Female judo master makes 10th dan

[Makalakumu]

After 98 years, the phone call finally came.


Last week, Sensei Keiko Fukuda of San Francisco became the first woman to be promoted to judo's highest level: 10th degree black belt.

Only three people in the world, all men living in Japan, have ever reached that mark.


The martial arts promotion by USA Judo brought 98-year-old Fukuda to tears at the women's dojo where she still teaches in Noe Valley. (Fukuda was the subject of a Chronicle Datebook profile on July 25.)


She gave up marriage and left her homeland to dedicate her life to judo, fighting gender discrimination that kept her at lower belt levels decades longer than men less skilled than she.


"The time was right," said U.S. Judo Federation promotion board member Eiko Saito Shepherd.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/05/DD181KHUV0.DTL#ixzz1UUazMTBB


I thought this was inspiring story!

[Thesemindz]

As far as I can tell the Kodokan still has not recognized her tenth or promoted her to tenth. This was a USA Judo promotion.


-Rob

[Saitama Steve]

A little bit of budō triva:

Fukuda sensei's grandfather was Fukuda Hachinosuke

Fukuda was a bushi and Kanō Jigorō's (The founder of jūdō) original teacher in Tenjin Shinyō-ryū jūjutsu.

Almost a historical full circle. :-)

[Chat Noir]

This was so long over due it's really sad that the Japanese are still so backwards that it took them this long to recognize Sensei Fukuda. Had she been a man, the honor would have come much sooner. She was 30 years at 5th Dan.....how fortunate that the woman lived long enough for them to finally get over their prejudice and officially recognize her contribution to this art. One can only hope the Kodokan won't wait until she's passed.....I'm really delighted for Sensei Fukuda and her students. It's simply beautiful....:)

Laura