The Highest Ranking Female Judoka In The World

As you know by now, it is always a pleasure for me to post something interesting and inspirational about and for female martial artists.

Today we continue our tradition and this a big one!

Our featured female martial artist, Keiko Fukuda, was born in 1913 in Tokyo, Japan.

It wasn’t until 1935 that she actually started practicing the martial art of judo at the age of 21. Look at those dates again and be amazed like I am.

At that time, Japan and many other industrialized countries were still deeply affected by The Great Depression that started in 1929 and continued for many even until the end of World War II in 1945.

I don’t consider myself a Japanology expert, but I am pretty sure that Japanese women weren’t necessarily encouraged to pursue a martial arts career in the 1930s.

Keiko Fukuda was even exceptional in those days by flat-out rejecting an arranged marriage to do just that after being being invited to study judo by its founder Jigoro Kano himself in the newly created women’s division!

Kano had been a Jujutsu student of her grandfather, Fukuda Hachinosuke, who at one time had been a samurai.

Amazingly, today Keiko Fukuda is the last living pupil of Kano.

Empowering and inspring women about the kata (forms) of Kodokan judo, Keiko Fukuda published the instructional book Born for the Mat in 1973.

In 2001, the United States Judo Federation awarded her a rare red belt for her lifelong contribution to judo.

It was in January 2006 that the Kodokan Judo Institute also awarded her the 9th degree black belt (9th dan).

Keiko Fukuda is currently the only woman in the world to hold a 9th degree black belt from any recognized judo organization.

At the time of writing this post, Keiko Fukuda is close to 97 and I bet some of you are thinking that she probably spends her days just sitting at home in front of the TV watching The Price Is Right or whatever.

Nothing could be further from the truth, because she still teaches at the Soko Joshi Judo Club in the Noe valley district of San Francisco, California as well as at the annual Joshi Judo Camp, a camp she founded in 1974 to give women judoka an opportunity to train together.

Gentle, Strong, Beautiful, she is judo pioneer, Keiko Fukuda, the highest ranking female judoka in the world.

I am dedicating today’s post to all female martial artists. Past, current and future.