Elisa Au
Encyclopedia
Elisa Au-Fonseca is an Asian-American martial arts
instructor and karate
practitioner.
/USA National Karate Championships in New Orleans, Louisiana
. She won gold, silver, and bronze medals at the event.
In 1991, Au would receive her black belt under Kotaka and his International Karate Federation. As a teenager in her native Hawaii, she began teaching after school karate programs. Several of her students went on to become national champions, including one who would win two junior world championships.
By the age of 18, Elisa had won 3 WKO World Championships and 2 WKC World Championships. In addition to her demanding karate schedule, Au also participated in figure skating
, gymnastics
, canoe paddling, and track and field
, while attending Punahou School
— an elite college preparatory academy in Hawaii. She also excelled academically and maintained honor roll status throughout high school. In 2003, Au graduated from the University of Hawaii
with a degree in civil engineering
.
Au continues to compete and make national and international appearances. In addition to competition, Au also teaches seminars around the world, including Japan
, Canada
, Australia
and the U.S. She also stars a 6 set DVD series, entitled "SECRETS of Championship Karate" that shares her training methods and ideas along with tips on how to succeed in karate competition.
area.
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
instructor and karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
practitioner.
Biography
Elisa Au was born on May 29, 1981 in Honolulu, Hawaii to Gary and Jane Au. With the encouragement of her parents she began taking karate lessons at 5 years of age under the tutelage of shitō-ryū karate master Chuzo Kotaka. In 1990, Au competed in her first major tournament the AAUAmateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
/USA National Karate Championships in New Orleans, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. She won gold, silver, and bronze medals at the event.
In 1991, Au would receive her black belt under Kotaka and his International Karate Federation. As a teenager in her native Hawaii, she began teaching after school karate programs. Several of her students went on to become national champions, including one who would win two junior world championships.
By the age of 18, Elisa had won 3 WKO World Championships and 2 WKC World Championships. In addition to her demanding karate schedule, Au also participated in figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, canoe paddling, and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, while attending Punahou School
Punahou School
Punahou School, once known as Oahu College, is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school located in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu in the U.S. State of Hawaii...
— an elite college preparatory academy in Hawaii. She also excelled academically and maintained honor roll status throughout high school. In 2003, Au graduated from the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
with a degree in civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
.
Au continues to compete and make national and international appearances. In addition to competition, Au also teaches seminars around the world, including Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the U.S. She also stars a 6 set DVD series, entitled "SECRETS of Championship Karate" that shares her training methods and ideas along with tips on how to succeed in karate competition.
DVD
- Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kihon (2006)
- Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kata for Beginners (2006)
- Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kata for Int/Adv (2006)
- Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kumite Beginners (2006)
- Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kumite Black Belt (2006)
- Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Conditioning and Speed Drills (2006)
Championships
- 2004 World Karate Federation (WKF), 2 Individual Golds
- 2002 WKF Champion
- 2002 World Cup Champion
- 2002 Pan Am Champion
- Two-Time WKC World Champion
- Two-Time WKO World Champion
- Five-Time United States of America National Karate Federation (USANKF) Champion
- Nine-Time Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Champion
Personal
In 2006, Au met fellow karate champion John Fonseca. The couple married in February 2008, and currently run a martial arts school in the ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
area.