Last week, USA Judo promoted Fukuda Sensei to 10th dan, the highest black belt level in judo. She has now earned the esteemed title "Shihan" (grand master).Join us in congratulating Fukuda Shihan on this monumental achievement!Check out the article that the San Francisco Chronicle published on Saturday for more details on the promotion, as well as a previous article with more details on Fukuda Shihan's life and the upcoming film "Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful," which chronicles her journey in achieving judo history.

On Monday, the San Francisco Chronicle published an article and photo slideshow featuring Fukuda Sensei, as well as the upcoming film "Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful." Make sure to check it out and share it with your friends.

On Sunday, April 17, 2011, Fukuda Sensei was the Honorary Grand Marshal in San Francisco's Cherry Blossom Parade. This year marked the 44th year of the annual Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival, which celebrates Japanese and Japanese American culture.Sensei enjoyed watching cultural dance and music performances as her car traveled the parade route from City Hall to Japantown.As the announcers introduced Fukuda Sensei, the crowd cheered and clapped. She was also interviewed by a news crew.Once her car reached Japantown, Sensei enjoyed watching the parade from the stage and meeting some of her fans afterward.

The world is so blessed to have Fukuda Sensei's love and wisdom. And San Francisco is blessed to have her presence! At 98 she still teaches at Soko Joshi Judo in Noe Valley. Come to Japantown, Sunday April 17th as Fukuda Sensei will be the grand marshal for this year's Cherry Blossom Parade!Last Sunday, Sensei sat on stage as a group of women from Soko Joshi gave their judo demonstration. Sensei graced the crowd with her words of encouragement to join in and practice judo, and most importantly to live with physical/mental strength; be gentle and flexible moving through life; and let your innermost beauty shine through to live and create a harmonious and peaceful community.

The celebrating has begun, as we taped a TV interview yesterday for broadcast on Saturday March 12th. Keiko Fukuda will be on KTSF channel 26 - Japanese American Journal. On March 26th she will be honored by the National Japanese American Historical Society. Then at 1:30pm, on April 10th Sensei's Soko Joshi Judo will be doing a demonstration at the Peach Plaza in Japantown for the Cherry Blossom Festival. On April 17th please come out and join in for all the fun, at the 2011 Cherry Blossom Parade, where Keiko Fukuda will be a grand marshal!The film marches forward as we edit. We are still looking for finishing funds, so any and all information, contacts, and contributions are appreciated. If anyone has any connections to Oprah Winfrey, we are most anxious to connect with her as her new network recently announced that they will be supporting documentaries. There is a natural connection as the story was originally found in Oprah's "O" magazine. "Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful," the film seems like the natural progression.Also for anyone who is interested, there is a new biography of Keiko Fukuda's life. "Bow from the Heart," by Patricia Harrington. To order the book please contact Julia Hoitt at: hoitts@sbcglobal.net

Much honor is being bestowed upon Fukuda Sensei! First, in February the Japanese American Cultural Society (Hokka Nichi Bei Kai) honored her and installed her in their Cultural Hall of Fame. Then on March 26th she will be honored by the National Japanese American Historical Society (NJAHS) for her lifetime achievement of judo. Then on Sunday April 17th she will be a Grand Marshal of the San Francisco Cherry Blossom Parade! Please come out and join the festivities at the parade!In the meantime the film marches forward. Thank you to all who have contributed in any number of ways! The cash contributions have now topped $7,800! The fundraising continues until the film is complete, so any and all contributions, connections, introductions, ideas, etc are highly appreciated. The plan is to finish this year, 2011! Fukuda Sensei will be 98 on April 12. It won't be ready for her birthday, but hopefully during her 98th year.

The crowds came through, 62 contributors! $6,336.10 raised for "Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful." Beyond the dollars and cents, the film also has new wealth of information, ideas, connections, referrals and an in-kind donation to update the editing system into the 21st century! Please check out this nice article about the film in the Los Angeles Japanese American newspaper, the Rafu Shimpo: http://rafu.com/news/2011/01/strong-gentle-beautiful/Thank you all for your generosity and infusion of spirit, 2011 is definitely the year!

View our new 2-minute trailer and check up on our progress of our YEAR-END TAX DEDUCTIBLE fundraising campaign. Please consider making a contribution and helping us to reach the first editing milestone.Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful reflects back as 2010 draws to a close.  In January she brought together judo-ka in the Bay area for the annual New Year’s tradition of Kagami-biraki. Fukuda Sensei celebrated her 97th birthday in April, and she continues to teach three days a week at her dojo, Soko Joshi Judo. In July she held the 36th year of her summer Joshi Judo Camp.  And the Fukuda Invitational Kata Tournament celebrated its 22nd anniversary in October.Every moment I spend with her, I am nurtured by Fukuda Sensei’s wisdom and love. I feel honored and lucky to be making this film. Keiko Fukuda Sensei, lives her commitment daily to her master Jigoro Kano, to spread the wisdom and beauty of judo around the world.  She also lives every facet of her life by her motto: “Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful”.  Please help her to live her commitment bigger, further, and longer by making a contribution to the film.  And thank you for all the support, stories, and contributions that have already been made!

2009 was a very big year for Fukuda Sensei, and for the film.  In October the film crew traveled to Tokyo with her, where she attended the Kodokan All Japan Kata Tournament, as their honored guest.  Keiko Fukuda, 9th dan, is the only woman sitting at the head table, along with the three living 10th dan men. It was a truly amazing experience for us to be able to document Fukuda Sensei's first trip to Japan, in over 20 years.One week after her return from Japan, November 8, 2009 Fukuda Sensei was honored again.  Nine martial arts schools from the bay area, demonstrated judo, kung-fu, karate, capoeira, naginata and more!  It was a festive event and helped to raise over $2,000 for the film!  We are now looking to raise the rest of the funds, and finish the film in 2010.

Please join us this Sunday, November 8th for fundraising event honoring 96-year old Keiko Fukudo, the subject of Flying Carp's latest documentary Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful. This evemt will feature martial arts performances of Judo, Karate, Aikido, Kung Fu and more.Event SpecificsPlace: Mills College Gym, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CATime:Sunday, November 8, 3-5PM

We’re really excited about the launch of the new Flying Carp Productions website. Thanks for checking it out! As you’ll see it is a way to learn about the company, films, connect with us on Facebook, watch trailers, donate, receive updates, etc.There are a lot of exciting things in motion for Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful. We are currently at work editing a new version of the trailer, and will post that here soon.Thanks again for visiting and stay tuned…

Later this week Yuriko is traveling to Japan to visit the Kodokan and discuss the film, conduct archival research, and meet with prospective funders.Speaking of funds…we’re really grateful for a generous donation from the U.S. Judo Federation, which is sure to help with our upcoming shoot in July at the Summer Women’s Judo Camp.