Keiko Fukuda
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Keiko Fukuda (born 1913) is currently, as of 2004, the highest-ranking female practitioner of judo in the world. She was born in Tokyo, and began the practice of judo in 1935 at the age of 21. She was invited to study Judo by Jigoro Kano, the founder of the martial art, because of his relationship with her grandfather, Hachinosuke Fukuda, who, years before, had taught Tenshin Shinyo Ryu Jujutsu to Kano.
In 1982, Fukuda published Born for the Mat, an instructional book intended for women about the kata of kodokan judo. Fukuda currently holds a 9th degree black belt (9th dan) in judo. She was awarded a rare red belt in judo by the United States Judo Federation in 2001 for her lifelong contribution to the martial art.
References
- A Lifetime of Judo: Keiko Fukuda (http://www.judoinfo.com/fukuda.htm)
- Keiko Fukuda Sensei (http://www.pinewoodkarate.com/kfukuda.htm)
- Joshi Judo (http://members.aol.com/Cunningham/ju01010.htm)
- The History of Kodokan Judo (http://www.judoinfo.com/jhist.htm)