Currently she lives in Hawaii, and she's a member of Honolulu's International Karate Federation. Not only does she train there, she also teaches some of the younger children the finer parts of karate.

Au is one of three women representing the U.S. in karate at the Titan Games (2/13-2/15). She will be competing in the 60+ kg category where she will be taking on Mexico's Leticia Montoya.

Q1: How does Karate distinguish itself from other Martial Arts? What makes it unique?

ELISA AU: Karate is a martial art that can be very competitive as a sport. It is also fairly safe, despite what people think about combative sports. It used to be one of the after-school activities that I did for fun.

Q2: Congratulations on winning the recent World Championships. What were your expectations going into the World Championships?

ELISA AU: Most world champions have been to the world championships at least a few times prior to winning. I knew that I would be up against strong veterans of the sport, but I had confidence in my training that I would do well, and it paid off.

Q3: How rewarding was it to win the World Championships?

ELISA AU: It had been a life-long dream. Since karate is not yet an Olympic sport, every karate student dreams of the World Championships. It has been tough for American athletes because we only had one World Champion (Tokey Hill, 1980) but our program has improved greatly. I am proud to be the first American female gold medallists because there are many girls in the sport nowadays, many of who are very capable of becoming world champions too.

Q4: You're currently on quite a roll, winning the World Championships, the Pan Am Games, and the Nationals. What's the biggest reason for all of your success?

ELISA AU: There are many factors that have lead to my success, namely conditioning, coaching and experience. My training here in Hawaii, under Sensei Chuzo Kotaka, is probably the biggest reason for my success. I truly believe we have the very best training in the country and perhaps the world. Many would agree especially after George (Kotaka) and I both won the World Championships.

Q5: What keeps you in the sport of Karate?

ELISA AU: I love to compete and karate is something that I can be very competitive in. The possibility of it becoming a full Olympic sport is also something that keeps me excited and in the sport.

Q6: Before a match, do you have to psyche yourself up or calm yourself down? How do you go about it?

ELISA AU: I psyche myself up on the inside by listening to music and concentrating on the competition ahead, however, I try to remain calm on the outside and not get too excited.

Q7: Do you have any superstitions?

ELISA AU: I have a few T-shirts that I like to warm-up in. I also listen to the same music before a competition.

Q8: What do you do in your off time away from Karate?

ELISA AU: Karate and cross training take up most of my time. It is also my last semester in college so I am usually very busy. If I do have free time, I either go to the beach, shop or just sleep.

Q9: Did you have a New Year's Resolution?

ELISA AU: I don't really do resolutions. Instead, I set goals for myself. Last year, my goal was to win the world championships. This year, I'm going to focus on school and getting a good job.

Q10: Finally, have you ever used the "crane" technique from the Karate Kid, and would you recommend using it to anyone?

ELISA AU: No, I have never used that technique and I would not recommend using it. The whole movie is too Hollywood, but the soundtrack was good!