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Monday, June 26, 2000
Isle karate
competitor vying
for national title
Second-degree black belt
By Tim Crouse
Elisa Au is continuing her quest
for a World Karate
Federation gold medal
Special to the Star-BulletinElisa Au's karate career has taken her to Venice, Italy, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Tokyo. But her trip to Richmond, Va., this week could be her most memorable.
Au, a 19-year-old second-degree black belt, is already a world champion in two major karate organizations, but her goal is to win a World Karate Federation gold medal.
The Hawaii athlete is in Richmond at the AAU/USA National Championships trying to earn her way onto the national team so she can compete for a WKF medal next spring.
"The WKF is where I want to win," Au said. "It's a really big goal for me. It's the best competition in the world, the highest caliber."
The national competition in Richmond begins tomorrow and runs through Friday.
Au has participated in adult competitions since she was 14, but there are strict age requirements at the national level. This will be the first time Au will be in the women's division.
Au, who competes in the 121-pound weight class, already has proven her skill in the World Karate Organization and the World Karate Confederation.
In May she won six WKO medals in Venice, including four golds.
Two of the first-place finishes were in the team kumite event.
Kumite -- sparring against an opponent for points -- has become Au's specialty.
When she was younger she liked the kata, which is not actual fighting but a set of movements demonstrating the competitors' knowledge of karate.
"But as I've gotten older I like the sparring more," said Au, who is a kumite champion in the WKO and the WKC.
Getting a chance to win a medal in the WKF also could be important if karate ever becomes an Olympic sport."They're pretty serious about putting karate in the Olympics in either 2004 or 2008," Au said. "If it does get in, the WKF will be the governing body."
Au, who just finished her freshman year at the University of Hawaii, also is involved in karate from another perspective -- as a teacher.
She said she teaches some of the younger students at the International Karate Federation dojo where she trains under the guidance of IKF founder Chuzo Kotaka.
"The little kids call me sensei already," Au said. "I'll probably teach karate for a while, even after I stop competing."
She said the best part about teaching is seeing the potential of a young student, and helping them improve.
"It's really good to see them do well at local and national competitions," Au said. "It's good to (look at them) and know that I helped them."
The two senseis who have helped Au the most are Kotaka and Glenn West.
West, who is also a sensei at the IKF, started teaching Au when she was 5 years old.
Kotaka is a ninth-degree black belt who teaches traditional karate.
He has instilled an appreciation for the art of karate.
"Anyone can enter a competition and spar if they're good enough," she said. "But he (teaches us) the true understanding of traditional Japanese karate, not just the sport aspect of it."
Her parents also have been a constant support for her through the years, attending all her mainland competitions.
Kotaka said Au has a bright future ahead of her.
"As long as she keeps on practicing, she'll do well," Kotaka said. "She can concentrate, and she has the discipline (to be successful)."
The one thing he said she doesn't have enough of yet is experience at the highest level. But that is something Au can take care of in the not-too-distant future.
"I want to stay in it until I have a chance to go to the (WKF) world championships," she said.
And what if she wins a world championship in the next couple years?
"If I'm still young, I'll probably try to win again," Au said.
