About the Film

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 degree.

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. The launch event at the Asian Art Museum included Olympic bronze medalist Marti Malloy, head instructor of Soko Joshi Judo Wilina Monar, artist/historian Amy Fujiwara Shen, and filmmaker Yuriko Gamo Romer.

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 Pacific Islander Heritage Month for May 2014.