Professor Kerry Sego
AJJF Professor 2025
1958 - July 25, 2025
Professor Kerry Sego began her jujitsu journey at the Santa Clarita Valley School of Jujitsu with Prof. Kevin Colton in September 2001, at the young age of 43. She earned her Shodan in 2007, Nidan in 2009, Sandan in 2012, Yodan in 2015, and her Godan in 2019. The Board of Professors voted to promote Kerry to Rokudan in 2024, and then she received the title of Professor in 2025.
Kerry traveled all over the US with Bob Hodgkin and Kevin Colton, attending events in New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Utah, Oregon, South Carolina, and Hawaii. As a kyu rank, she attended these clinics, and as a Senior Instructor black belt, she taught at these events, while serving as the Awards Chair for Convention and as the BOP scribe.
Every sensei and professor knew who Kerry Sego was, and she was beloved by all in her dojo, helping to train and prepare every student at SCVJ for their Shodan through Yodan exams.
As she continued to travel and train, she fought cancer for the last 18 years of her life. She beat it twice, but passed away on July 25th, 2025, three months after becoming a professor and winning the Aspinall Carr Award for her dedicated service to the AJJF.
She was a warrior who taught, examined, and advocated for women within the AJJF. She is greatly missed, but her legacy of service and teaching lives on through everyone who knew her.