Rena ‘Rusty’ Kanokogi applied judo theory to negotiations

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Never argue with a judo pioneer.

Rena ‘Rusty’ Kanokogi, who died Saturday at age 74, lobbied for years to get her sport international recognition and Olympic status. This, after all, was a woman who once competed as a man when women were not allowed in judo and won, only to lose her medal when event organizers realized what had happened.

‘You have to know what your rights are and how to use the rights,’ she told the Asian Political News in 2008. ‘You should first try to negotiate nicely but you can be strong after there’s resistance, and know, just like in judo, when to catch them.’

She caught them.

Women’s judo became an Olympic medal sport in 1988, with Kanokogi as U.S. coach.

--Keith Thursby

Photo: Rena ‘Rusty’ Kanokogi with the YMCA medal she won in 1959, only to lose it when officials realized she wasn’t a man. The YMCA returned it to her. Credit: Associated Press