is that true?

Answer from Wong Kiew Kit:

It is a matter of perspective. I would view kungfu in this way. Kungfu as a mutifaceted martial art, has three levels of attainment. The lowest level is combat efficiency. This is also the most fundamental level, without which it ceases to be kungfu and degenerates into a demonstrative form.

The intermediate level is internal force training. With this level of attainment, the kungfu exponent has radiant health and vitality for his daily work and play. Although I consider this level higher than that of combat efficiency, it is not fundamental (i.e. essential). Hence, some styles of kungfu may be only physical and external, without any internal force training; they may not contribute to health and vitality but if they can be combat efficient, they are kungfu.

The highest level is spiritual cultivation. With this attainment, the exponent is joyful and peaceful with himself and with the whole cosmos. At the apex, which happens to only rare masters, the exponent attains the highest spiritual fulfillment, called variously as return to God, unity with the Great Void, or enlightenment.

These three levels of attainment in kungfu are not necessarily progressive. In other words, it is not necessary for an exponent to be proficient at one level before progressing to the next. All the three levels are integrated and trained simultaneously.

Wong Kiew Kit is an acclaimed master of Shaolin Kungfu, and the author of the best-selling book The Art of Chi Kung: Making the Most of Your Vital Energy.  You can continue reading this interview on his personal website.

Seattle I.D./Chinatown Community Center
Saturday, October 14, 2006
6pm to 8pm
Admission: $10/person

If you decide to attend, please post a review afterwards.