Elisa Au

Elisa Au Fonseca
Born (1981-05-29) May 29, 1981
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Residence Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Nationality American
Height 5 ft 6 in (168 cm)[1]
Weight 135 lb (61 kg; 9 st 9 lb)[1]
Style Shitō-ryū Karate
Teacher(s) Chuzo Kotaka
Rank      3 degree black belt in Shitō-ryū
Website ElisaAuFonseca.com
Medal record
Women's karate
Representing the  United States
World Games
2005 Duisburg Kumite +60 kg

Elisa Au Fonseca (born May 29, 1981 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is an Asian-American martial arts instructor and karate practitioner.[1]

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/United States National Karate Championships in New Orleans, Louisiana. She won gold, silver, and bronze medals at the event.[2]

In 1991, Au would receive her black belt under Kotaka and his International Karate Federation.[2][3] 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.[4]

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.[5] In 2003, Au graduated from the University of Hawaii with a degree in civil engineering.[4]

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.[6]

DVD

  • Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kihon (2006)[7]
  • Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kata for Beginners (2006)[8]
  • Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kata for Int/Adv (2006)[9]
  • Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kumite Beginners (2006)[10]
  • Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kumite Black Belt (2006)[11]
  • Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Conditioning and Speed Drills (2006)[12]

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 Chicago area.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Elisa Au". KarateAthlete.com. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Bio". ElisaAuFonseca.com. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  3. ↑ "International Karate Federation >> ITF Head Instructor Profiles". ikfhawaii.com. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  4. 1 2 "Instructors". FonsecaMartialArts.com. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  5. ↑ Toth, Catherine E. (July 16, 2002). "Elisa Au: Putting up a fight". The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Rising Sun Productions >> DVD >> Karate". RisingSunProductions.net. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  7. ↑ Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kihon (Media notes). N/A. North Hollywood, California: Rising Sun Productions. 2006. RS-0232.
  8. ↑ Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kata for Beginners (Media notes). N/A. North Hollywood, California: Rising Sun Productions. 2006. RS-0233.
  9. ↑ Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kata for Int/Adv (Media notes). N/A. North Hollywood, California: Rising Sun Productions. 2006. RS-0248.
  10. ↑ Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kumite Beginners (Media notes). N/A. North Hollywood, California: Rising Sun Productions. 2006. RS-0249.
  11. ↑ Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Kumite Black Belt (Media notes). N/A. North Hollywood, California: Rising Sun Productions. 2006. RS-0250.
  12. ↑ Elisa Au: Secrets of Championship Karate - Conditioning and Speed Drills (Media notes). N/A. North Hollywood, California: Rising Sun Productions. 2006. RS-0258.
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