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 AAU/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.
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