THE VFA PIONEER HISTORIES PROJECT
Keiko Fukuda
April 12, 1913 – February 9, 2013
“Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful.”
Learned judo from its inventor and went on to become the sport’s highest-ranked woman. She taught in many countries and wrote two autobiographical books on judo. Was the subject of a documentary film, “Mrs. Judo,” its title a reflection of her comment that she had committed her life to the sport. Founded, along with Shelley Fernandez (National Board of NOW, President of San Francisco NOW) the Keiko Fukuda and Shelley Fernandez Studio and Self Defense Foundation for Girls and Women.
Photo. Keiko Fukuda and Shelley Fernandez (Photo courtesy of Shelley Fernandez)
More About Keiko:
- Obituary, The New York Times
- Keiko Fukuda Judo Foundation website
- Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful; movie documents the life-long journey of Keiko Fukuda’s decision to defy thousands of years of tradition, choose her own path and become the highest-ranking woman in judo history.
- Papers of Keiko Fukuda, 2004–2009, Schlesinger Library
- Keiko Fukuda and The White Stripe in the Black Belt: A Symbol of Gender Discrimination in Judo Fades to Black, The Olympians
- Wikipedia