191:, disguised as a man. Women were not explicitly barred from the competition, but no woman had ever tried to participate before, and there was no place on the tournament application to indicate gender. She had cut her hair short and taped down her breasts. She was an alternate on her team and had to step in when a male member was injured and unable to compete. She won the match against her opponent, and her team went on to win the contest. She was then pulled aside by the tournament organizer, asking her whether she was a woman. She nodded, and was stripped of her medal.
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and also worked out on the punching bag at the gymnasium. By the mid-1950s, Kanokogi had married for the first time, taking the name Rena
Stewart. She bore a son, Chris Stewart, who would later add his stepfather's surname, Kanokogi, to his own name. Kanokogi and her first husband divorced after a
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In 1955, a male friend showed
Kanokogi a judo technique that he had learned, and she immediately became interested in the martial art. Kanokogi recalled that she was attracted to the art because it calmed her down and helped her develop self-control. She learned judo in her local neighborhood and
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in Tokyo, Japan. Women had trained in the
Kodokan since 1926, but in separate groups from men. After "pulverizing" the other students in the women's training group, she became the first woman allowed to train in the men's group at the Kodokan. She was promoted to the rank of 2nd
246:
In 1965, Kanokogi directed the first junior judo tournament held in New York: the New York City YMCA Junior Judo
Championships. The following year, she directed the New York Women's Invitational Shiai. In 1977, she organized a team of JewishâAmerican women to compete at the
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In 1980, Kanokogi organized the first women's judo world championship in
Madison Square Garden's Felt Forum, sponsoring it through the mortgage of her own home. She was the driving force behind the introduction of women's judo as an
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was not a stable one, and she began working in various jobs at the age of seven. In her adolescence, she led a street gang known as the
Apaches. Her mother sold hot dogs for a living. In the 1950s, she used her brother's weights for
31:
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judo tournament while disguised as a man, but had to return it after acknowledging that she was a woman. Traveling to Japan to continue her judo training, Kanokogi became the first woman allowed to train in the men's group at the
231:. Kiyoshi Shiina, another judo master, was the best man at the Kanokogis' wedding. Rusty served as the coach for the US Women's National Team in 1976, which included several of the top women in the 1970s:
306:. She was survived by her husband, children Ted Kanokogi and Jean Kanokogi, and two grandchildren according to one newspaper article, as well as eldest son Chris Stewart Kanokogi and a third grandchild.
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for not accepting womenâs judo as an
Olympic sport. In 1988, Kanokogi was Coach of the first United States Olympic Women's Judo Team. She would coach her personal student
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299:. In August that year, some 50 years after she had been stripped of her YMCA judo medal, the New York State YMCA awarded her a gold medal to honor her lifetime's work.
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tried to fight in judo competitions, but was barred because she was a woman. She acquired the nickname "Rusty" after a local stray dog.
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Brietenback, J. (1965): "Colorful wedding at New York's
Buddhist Academy: Two black belts are joined in Shinto ceremony."
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295:, 4th Class (Gold Rays with Rosette), one of Japan's highest civilian honors. In April 2009, she was inducted into the
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Kanokogi died on
November 21, 2009, at the Lutheran Medical Center in New York, following a battle with
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Consulate-General of Japan in New York: Rena âRustyâ Kanokogi, âMother of Womenâs Judo,â is honored
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In 1962, with no further options for her development in the US, Kanokogi traveled to the
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judo team. The couple married in 1964 in New York. At the time, he was ranked 5th
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short period of marriage. She was working as a switchboard operator at this time.
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to a bronze medal at this
Olympic Games. In 1991, she was inducted into the
145:. She is perhaps best known for pioneering women's judo competition at the
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Johnson, G. (1974): "A single reed that bends gracefully in the wind."
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680:"Judo Foulup Nearly Puts U.S. on Shelf for Games; Finally, an O.K."
149:. Kanokogi is often referred to as "The Mother of Women's Judo".
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Woman who posed as man to become judo champ finally gets gold
132:; July 30, 1935 â November 21, 2009) was a renowned American
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Chicken soup for the martial artist: The mother of woman's (
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Rusty Kanokogi, fiery advocate for womenâs Judo, dies at 74
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at the 1988 Summer Olympicsâshe had threatened to sue the
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while at the Kodokan. There, she met her future husband,
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Making her mark: Firsts and milestones in women's sports
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US women's judo pioneer Rena 'Rusty' Kanokogi dies at 74
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Remembrance by Jean Kanokogi and Eve Aronoff Trivella
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Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th class
713:(February 28, 2011). Retrieved on February 13, 2012.
655:(March 24, 1986; p. 8). Retrieved on March 29, 2011.
547:"New York City Y.M.C.A. Junior Judo Championships."
511:(November 24, 2008). Retrieved on November 24, 2009.
397:(November 24, 2009). Retrieved on November 24, 2009.
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366:(November 22, 2009). Retrieved on April 26, 2010.
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297:International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
817:Competitors at the 1973 Maccabiah Games
735:Kanokogi, 74, dies; got judo into Games
664:"New York Women's Invitational Shiai."
470:"Rena Kanokogi, Mother of Women's Judo"
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136:expert. In 1959, she won a medal at a
575:Wilkins, J., & Boyle, C. (2009):
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506:) judoâa Jewish grandmaâgets crowned
618:2009). Retrieved on March 12, 2011.
763:contains photographs of Kanokogi (
631:(p. 170). New York: McGraw-Hill. (
605:New York State Judo: Photo gallery
183:In 1959, Kanokogi competed at the
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287:, Kanokogi was a commentator for
58:Brooklyn, New York, United States
316:Judo at the 1988 Summer Olympics
427:"Rusty Kanokogi: Judo champion"
261:International Olympic Committee
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857:Female-to-male cross-dressers
812:Jewish American sportspeople
429:. 2010-01-02. Archived from
56:November 21, 2009 (aged 74)
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852:21st-century American Jews
847:20th-century American Jews
754:JudoPhotos: Rusty Kanokogi
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837:People from Coney Island
468:Lewellen, Wendy (2009).
293:Order of the Rising Sun
227:and she was ranked 2nd
822:Maccabiah Games judoka
802:American female judoka
627:Miller, E. G. (2002):
196:Kodokan Judo Institute
359:Robinson, J. (2009):
187:judo championship in
161:. Her family home in
157:Kanokogi was born in
390:Thursby, K. (2009):
281:2004 Summer Olympics
650:Rumbling with Rusty
580:New York Daily News
221:Nichidai University
759:2009-08-30 at the
709:2012-03-13 at the
684:The New York Times
653:Sports Illustrated
648:Smith, G. (1986):
610:2013-11-15 at the
509:Sports Illustrated
500:Smith, G. (2008):
159:Brooklyn, New York
46:Brooklyn, New York
678:Roach, Margaret.
395:Los Angeles Times
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189:Utica, New York
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41:Rena Glickman
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72:Rena Stewart
792:2009 deaths
787:1935 births
251:in Israel.
207:, who held
179:Judo career
63:Other names
781:Categories
771:StoryCorps
690:2022-06-12
668:, 4(9):57.
666:Black Belt
593:Black Belt
551:, 3(10):56
549:Black Belt
535:, 3(7):50.
533:Black Belt
480:2009-11-24
437:2010-04-26
332:References
275:Later life
233:Amy Kublin
209:black belt
153:Early life
757:Archived
707:Archived
608:Archived
310:See also
130:Glickman
111:Children
279:At the
143:Kodokan
767:1980).
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285:Athens
239:, and
215:, and
213:karate
101:Spouse
80:Style
738:ESPN
633:ISBN
217:jodo
185:YMCA
138:YMCA
134:judo
93:7th
90:Rank
84:Judo
53:Died
38:Born
504:sic
289:NBC
283:in
229:dan
225:dan
201:dan
126:née
95:dan
783::
765:c.
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