An Update on the Keiko Fukuda Judo Foundation in India

We are pleased to update everyone on the progress taking place in India right now with the Keiko Fukuda Judo Foundation. I was able to connect with Navneet Gill, one of Sensei’s dedicated female students at Soko Joshi Judo Club in San Francisco again to discuss their progress, a new wonderful video they put together and get us some behind the scenes photographs. She also sent us her informative and inspiring new video which showcases the legacy of Shihan Keiko Fukuda living on through the training of thousands of young women in Patiala, Punjab, India.Gill reported back on how amazing it was to see the difference in the girls with only 6 months of training. "Not only had they learnt the judo moves at a very advanced pace but their personalities had flowered. They now walked with confidence and big smiles on their faces. They talked about their hopes of the future and what they wanted to do with their lives when they grew up. Their posture exuded confidence (whereas in June these same girls were so meek, shy, under-confident, they would hand their heads low and wouldn't make eye contact). They talked about how their moms were very proud of them and had even expressed an interest in learning judo/self-defense for themselves.", says Gill. Now that they have tested the model and see that it works, their expansion includes 15 new colleges and schools which have recently become interested in the program!

These young women are empowered as they learn how to defend themselves with this new training in judo. With the support of many school principals and Judo trainers and coaches in Patiala, the model program is ready to expand throughout India and the world.  The camp itself seems to leave no detail unturned with helping these young women find a safe place to learn, protect themselves, find confidence and enter their daily lives better prepared for what they may face.  Feel free to view the video Empowering Young Women: Keiko Fukuda Judo Foundation in India in it's full length below.

It is truly inspiring and the team here at Mrs Judo is honored to help spread the word of their cause and mission.

Not long before Kano Sensei established judo and built the Kodokan, Horace Wilson introduced baseball to Japan in the early 1870s. Also, two years before Fukuda Sensei immigrated to the U.S. (1966), a young baseball player landed in San Francisco, to become the first Japanese Major League Baseball player – Masanori “Mashi” Murakami (1964).

Two and a half years after the MRS JUDO world premiere, Fukuda Sensei’s legacy lives on and keeps me busy. Last weekend MRS JUDO screened at the comfy NEW PARKWAY THEATER in Oakland CA. But I also sneak previewed a peek into my next film. While I will never completely leave MRS JUDO behind, I have embarked on a new film, a new sport, this time baseball.

Yuriko Gamo Romer at the New Parkway Screening of MRS. JUDO in Oakland. Photo credit: Anita Bowen Photography

Once again the subject found me. This time a friend’s father had played baseball for the San Francisco Seals and in 1949 Gen. MacArthur sent them to Japan for a post war goodwill tour.In May I had the opportunity to shoot at the San Francisco Giants game. Fifty years ago, in 1964, 19-year old “Mashi” Murakami boarded a plane in Japan, to head west to play for the Giants’ Single-A team in Fresno. On September 1st young “Mashi” unexpectedly got called up to the big leagues. He was suddenly pitching in front of 40,000 people! And thus became the first Japanese Major Leaguer. Please enjoy this 5-minute clip celebrating the Giants/Mashi 50th anniversary.

And please stay tuned as this is just the very beginning!

Yuriko Gamo Romer

“No matter a white belt or black belt, young or old . . . Joshi Judo Camp is for female judo students to practice kata and competitive judo techniques during a weekend retreat,” said Elaine Abad, an adult female participant at this year's Keiko Fukuda Joshi Judo Camp and former student of Fukuda Sensei.

This year's camp, which was held at San Jose State University in the Bay Area, marked 40 years since Fukuda Sensei hosted the first camp back in 1974. Still, after decades since its inception, the camp remains a special place for girls and women alike to come together to practice judo. During the three-day camp, 58 female participants ranging from age 8 to 70, honed their judo skills, learned different techniques, and forged new bonds.

“There were more attendees from all over the place and a great balance of fun, work and friendships,” said Brenda Strech, an adult female participant and former student of Fukuda Sensei. “It was great to see a mixture of girls and women - and they all mixed together. It wasn't just the girls grouped together and the women in another section. It developed into a great sense of camaraderie.”

Presiding over the 2014 camp were two accomplished judo instructors: Eiko Saito Shepherd (7th Dan), a longtime student of Fukuda Sensei; and special guest instructor Amarilis Savon Carmenate, a Cuban Olympic Medalist and World Champion. During the retreat, the judokas kept busy practicing everything from Katame no Kata to Tachi Waza to light Randori.

“In the past few years, Joshi Camp had been held in the San Jose area so that Fukuda Sensei wouldn't have to travel far. Her vision though was to spread judo, not just throughout the United States, but the world. There are plans in the works to hold next year's camp outside of California. In the future, who knows where it'll be held,” said Abad.

“I can picture [Fukuda Sensei] sitting at the front of the room smiling and laughing and thoroughly enjoying the company and the judo. She was so gentle in spirit, a perfectionist on technique, but also loved to have fun,” said Stech. “I saw her spirit come out in the effort that everyone put into practicing the techniques that were taught and asking questions to understand them. It really feels like we are getting to what she envisioned.”

As part of the extended MRS JUDO family, you are among the first to know that filmmaker Yuriko Gamo Romer is embarking on an exciting new film project. The documentary (working title DIAMOND DIPLOMACY) chronicles the shared love and historical connections between the U.S. and Japan through baseball.Masanori "Mashi" Murakami (pictured above), pitched for the SF Giants in 1964 and paved the way for other Japanese baseball players. It was an honor to be able to document the Giants' 50th Anniversary celebration of this historic U.S.- Japan baseball first. As you can see, production has already begun on the film and we promise to keep you posted on our progress!In MRS JUDO news, the film had a wonderful broadcast debut during Asian Pacific Heritage Month in May, thanks to CAAM. Hopefully many of you had a chance to see MRS JUDO on PBS, as part of the CAAM series Japanese American Lives hosted by Kristi Yamaguchi including three other documentaries; Don’t Lose Your Soul, about MRS JUDO’s musical composer Mark Izu and ethnomusicologist Anthony Brown, Stories of Tohoku by Dianne Fukami, and Honor and Sacrifice by Lucy Ostrander and Don Sellers.Our social media campaign kept us busy coming and going. Check out our June newsletter for details.We got many messages in many forms; Facebook posts/messages, Tweets & re-Tweets, Instagrams, Pinterest pins, emails and even an old-fashioned phone call or two! Some messages were from old friends of Fukuda Sensei who were thrilled to know more about her. Others were from people who’d never been anywhere near a judo mat, but were moved and happy to learn about her pioneering life. As we've learned throughout the years of producing MRS JUDO, Fukuda Sensei's legacy is one that continues to grow and promises to stand the test of time.  

"Hers was the magical presence on the mat - no questioning, no doubt, no judgement - just the lightness of pure truth. She embodied truth and her truth was judo."This beautiful description of Fukuda Sensei was written by Navneet Gill, one of Sensei's dedicated female students at Soko Joshi Judo Club in San Francisco. After Sensei's death in 2013, Gill wrote a moving tribute about how her own life's course was permanently altered for the better after meeting Fukuda Sensei. "Sensei taught us how to face any battle in life with courage and grace and to keep trying and giving your best," Gill said.Now, Gill, a native of India, is trying to spread Fukuda Sensei's message of empowerment and encouragement to young girls in her home country. As a young girl growing up in Punjab, India, Gill always dreamed of practicing some form of marital arts, but the opportunity was never available to her. She hopes that young girls living in India today will have better opportunities to learn, grow, and realize their unlimited potential."I want every little girl in every school in every town in India to learn judo - or some form of martial arts - not just for physical development, but also for the mental, spiritual and overall confidence it gives them in their own abilities and power to achieve their dreams. It is also a great training of the mind in discipline and focus that will help them be stronger in whatever they want to achieve in life," Gill said.With the help and support of Shelley Fernandez, President of The Keiko Fukuda Judo Foundation, Gill's dream has begun to manifest itself. After traveling back to India and recruiting a group of loyal volunteers, Gill and her team have begun conducting judo demonstrations for girls and women in schools and colleges across the country. The response, according to Gill, has been incredible."Some of my favorite moments from the initial demos in India were when we would get a volunteer to come up on stage and walk her through throwing someone to the floor. Their face would light up and the one comment I heard over and over again: 'I didn't know I could do something like this,'" Gill said.One by one, Gill and her team, have steadily begun sparking the love for judo and the spirit of Fukuda Sensei in girls across the country."Judo gives girls confidence and opens up doors of possibilities in their mind. They not only learn awareness and self-defense but also the fact that with discipline and dedicated training they can do anything they want," Gill said.With Gill's new endeavor to spread judo and open dojos in India, Fukuda Sensei's spirit will live on in even more hearts and minds.     Check out this video to learn more about the exciting project in India here:[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vOuAHvkLpI[/youtube]

Coming off this Mother's Day weekend, we can't think of a better time to honor the inspiring WOMEN in our lives!What women inspire you?Continue joining us in celebrating this month's PBS Broadcast for#MrsJudoMovie & #APAHM2014 by participating in the 2nd part of our #selfie campaign!

In celebration of our PBS May Broadcast of Mrs Judo and Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, we are launching this very exciting #Selfie Campaign!  So join us by sharing your #selfie and your inspiration!  Tag us, post a photo to our wall, retweet, regram, we can't wait to hear from you!  Thank you, as always, for your kindness, support and love.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: Jill Shiraki;  jshiraki@sbcglobal.net;  (510) 734-0875San Francisco – April 30, 2014

Internationally Recognized Documentary Mrs. Judo Offers Gentle Strength and Empowerment

From the dedicated life of Keiko Fukuda to follow judo and the inspiring lessons captured in Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful, the quest of founder Jigoro Kano to spread judo around the world continues through its television airing on Public Broadcast.Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful, a compelling and artistic film by Yuriko Gamo Romer, documents the life-long journey of Keiko Fukuda’s decision to defy thousands of years of tradition, choose her own path, and become judo history’s only woman to attain the pinnacle 10th.The special public broadcast presentation of Mrs. Judo is part of Asian American Heritage Month in May with a special series Japanese American Lives presented by the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) scheduled on over twenty channels through public television.

Honoring the one year anniversary since her death, a special tribute was held with over 300 people as part of the San Jose Buddhist Judo Club tournament held at San Jose State University. Senior instructor Pam Mery, a 3rd degree black belt, remembers Sensei Fukuda and the influence that remains. “It was easy to forget about her “advanced” age. Her spirit was still young and vital. Sensei lived life fully and adventurously – from going on trips, to trying a new restaurant, to relishing ice cream like a kid. . . Much about what I miss is hard to convey in words. It’s what I see and hear in my memory. Her sudden and infectious laughter when one of us accidentally did something ridiculous on the mat. The particular face she would make when a judo form fell short of her expectations - - an expression that made you want to try again. . . it was always clear, she wanted the best from us, as well as the best for us. I am tremendously grateful for her love and her example.”

Filmmaker Yuriko Gamo Romer reflects on the making of the film, “I’m amazed at how synchronistic the film has been in how it has outreached and traveled as if Fukuda-Sensei continues to guide me. Many times after the screening, I will unexpectedly meet a former student. Most recently I heard that a former student attended the screening in Oaxaca.” On the public broadcast, she continues, “Now, it seems timely to share the film more broadly through public television and unleash the gift of her spirit and inspiring life with so many more people. We can learn so much from Keiko Fukuda who followed a path with open intention.”

Mrs. Judo premiered in San Francisco in 2012 and has been screened nationally and internationally in over twenty film festivals. The film was recognized as “Best Documentary” at the International Festival of Sports Movies in Moscow, Russia in 2013. It has continued to be screened internationally, selected for the International Women’s Film Festival in Mumbai, India, International Sports Film Festival in Milan, Italy, and Festival Cine Deporte in Oaxaca, Mexico.

With support from Cal Humanities, the Mrs. Judo Community Engagement Series held screenings in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento that included a live ju-no-kata demonstration and community panel. For a video clip highlight of the event at the Asian Art Museum that includes Olympic bronze medalist Marti Malloy, visit http://www.mrsjudomovie.com/blog/ Mrs. Judo was requested by 2,241 viewers as part of Cinema Asia America with Comcast Xfinity Video on Demand in August 2013. The KCET Link premiere public television screening launches Mrs Judo as part of the CAAM “Japanese American Lives” series in recognition of Asian American Heritage Month for May 2014.

The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) celebrates Asian American Heritage Month in May with JAPANESE AMERICAN LIVES, a special series of three episodes that explore the reach and diverse history of Japanese Americans hosted by Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi. From a trailblazing female judo master to Japanese Americans making their mark in jazz music. JAPANESE AMERICAN LIVES goes beyond the history books and gives us an in-depth look into four unexpected Asian American stories of inspiration, artistry, family and hope.

    The featured films are:MRS JUDO: BE STRONG, BE GENTLE, BE BEAUTIFUL directed by Yuriko Gamo Romer, shares the life of Keiko Fukuda, who receives the 10th degree black belt at age 99 to become the highest ranking female in judo history.Two short documentaries will air together:DON’T LOSE YOUR SOUL directed by Jim Choi and Chihiro Wimbush explores Asian American music innovation and features bassist Mark Izu and Grammy-nominated drummer Anthony Brown. Since the 1960s, Izu and Brown have carved out their own blend of arts activism, creating a genre of Asian American jazz movement.HONOR AND SACRIFICE, produced by Lucy Ostrander and Don Sellers, tells the story of Roy Matsumoto, who is separated from his family in Hiroshima, not knowing that his brothers are recruited to serve in the Japanese army. While incarcerated with Japanese Americans in an American concentration camp, Roy is recruited and trained as Military Intelligence Service, and ultimately becomes an authentic American hero, based on his nearly unbelievable contribution as a member of Merrill’s MaraudersSTORIES FROM TOHOKU, co-directed by Dianne Fukami and Eli Olson, revisits Tohoku two years after 2011 earthquake and tsunami, following Japanese Americans that reach out to help and encounter the enduring struggle of individuals rebuilding their lives in the devastated region. While the impact is great, the Tohoku people take small steps day by day, remain grateful and offer a simple plea to not be forgotten.

SCHEDULED SCREENINGS

KCET Link (Los Angeles): Fri, May 2 at 7 pm (Link TV); Sun, May 4 at 6 am, 2 pm (KCET Link); Fri, May 9 at 9 pm (KCET-HD)KQED (San Francisco): Wed, May 28 at 5 pm and 11 pm: KQED World: Tues, May 13 at 5 am, 11 am, & 1 amPBS Hawaii (Honolulu): Fri, May 9, 10 pm; Tues, May 13, 11 pmOther confirmed: WLIW World (New York), PBS SoCal (Los Angeles), PBS SoCal World (Los Angeles), WYCC (Chicago), WHYY World (Philadelphia), KERA (Dallas), KERA World (Dallas), KRCB (San Francisco), WGBX (Boston), WGBX World (Boston), WETA (Washington), GPV Knowledge (Atlanta), KAET World (Phoenix),WEDU World (Tampa), WPBT World (Miami), WEFS (Orlando)WVIZ World (Cleveland), KETC World (St Louis), OPB Plus (Portland).

Check your local listings for program dates and times. For markets not listed, contact your local PBS stations to request the series.

 ABOUT CAAMCAAM (Center for Asian American Media) is a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. CAAM does this by funding, producing, distributing and exhibiting works in film, television and digital media. For more information on CAAM, please visit www.caamedia.orgABOUT HOST KRISTI YAMAGUCHIAthlete, artist, wife, mother, philanthropist—in each of these things Kristi Yamaguchi embodies the word champion. Her motto is “Always Dream,” and Kristi’s accomplishments prove that dreams can come true with hard work and dedication. Her achievements—on the ice, in her personal life and in the realm of community service—are many, all of which prove her consistent commitment to excellence.Following her victories at the 1992 Winter Olympics and World Championships, Kristi embarked on a successful professional career that went non-stop for more than a decade. Kristi served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition to promoting the Games, she also performed in both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. During the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Kristi served as a correspondent for NBC's Today Show and hosted daily shows on Olympic ice skating for Universal Sports. Kristi recently returned from the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi as the Digital Ambassador for the U.S. Olympic Committee as well as a Today Show correspondent. Kristi’s family is now her first and foremost priority. She thoroughly enjoys being on the ice, but nothing compares to being with her daughters.One of Kristi’s lasting legacies will be her Always Dream Foundation (www.AlwaysDream.org) founded in 1996. It was established with one goal in mind: to find innovative ways to provide support for a diverse range of programs designed to inspire and embrace the hopes and dreams of children. Committed to the belief that early childhood literacy is the foundation on which all academic and life success is built, the Foundation has set its sights on improving access by children of low-income families to books and technology.ABOUT THE FILM & KEIKO FUKUDAIn a world dominated by men, a tiny 99-year-old Keiko Fukuda became the highest ranking woman in judo history. In July 2011, Fukuda made world history when she was awarded the 10th – judo’s highest honor. She received the distinguished title of “Shihan” (grand master) and is the only woman in the the world to hold this honor. Fukuda died on February 9, 2013 and was the last living disciple of judo founder Jigoro Kano.Fukuda was born into an upper-class samurai family in Tokyo, where the path for women was to marry. But Fukuda’s life was predestined two generations earlier when her grandfather (a jiujitsu master) became the first teacher for Jigoro Kano, who went on to develop judo. When she was 21, Fukuda was invited by Kano, to join the newly formed women’s division of the Kodokan (the home of judo). In 1934, her life’s path was radically altered when she gave up marriage, family, and her homeland, to a life destined to spread judo around the world.In 1966, she immigrated to the United States as a single woman, hoping to make a living by teaching judo. Her move to the U.S. caught light of rank injustice within the Japanese judo system. With the help of American women’s rights activists and her judo students, Fukuda began her struggle up the male dominant ladder of judo. (For more info, visit www.mrsjudomovie.com)ABOUT THE FILMMAKERYuriko Gamo Romer, is the director and producer of Mrs Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful that has premiered in 2012 at numerous film festivals, both nationally and internationally, and was recently awarded the best documentary at the International Sports Film Festival in Moscow. Her past film Occidental Encounters won numerous awards at film festivals internationally, among them a Student Academy Award, The Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award and a Silver Apple.In 2010, she completed Friend Ships, a short historical animation about John Manjiro, the inadvertent Japanese immigrant rescued by an American whaling captain. Yuriko is Japanese American, born in Japan, raised in the United States, and bilingual. She holds a master’s degree in documentary filmmaking from Stanford University and lives in San Francisco with her husband and son. 

On April 12, 1913, a baby girl was born in Tokyo, Japan to an upper-middle class samurai family. No one ever expected her to grow up to become the highest-ranking woman in the history of judo. But, this was Keiko Fukuda's destiny.Today, on what would have been Fukuda Sensei's 101st birthday, we celebrate her amazing life, gentle, yet determined spirit - and most of all the legacy she left behind. To commemorate her life and teachings, Sensei's female students of Soko Joshi Judo Club will perform a judo demonstration at San Francisco's Cherry Blossom Festival on Sunday, April 13th at 1:30pm.The Mrs. Judo film team is happy to announce that Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful will be broadcast on PBS during the month of May! Please check your local PBS affiliate for time and date.Finally, we invite Fukuda Sensei's friends, family, students, and admirers to add your memories and comments to this post. 

On August 15, 2013, MRS. JUDO visited the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. The event, entitled "In The Judo Moment," included a screening of the movie, followed by a demonstration of “Ju-no-kata,” a signature form of Fukuda Sensei. A community panel followed with filmmaker Yuriko Gamo Romer and guests: 2012 Olympic medalist Marti Malloy, historian Amy Fujiwara Shen and judo instructor Wilina Monar of Soko Joshi Dojo.[vimeo width="500" height="281"]https://vimeo.com/75099650[/vimeo]

Great News: Mrs. Judo is OnDemand! Comcast Xfinity Cable is offering Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful OnDemand for free during the month of August as part of Cinema Asian America. Please check out the featured interview with Mrs. Judo Director Yuriko Gamo Romer. Click here to read it! Here's how you can watch MRS. JUDO:• Through your digital cable menu, viewers should click on the “OnDemand” button, then look under the “Movies” folder. In this will be  a “Movie Collections” folder and inside of this viewers will find “Cinema Asian America” and will be able to access MRS. JUDO!

We just launched the Mrs. Judo Community Engagement Series at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco last Thursday (photos above). The event featured a live demonstration of Fukuda Sensei's signature "Ju-No-Kata" by Wilina Monar and Pam Mery, with narration by Fran Christie of Soko Joshi Dojo. And was followed by the film screening and an engaging panel discussion that illuminated the depth of judo teachings and inspiration received from Keiko Fukuda's life. Panelists included 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Marti Malloy, film director Yuriko Gamo Romer, lead instructor at Soko Joshi Judo Wilina Monar and scholar/mixed media artist Amy Fujiwara Shen.  Please share your feedback on the event by taking our survey here. Our next event in the series will be held on Saturday, November 16th at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the community engagement series for MRS JUDO: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful!  We will kick-off this exciting new series at the Asian Art Museum on August 15th at 7pm. Click here for event details.

"In The Judo Moment", will begin with a screening of the movie, followed by a demonstration of “Ju-no-kata”, a signature form of Fukuda-Sensei.  A community panel will follow with filmmaker Yuriko Gamo Romer and guests: 2012 Olympic medalist Marti Malloy, historian Amy Fujiwara Shen, Ph.D., and judo instructor Wilina Monar of Soko Joshi Dojo.  We welcome the chance to touch on judo as a world sport, it's transmission of Japanese culture, and Fukuda-Sensei’s legacy for women in sports.

 Join us early to visit the current exhibition, "In The Moment: Japanese Art from the Larry Ellison Collection" at the Asian Art Museum.  A special evening admission is $5 from 5 to 9 pm; and  free to museum members.  Seating is available on a first come, first served basis.

Please help us spread the word & we hope to see you there!

We have some very exciting news! For the entire month of August, you can watch Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful from the comfort of your own home on Comcast Xfinity Video and OnDemand.Here's how to watch:Through your digital cable menu, viewers should click on the “On Demand” button, and then look under the “Movies” folder. In this will be  a “Movie Collections” folder and inside of this viewers will find “Cinema Asian America” and will be able to access Mrs. Judo.More details about the Mrs. Judo offering are available on Cinema Asian American's Facebook page. The film will also be promoted on Comcast's Asian American microsite.

The Sacramento Bee recently published an article about the upcoming Sacramento Japanese Film Festival, where Mrs. Judo will be highlighted as the closing film. The article devotes a significant section to Fukuda Sensei, including biographical information, as well as her important contributions to the world of judo. You can read it here.Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful will be screening at the Sacramento Japanese Film Festival on July 14th at 4pm at the Crest Theater. Please click here for information on purchasing tickets to the film festival.

The film will be followed by a Q&A session with filmmaker Yuriko Gamo Romer, who will share her experience creating the film, as well as her unprecedented access to Fukuda Sensei, an icon in the judo world. We hope to see many of you on the 14th!

The All Japan Judo Federation announced earlier this week that it has appointed the first-ever woman to its board of directors. Ryoko Tani,  a 37-year-old woman and two-time Olympic judo gold medalist, became the first female board member in the Federation's history.Tani's achievement marks another monumental first for women's judo. It also reminds us of Fukuda Sensei's lifelong efforts to pave the way for future generations of women and girls in judo.Please join us in offering our congratulations to Ms. Tani!

We are pleased to announce that Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful has been specially selected by the Sheffield/Doc Fest's panel to participate in the festival's Videotheque program. The Sheffield Doc/Fest takes place in Sheffield, England from June 12-16, 2013. It is considered one of the most prestigious documentary gatherings on the international festival and market circuit.Participation in the Videotheque portion of Sheffield/Doc Fest will make Mrs. Judo available for film industry delegates to view during the festival, as well as 90 days afterward. The Videotheque will provide important exposure to a growing list of film industry professionals from around the world, including television buyers, distributors, sales agents and festival programmers.The Sheffield Doc/Fest Videotheque invitation for Mrs. Judo comes on the heels of the film's successful international premiere at Moscow's International Festival of Sport Movies Krasnogorski, where it won the Grand Jury Prize for "Best Documentary." This marks the second international milestone for Mrs. Judo in just a matter of months. This is only the beginning of our journey to share Fukuda Sensei's story with the world.

All world rights to Mrs. Judo are available, except in the United States,where the film is distributed by CAAM: Center for Asian American Media.The film is currently available for film festival bookings and community screenings worldwide.

Screening Inquiries can be made to:Yuriko Gamo Romer, Director/Producer, Flying Carp ProductionsPhone: 415-641-4232 - Email: ygr@flyingcarp.net - Website: www.MrsJudoMovie.com

Today marks the 100th anniversary of Keiko Fukuda Sensei's birth.To remember and honor a life well-lived, we'd like to share with you a lovely slide show commemorating Sensei's life, which Today.com published recently.We'd also like to take a moment to remember Sensei's lifelong motto: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful.

We have amazing news - hot off the press! We are so happy to announce that Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful has received the Jury Award for Best Documentary at the 2013 International Festival of Sports Movies in Moscow, Russia. The award winning documentary -- directed and produced by Mrs. Yuriko Gamo Romer -- had its international premiere in Moscow in recent days. Mrs. Romer and her producer Mr. Marc Smolowitz are in attendance at the Festival, and they will be present to receive the award at a special ceremony tonight at the Illusion Theatre in Moscow.Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful  tells the unique life story of Keiko Fukuda, the world renown Judo master who was also the highest ranking female in the history of the sport. Ms. Fukuda passed away in San Francisco on February 9th, 2013 at the age of 99. Her life was memorialized in obituaries across the world’s most prominent media outlets. See her New York Times obituary here.Mr. Stas Tomski, the General Manager of the International Festival of Sports Movies, offered the following comment regarding the 2013 Jury Award for Best Documentary.  “Yuriko Gamo Romer’s Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful is a moving testament to the legacy of one of the world’s most important sports figures, Keiko Fukuda.” He added, “Members of our 2013 international jury found Mrs. Romer’s film to be one of the highest quality cinematic selections in this year’s competition, and we’re very pleased to honor Fukuda’s life and memory with the 2013 Best Documentary Award at the International Festival of Sports Movies.”Prior to its international premiere this week in Moscow, Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful has screened in 15 film festivals around the United States, including the prestigious Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival, the Guam International Film Festival, and CAAM Festival 2012 in San Francisco where the film had its world premiere.Please join us in congratulating filmmaker Yuriko Gamo Romer - and everyone who made this film possible - in winning this fantastic award. We are all honored to have worked on a film bringing to light Fukuda Sensei's amazing life and achievements.

Mrs. Judo has hopped the pond!In very exciting news, the film, Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful, along with filmmaker Yuriko Gamo Romer, her husband and son, as well as consulting producer Marc Smolowitz, are currently in Moscow, Russia preparing for the film's international premiere as part of the International Festival of Sport Movies Krasnogorski.The film is scheduled to screen on Wednesday, April 3rd at 13:30 (1:30pm) the Illusion Cinema in Moscow. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, please stop by for the screening! If not, make sure to visit the Mrs. Judo Facebook page to see more photos and read about more updates while the film is abroad.

Dear Friends:We'd like to announce a special screening of Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful to commemorate Fukuda Sensei's life, which will be screened as part of this year's Center for Asian American Media Film Festival.Mrs. Judo will screen on Thursday, March 21st at 4:30pm at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas. This a free community screening, so please plan to arrive early to grab a seat.The memorial service for Keiko Fukuda Sensei is scheduled for Friday, March 22nd at 11:00 am at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Keiko Fukuda & Shelley Fernandez Girls & Womens' Judo Foundation Inc., and/or Keiko Fukuda Joshi Judo, Inc., 475 Hoffman Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94114.