Jeannine Meulemans (VJF) and the "Ligue Francophone de Judo", acting under the Belgian Judo Federation umbrella. The exams were held in Etterbeek (ESC), Brussels, before a national jury consisting of Jean-Marie Falise, Marcel Clause, Marcel Degroote, and presided by Abe Ichirō, 8th dan from the Kōdōkan in Japan. At that occasion she was praised by Abe Ichirō, for obtaining the highest score among all candidates irrespective of gender. In 1983 Meulemans retired from competitive judo after winning her 10th successive national title, though at club level she continued to remain for years a technically inspiring judo training partner to Sonja Maes and
Judo in Canada focused on recreation and rehabilitation. Canadian judoka have been decorated by the Emperor of Japan with the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette. Four judoka have been awarded Membership in the Order of Canada, the country's second highest civilian honour of merit, for outstanding contributions to their communities through Judo: James Driscoll of Belleville, Ontario (1978), Yuzuru Kojima of Richmond, British Columbia (1983), Yoshio Senda of Lethbridge, Alberta (2007), and Hiroshi Nakamura of LaSalle, Quebec (2012). Four judoka are members of the Canadian Olympic Hall of