The 2012 Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists' annual summer camp featured an evening with Keiko Fukuda Shihan. Fukuda Shihan, a 10th Dan, and a renowned pioneer of women's judo, is the highest ranked female judo practitioner in history and the last surviving student of Kano Jigoro, founder of judo.<br />
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She is 98 years of age, and a living legend.<br />
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In 1972, she was the first woman to be promoted to 6th Dan, after having spent 30 years as a 5th Dan, solely because she is a woman. In 2006 she was promoted to 9th Dan by the Kodokan Institute in Japan and the U.S. Judo Federation, (USJF) and received 10th Dan in 2011 from USA Judo.<br />
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In an interview w/ the SF Chronicle, Fukuda Shihan said that &quot;she approached Judo and her life with the intent to &quot;be gentle, kind and beautiful, yet firm and strong, both mentally and physically.&quot; Fukuda says this kind of beauty is decidedly not external. &quot;A compassionate soul is inner beauty,&quot; she explained to the paper. &quot;I believe this is true beauty...All my life this has been my dream.&quot;<br />
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At PAWMA's summer camp, this year themed 'Spirit of the Dragon,' Fukuda Shihan taught Ju No Kata, one of seven official Kodokan Judo Kata.<br />
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Judo, founded in 1882 by Kano Jigoro, an educator, was developed partially as a result of his education in the schools of Tenjin Shin'yo-ryu ju jutsu taught by Fukuda Hachinosuke, who had been a samurai and was Fukuda Keiko Shihan's grandfather.<br />
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Judo, meaning 'gentle way,' is the first Japanese  martial art to gain widespread international attention and the first to become an official Olympic sport.