Biography
Sensei Yu is a 7th degree black belt (“nana-dan”) in shotokan karate and a 1st degree black belt in shito-ryu. She has tested for shotokan ranks before JKA Sensei Kenichi Haramoto and Hidetaka Nishiyama, and before legendary Hirokazu Kanazawa, Kenzo Mabuni, and Osamu Ozawa. Her 6th degree test was in 2010, a year after a complete Achilles tendon rupture and restorative surgery. She discussed and demonstrated rehabiliatin and use of ankle, calf, knee, and balance in karate. Her 7th degree test in 2026 focused on the role of breath in karate training.
Sensei Yu currently teaches youth classes, competition team classes, yoga, and women’s self-defense seminars in North Carolina. She has served as the AAU Karate State Director since 2005, and helped other state directors grow their programs. In 2022, she was appointed as a National Head Coach for AAU USA Karate and has traveled with 6 athlete delegations to Japan (2019), Romania (2021), Hungary (2022), Scotland (2023), Serbia (2025), and Sweden (2025). Though a 5-time AAU women’s national champion (1993-1997) in Individual Kata, she really likes kumite and kobudo training as well. Yu-Robinson has degrees from Stanford University and UC San Diego, and was a swimmer and cheerleader in high school.