Preferred Title:

Sensei

Began training:
1964

Styles/Arts:

Hall of Fame Award:

2026 - 50 years

Biography by Sifu/Sensei Koré Grate:

Known in the martial arts world as the person who stood by Keiko Fukuda Shihan (the highest ranking woman in judo worldwide) for over 47 years. I was honored when my teacher (Dr. Alex Feng) assigned me to pick up Fukuda Shihan for an anniversary celebration for my dojo (Wu Tao Kuan). With Dr. Shelley in the front seat with me, and my Mom and Fukuda Shihan quietly sleeping in the back seats, I learned I was sitting next to a revolutionary. I was blown away. This is a woman who said many times “My whole life has been one of causes”. A modern day super hero fighting injustice, empowering women and creating opportunities for the most vulnerable in society.

Dr. Shelley was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 30,1930. It was 1946, she was sixteen years old, when her father denied her a college education...so she left… bound for California with $11.00 in her pocket. She graduated from Mills College in 1955, went on to earn a masters degree from San Francisco State in 1957, and a PhD from Walden University in 1978. When she set her mind to a goal, deeply determined, nothing could stop her.

In the 1970’s She founded the very first shelter for battered women - LA CASA DE LAS MADRES in San Francisco, during that time she was also the President of the San Francisco Chapter of the National Order of Women. If Dr. Shelley heard of or saw ANY INJUSTICES against women especially, she would RISE UP and not give up until it was healed or helped.

For example, when the SF Police initially refused to respond to domestic violence calls, she went down to the station and negotiated mandatory training and regular patrols that transformed the way they responded.

She established Our Lady of Guadalupe Health Center after witnessing a child nearly die when a hospital refused treatment due to lack of insurance. She researched and exposed that hospital's violations and won a legal battle that forced them to provide free care to the community.

As a vice-principal in the San Mateo public school system, she discovered that Spanish-speaking children were being incorrectly placed in special education because they did not speak English. So she created a county-wide bilingual curriculum, and the kids were moved into the regular classes.

She taught at Stanford University throughout the 1970’s, developing a Chicano studies program. She worked with the Chinese for Affirmative Action and La Raza organizations to ensure that departments hired women and minorities. She was relentless, tireless in her dedication, filing class action suits when necessary.

In her two terms at NOW she worked to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, protecting abortion rights, and the historic ordinations of the first 11 Episcopal women priests. She told me the story of a meeting with NOW and Gloria Steinem - “Men have Mr., we have Miss & Mrs…why don’t we use MS?!”.

In 1976 She testified at the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women held in Belgium, and worked with the Bay Area Council for Soviet Jews to help Jewish families seek asylum. She traveled to Cuba NINE TIMES, bringing medicine to a country facing shortages. During the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, she served as president of the Community United in Relation to AIDS, specifically supporting Latina women infected with HIV.

She served on numerous boards (The Women’s Institute for Mental Health/The Iris Project/The Shanti Project) supporting literacy, immigrant rights and community health. In 2014-2018 the Keiko Fukuda & Shelley Fernandez Judo & Self Defense Foundation sponsored U.S. teachers to travel to India to teach Self Defense to girls. Professor Sonya Richardson & I were fortunate to be part of that. The foundation is currently sponsoring Native American Judo in the Bay Area for ages 6-60. You can see more about the legacy and continuation of the mission on their website.

www.keikofukudajudofoundation.org and www.nativeamericanjudo.org