Judo master makes 10th degree Black Belt

[AsahinaKimi]

Sensei Keiko Fukuda of San Francisco became the first woman to be promoted to judo's highest level.

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.)

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/08/05/DD181KHUV0.DTL#ixzz1UIHZYA8h

Sugoii!

[xchrom]

1. As a former judo player - I offer my congratulations. Nt

[AsahinaKimi]

4. I only made it to Green belt ..

When I took up Judo. I would have loved to have continued but got swept up in Kendo instead. This is an amazing story!

[The Doctor.]

5. "Belts are for holding up pants"

Every instructor I trained under had a version of this saying. They did offer to give students belt rankings if they wanted something to work toward.

My Sifu used to advertised there were "No 8 year-old black belts" in his school. My Judo instructor didn't go for his first belt until he was long past black belt level. His father was Hachidan in Kodokan Judo. So I'm sure that helped.

Same with Kendo, but Master Kimura left before I could get really get to the level I wanted to.

I've seen too many "paper tigers" with Black Belts to ever care what 'belt level' I'm at. When people ask me, I just say, "Well, I never bothered with a belt. They're really just good for holding up pants.".

[AsahinaKimi]

7. When I took up Kendo

I never ask about belts. If you ever saw the kendogi, you had to wonder where one would go?
the hakama has many belts and is confusing to put on. I had started Judo when I was a tiny kid so colored belts fascinated me and inspired me to continue to learn. When I was introduced to Kendo, it had a higher level of excitement. I loved swords since I was little, and could see my father's collection. I was drawn to kendo like a moth to flame and loved every moment of it.

[toddwv]

8. I wish I had gotten into Kendo.

I took Aikido off and on in college but focused primarily on western style fencing. Aikido also got me interested in Iado but never got a chance due to the development of a disabling medical condition...

[The Doctor.]

15. You probably won't be surprised,

but fencing and Kendo bear many similarities.

Fencing brought my Kendo up a bit at that. I always wanted to go into Aikido because of its similarity to Judo, but I haven't found a school that hasn't hybridized it.

Pure forms first, then your own style will emerge and evolve. Still working on it.

[The Doctor.]

13. You and I both.

It's very strange. I loved swords the moment I saw one.

I was four. (I also liked girls, but that's different)

I have a few nice ones, not for collecting, for practicing. I also have a suture kit on hand.

;)

[Aerows]

14. Kendo is amazing

I studied Tae Kwon Do before Kendo attracted me.

Women looking to empower themselves need look no further. It is difficult to intimidate a woman that can take down a man twice her size - and I should know. I've done it before :)

And we aren't even going to discuss my sword and bokken collection :)

[The Doctor.]

17. Well, taking down someone twice one's size IS easier

when one is wielding a sword or large hardened stick.

:D

[Aerows]

18. *smirk*

:spray:

[ZombieHorde]

2. Awesome. nt

[Downtown Hound]

3. 98...how much do you want to bet her Judo practice helped her not only reach

that age, but continue to practice?

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. agreed. n/t

[The Doctor.]

16. Wouldn't be a fair bet against.

Funny anecdote;

My instructor's father trained in post WWII Japan. He was insane. He'd always pick the meanest SoB in the school to spar with. It may or may not have had to do with his being American, but they never went easy on him.

At the age of 70, Mel was all of 5'6", bald with glasses, a pipe in his mouth, the kind of paunch you'd expect on one of Santa's elf foremen and the kindly face to match. His son was (and still is) the hyper-competitive fellow you'd expect someone who could beat anyone but his dad at anything would turn out to be.

While sparring with his father, the son managed to pull off (to the best of my recollection) some kind of moroto/osotogari move. The effect of successful execution of this move is usually the elevation of one's opponent into the air about a yard or more off the ground... horizontally.

In the midst of execution, the son said; "I GOT y..." (He later said the words that died in his throat were "ou old man!". Mel, while in mid-air, took the son clean off his feet for an ippon throw and said, "Not yet son.".

The son replied; "You're going to be 90 one day... I'll get you!".


So, yes, I agree very much with your premise.

And I'm pretty sure Mel will still be punishing people at 90.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

6. AMAZING WOMAN! Wow! nt

[Obamanaut]

9. Many positive responses at this earlier thread ->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1679211

[Odin2005]

10. Very cool!

[Withywindle]

11. Oo, I saw the other post first, but I'll K & R this one too.

Congratulations Sensei Keiko Fukuda! What an amazing lady.



Yes, all misogynists reading this: there is a 98-year-old woman who could end you - without breathing hard.