Be strong, be gentle, beautiful, in mind, body and spirit. — Keiko (portrait by Charles Kennard) At the time of her death in 2013, at 99 years old, Keiko was the highest-ranked female judo master in world history. As a teenager, she had been personally invited to study at the Kodokan with judo's founder — a place of privilege in the 1930s, when many Japanese women were discouraged from studying martial arts. As Keiko described it: "I chose to live my life in judo over marriage."
A Woman to Know: Keiko Fukuda
A Woman to Know: Keiko Fukuda
A Woman to Know: Keiko Fukuda
Be strong, be gentle, beautiful, in mind, body and spirit. — Keiko (portrait by Charles Kennard) At the time of her death in 2013, at 99 years old, Keiko was the highest-ranked female judo master in world history. As a teenager, she had been personally invited to study at the Kodokan with judo's founder — a place of privilege in the 1930s, when many Japanese women were discouraged from studying martial arts. As Keiko described it: "I chose to live my life in judo over marriage."