Flying Carp Productions - Documentary Films

Due to high demand, the world premiere of Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful has been moved to the historic Castro Theater in San Francisco, CA.

The San Francisco screening will now take place at 3:00 pm on Sunday, March 11, 2012. (The San Jose premiere date/time on March 18 remains the same.)

To buy tickets and for more information, please visit the official San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival website.

*(Please note that the day of the film premiere - March 11 - also marks Daylight Savings Time beginning at 2am. Please make sure to change your clocks 1 hour ahead, so that you’re not late for the premiere!)

Exciting news! Our film is premiering soon - sometime in March (more details soon) - and we are scrambling to finish it up.

Funds are still needed in these final stages of post-production, so if you weren’t able to donate to our Kickstarter campaign, or if you are feeling extra generous, please consider donating by clicking the PayPal button on the right side of the screen.

Thank you to everyone who has generously contributed and gotten us to this point! We couldn’t have done it without you.

This week we added a new pledge level and great new reward to our Kickstarter campaign for Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful. Visit our page today or check out the blurb below for details.

Pledge $650 or more (Limited Reward - Only 3 Available)

Two beautiful vintage black-and-white photographic prints of Keiko Fukuda practicing judo (kata forms) in 1974. The prints will come mounted and signed by both Fukuda and the photographer, Cathy Cade. Also, a copy of the finished film on DVD signed by the filmmaker, your name listed in the film’s credits, and a “Thank You” on the film’s website.

Again, thank you to all of our wonderful backers for pledging already. Please spread the word & help us reach - and exceed - our goal!

We’ve just launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to help us finish the film “Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful.” Kickstarter is a deadline-driven, all-or-nothing, crowdsourcing, fundraising platform.

We only have 50 days to raise $15,000. If we don’t reach our goal, we won’t make a penny and your donation will not be processed. So, please visit our Kickstarter campaign page today and consider making a donation. Every amount is appreciated! And even better news - there are fun “rewards” for varying degrees of pledges.

Please spread the word! Tell all your friends and family about our Kickstarter campaign. Help us finish the film and carry on Fukuda Shihan’s legacy.

Photo Courtesy of Kyodo News

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.

Fukuda Sensei pictured in middle

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.

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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