Support women's sports and SHARE this story with your friends!

Sensei Keiko Fukuda, age 98 and only 4 feet 11 inches tall, is the first woman to ever earn a 10th degree black belt (the highest achievable) in Judo. Only four living people hold a 10th degree black belt and only 16 have ever held a 10th degree black belt. Fukuda began her judo training in 1935, learning from the creator of the sport, and explains that she chose to 'marry judo' instead of marrying a husband or starting a family. Due to prevailing gender norms, Fukuda was stalled at a 5th degree black belt for 30 years because she was a woman. Today, she continues to teach judo three times a week at a women's dojo.

If any of you have ever tried judo you know its pretty hard on your body. I mistakenly signed up for a judo class once, not knowing what I was getting myself into, and only stayed for three classes because I didn't enjoy the break falls or having my chest crushed by some dude. The purpose of judo is to throw or take your opponent to the ground, which makes it all the more impressive when we read passages like the following about Fukuda:

In judo, an individual uses an opponent's strength, weight and momentum against the opponent. When words and gestures failed to get an important point across, Fukuda rose slowly to her feet. She left her sturdy black cane, with its wide curving crook, resting on the mat. In tiny, staggered steps, Fukuda moved into position in front of the student. She reached up to grab the young woman's lapels, grasping them with wrinkled hands stiff from arthritis and weakened from old judo injuries. The room fell silent. Everyone else stopped training and turned to watch. Fukuda dropped, rolled and threw her young opponent -- three times in a row. She then returned to her chair for the rest of the two-hour class. (By Kathleen Sullivan)

Please join me in saluting Sensei Keiko Fukuda in achieving a phenomenal achievement as an athlete and as a woman. Fukuda's mantra is to "be gentle, kind and beautiful, yet firm and strong, both mentally and physically." For her to go against gender norms in traditional Asia in the 1930's is a HUGE statement. She also makes waves for the elderly in the sporting world. Given that the elderly body is often thought of as weak, frail and decrepit, Fukuda makes you think twice about that representation while also making you wish that your body could do half of what she can at ANY age. So often we assume that because people are ahem of more mature age that they must leave their sporting careers behind, but Fukuda shows us that sometimes it can only get better.

"A compassionate soul is inner beauty" Sensei Keiko Fukuda

Support women's sports and SHARE this story with your friends!

• Sports
• More
• History

View Original Post at cszto.blogspot.com

View Resident_Badass's Full Profile