Hello,
I am Dave Pickens the National Chair for the Chinese Martial Arts Division of the United States of America Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you and explain a little about our program.

If you do not already know, the AAU is the oldest and largest sporting organization in America. Founded in 1888 it serves over 600,000 athletes, coaches, and officials in 36 different sports across all 50 states and the US territories.

Our Chinese Martial Arts Division was developed in the early 70’s and has a current membership of over 1200 which makes us the oldest and one of the largest Chinese martial arts organizations in America. Our organization charter was revised in 2004 to make us the first to have a democratic voting process for electing officers and making rule changes.

Just as my predecessor Past National Chair Dug Corpolongo voiced, I also look forward to the day where my title will be Past National Chair, since it will further demonstrate that we are devoted to having a process where everyone can be involved and go as high in the organization as they wish!

We currently have a project coined by one of our National Executive Board members, Ty Nunez of NYC, as “Building Bridges Across America.” In these hard economic times we are working on a plan to host affordable local workshops, tournaments and demonstrations. We would like to invite you to become part of this project.

Aside from being part of America’s most prestigious sporting organization you can:

• Get outstanding insurance for your school, students and instructors.
• Get instant recognition in your community by being part of the AAU. This has opened countless doors for event venues, places to set up classes, and getting grant funding.
• Choose one of three levels of membership for your club and reap many benefits at each of the different levels. See the AAU club registration for details.
• Have your school and website listed on our National Tournament web page to help bring attention to you within your community.
• Be listed in the National Club Finder under the “My Child Wants To Play AAU Sports” section on the main AAU Sports site.
• Become an official at local, state, or national levels and work with some of the top professionals in Chinese Martial Arts.
  

I know I have given you a lot to consider and also want to let you know that I am as easy to access as a phone call or a click of the mouse. I invite you to explore these opportunities and become part of the Chinese Martial Arts connection that is sweeping the nation.

Please explore these web sites to learn more about us:

http://www.aaunationalkungfuchampionships.com
http://www.aausports.org/sprt_ChineseMartialArts.asp

Thanks for your time,

Dave Pickens

National Chairman
Chinese Martial Arts Division
The United States of America Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)

(512) 244-7410

rrkungfu@hotmail.com