Elisa Au

{{Infobox martial artist

| name = Elisa Au

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| residence = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1981|05|29|mf=yes}}

| birth_place = Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.

| martial_art = Shitō-ryū Karate

| height = 5 ft 6 in{{cite web |url=http://www.karateathlete.com/Pages/ElisaAu.html |title=Elisa Au |website=KarateAthlete.com |access-date=April 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080203210554/http://www.karateathlete.com/Pages/ElisaAu.html |archive-date=February 3, 2008 |url-status=dead }}

| weight = 135 lb

| teacher = Chuzo Kotaka

| rank = {{color box|black}} 3 degree black belt in Shitō-ryū

| students =

| website = {{URL|www.elisaau.com|ElisaAu.com}}

| footnotes =

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}

}}

Elisa Au (born May 29, 1981, in Honolulu, Hawaii) is an American martial arts instructor and karate 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 age five under the tutelage of shitō-ryū karate master Chuzo Kotaka. In 1990, Au competed in her first major tournament the AAU/United States National Karate Championships in New Orleans, Louisiana. She won gold, silver, and bronze medals at the event.{{cite web |url=http://www.elisaaufonseca.com/bio.htm |title=Bio |website=ElisaAuFonseca.com |access-date=April 11, 2010}}

In 1991, Au received her black belt under Kotaka and his International Karate Federation.{{cite web |url=http://www.ikfhawaii.com/instructors.php?articleId=B43B1BAC-3299-4D99-9D99-CF161B8BA45F |title=International Karate Federation >> ITF Head Instructor Profiles |website=ikfhawaii.com |access-date=April 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407023804/http://www.ikfhawaii.com/instructors.php?articleId=B43B1BAC-3299-4D99-9D99-CF161B8BA45F |archive-date=April 7, 2010 |url-status=dead }} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.fonsecamartialarts.com/instructors.html |title=Instructors |website=FonsecaMartialArts.com |access-date=April 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100904055019/http://www.fonsecamartialarts.com/instructors.html |archive-date=September 4, 2010 |url-status=dead }}

By the age of 18, Au had won three WKO World Championships and two WKC World Championships. In addition to her demanding karate schedule, she 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.{{cite news |url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2002/Jul/16/sp/sp06a.html |title=Elisa Au: Putting up a fight |work=The Honolulu Advertiser |first=Catherine E. |last=Toth |date=July 16, 2002 |access-date=April 11, 2010}} 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, she teaches seminars around the world, including Japan, Canada, Australia and the U.S. She also stars in a six-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.{{cite web |url=http://www.risingsunproductions.net/catalog/index.php?cPath=1_179_24_114 |title=Rising Sun Productions >> DVD >> Karate |website=RisingSunProductions.net |access-date=April 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721044131/http://www.risingsunproductions.net/catalog/index.php?cPath=1_179_24_114 |archive-date=July 21, 2011 |url-status=dead }}

DVD

Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kihon (2006){{cite AV media notes |title=Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kihon |others=N/A |publisher=Rising Sun Productions |location=North Hollywood, California |id=RS-0232 |year=2006 }}
Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kata for Beginners (2006){{cite AV media notes |title=Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kata for Beginners |others=N/A |publisher=Rising Sun Productions |location=North Hollywood, California |id=RS-0233 |year=2006 }}
Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kata for Int/Adv (2006){{cite AV media notes |title=Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kata for Int/Adv|others=N/A |publisher=Rising Sun Productions |location=North Hollywood, California |id=RS-0248 |year=2006 }}
Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kumite Beginners (2006){{cite AV media notes |title=Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kumite Beginners |others=N/A |publisher=Rising Sun Productions |location=North Hollywood, California |id=RS-0249 |year=2006 }}
Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kumite Black Belt (2006){{cite AV media notes |title=Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kumite Black Belt |others=N/A |publisher=Rising Sun Productions|location=North Hollywood, California |id=RS-0250 |year=2006 }}
Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Conditioning and Speed Drills (2006){{cite AV media notes |title=Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Conditioning and Speed Drills |others=N/A |publisher=Rising Sun Productions |location=North Hollywood, California |id=RS-0258 |year=2006 }}