Episode 540 - Sensei Fran Vall and Simone Fary

Sensei Fran Vall is a martial arts instructor and practitioner. She stars in the award-winning documentary, Sensei Fran Kicks Ass.

If you start a martial art in the country where it had originated, it is pretty amazing. In Tokyo, the mother school of Judo called the Kotokan is there, so needless to say I was ecstatic because I trained there. You’re there, you’re training all the time, it’s like training with God.

Sensei Fran Vall and Simone Fary - Episode 450

Sensei Fran Vall started to train in 1959 at the age of 21 but what comes after turns out to be more awesome. In 1972, when Sensei Fran was assigned to Japan for her Foreign Service duty, she trained there for the art of Naginata and she also trained Judo in the Kotokan in Tokyo. Presently, at age 81, she still teaches Judo and ski lessons for her community which is in part the reason why the documentary Sensei Fran Kicks Ass was conceptualized. In this episode, we are also joined by the director/producer, Simone Fary, who did a great work in telling the story of Sensei Fran Vall. Listen to learn more!

Show Notes

You can connect and find more about Sensei Fran Vall and the documentary here