Sensei Keiko Fukuda, who was brought to my attention when she achieved her tenth dan at the age of 98, passed away at her home in San Francisco on 9 February. At 4'10" (147cm) and pushing the century mark, she was probably the most unassuming martial artist you could meet.
When I ponder what my retirement age will be for contact sports I can take heart that Sensei Fukuda was still practicing her technique on the mat until very recently. Of course, she was more marvel than typical but one can only be inspired to hope.
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