Arizona Karate Grandmaster and Martial Arts Instructor Promoted

Phoenix, Arizona: Arizona Grandmaster of martial arts and karate instructor, Soke Hausel has been nominated for the 2013 Who’s Who in America. He has appeared in Who’s Who for the past few decades because of many accomplishments as a martial artist, scientist, writer, public speaker and artist.

Who’s Who noted the Grandmaster of Shorin-RyuKarate & Kobudo has appeared in several additional Who’s Who compendiums including Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in the 21^st Century, Who’s Who in Science and Engineering, and Who’s Who in the West.  

He has also been inducted into several Halls of Fame that include World Martial Arts Black Belt Hall-of-Fame (Indonesia), Action Martial Arts Magazine’s Hall of Honors (New Jersey), World Head of Society Hall of Fame (Philippines),  American Karate Association Hall of Fame (Ohio), US Martial Arts Hall of Fame (Tennessee), Latin America Martial Arts Society Worldwide Hall of Fame (Puerto Rico), World Martial Arts Hall of Fame (Ohio), Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame (Florida), North American Black Belt Hall of Fame (California), World Karate Union Hall of Fame (Pennsylvania), National Rock Hound & Lapidary Hall of Fame (South Dakota), and Millennium Hall of Fame (North Carolina). The latter two were for contributions to science and education.

Grandmaster Hausel is the highest ranked martial artist in the world in Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo (Seiyo Kai) and was promoted to Grandmaster, 9^th dan in 1999. In 2004, he received an unprecedented promotion to 10^th dan (red belt) making him one of only a handful of Shorin-Ryu martial artists to achieve that rank. In December 2012, he received a one of a kind of award as a martial arts instructor and was promoted to 12^th dan and remains one of only a handful of martial artists in history to receive this certification. Asked if he considered himself to be a good fighter? He responded, "I see myself as good instructor".

Grandmaster Hausel in the head instructor of the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa and Gilbert, Arizona, the world head of SeiyoNo Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai, and a former instructor of martial arts at Arizona State University, the University of New Mexico, the University of Utah, and was a professor of martial arts at the University of Wyoming for 3 decades.  He continues to teach classes in Shorin-Ryu Karate, Kobudo, Self-Defense and Samurai Arts at the Arizona Hombu in Mesa for members from Chandler, El Mirage, Gilbert, Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix and Tempe.

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Arizona Martial Arts Grandmaster Inducted into Hall of Honor

Arizona martial artist and polymath, Grandmaster Hausel was recognized by Action Martial Arts Magazine’s Hall of Honors 2012 for Outstanding Contributions to Martial Arts as a Grandmaster. Soke Hausel owns a Martial Arts School in Mesa Arizona on the border with Gilbert Arizona. 

Soke Hausel has train in martial arts almost his entire life and has taught for more than 4 decades. Prior to moving to Arizona, the grandmaster taught karate, kobudo, jujutsu & self-defense at four universities. After teaching at the University of Wyoming for 30 years, he moved his hombu dojo to Mesa, Arizona across the street from Gilbert in the Phoenix East Valley. He continues to teach Shorin-Ryu Karate & Kobudo (少林寺) at the Arizona School of Traditional Martial Arts in Mesa. 

Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo originated from Gung Fu (功夫) at the Shaolin Temple in China, and evolved into a unique form of self-defense kept secret on Okinawa from all outsiders. Those who trained in Okinawan Shorin-Ryu prior to the 20th century were required to swear an oath that they would not reveal the art to the outside world.

When revealed to the Japanese in the early part of the 20th century, this form of self-defense became known as karate (空手). Today, karate can be separated into old school (古流) known as koryu, modern (現) known as gendai, and sport. Traditional karate forms include both koryu and gendai and are quite different from the common variety of sport martial arts: traditional forms focus on respect for self and others, and works to develop powerful self-defense techniques and can include intense body hardening.

For centuries, karate was the martial art (代武道) of Okinawa body guards who protected royalty. It was also the martial art of Okinawa peasants who learned it for self-defense. It was strictly guarded from outsiders such that Japanese conquerors of Okinawa had no idea karate existed until it was introduced to Japan in the early 1900s by the great Shorin-Ryu master Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957).  Remember Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-san in the Karate Kid? Same karate!

Back to Grandmaster Hausel. Master Alan Goldberg, publisher of Action Martial Arts Magazine and curator of the Hall-of-Honor contacted Soke Hausel last year, “Congratulations, we take great pride and pleasure to inform you of your Induction as an Ambassador to the Martial Arts, into the Largest and one of the most Prestigious Martial Arts Halls of Honor in the World”.

Action Martial Arts Magazine touts their Hall-of-Honor to be the world’s largest gathering of martial arts superstars, film and combat celebrities and renowned masters in the world. The event has become known as the Academy of Awards of Martial Arts held at the Tropicana in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Soke Hausel a well-known teacher of martial arts, was inducted for Lifetime Dedication to the Martial Arts as a Grandmaster.

In karate, there is one living Grandmaster in any particular martial art. Hausel is the grandmaster of Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai, Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Renmei and Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Budo Bugei Renmei (西洋少林流空手道).

Hausel began training in martial arts as a youth. In 2004; he was awarded the highest rank in Okinawa Karate: Judan (十段) (10^th degree red belt). Prior to this, he had reached his greatest achievement in martial arts when certified as Soke (宗家) Shodai (grandmaster) in 1999. In karate, there is no higher position than a Soke.

Since 1998, he has been inducted into several Halls of Fame around the world and awarded Instructor of the Year in 1998 and 2004, the International Instructor of the Year in 2001 and Grandmaster of the Year in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2005 by various national and international martial arts associations.

In addition to teaching Karate and Kobudo (ancient weapons), Soke Hausel teaches a variety of Japanese samurai arts and also self-defense for both martial artists and non-martial artists. Over the past 40 years, Hausel has taught self-defense classes, clinics and seminars to many Church Groups, women's clubs, sororities, many martial arts groups, political groups, EMT personnel, Taekwondo School Owners, Military, Law Enforcement personnel, girl scouts, teachers, airline travelers, scientists, librarians, clergy, university faculty, staff and students and also has taught university classes in self-defense, karate, kobudo and samurai arts.

His kobudo (古武道) classes are also popular and he teaches many different martial arts weapons and even throws in a few modern day tools that can be used as weapons such as rakes, hoes, car keys, books, etc.

Members of the Arizona Community are invited meet the Hall-of-Fame inductee at the Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Hombu, also known as the Arizona School of Traditional Karate located on the northeast corner of MacDonald at 60 W. Baseline Road, Mesa, AZ.

Mesa Martial Arts Instructor Nominated For 30th Pearl Anniversary of Who's Who in the World

Soke Hausel (left) and Hanshi Finley at the Arizona School
of Traditional Karate in Mesa, Gilbert, Arizona.

In 1999, the University of Wyoming Campus Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo Club was awarded the top JKI-Affiliated Martial Arts School of the Year after training a few hundred students in a variety traditional Okinawan and Japanese martial arts at one of the smaller State universities in the country. In that same year, Professor Hausel, was promoted to Sokeshodai (grandmaster) of Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo (Seiyo Kai) after 35 years of martial arts training. In 2004, Grandmaster Hausel was promoted to the highest recognized rank in Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo (10th dan).

Yudansha attending the University of Wyoming 2010 Martial
Arts Clinic. Soke Hausel stands 4th from right, Hanshi Finley
Stands 5th from the right.

Now a martial artist of more than 45 years of experience, Grandmaster Hausel has been recognized as one of the top-rated martial arts instructors in the region. He was awarded Grandmaster of the Year by six major martial arts associations over the years, Instructor of the Year, and International Instructor of the Year. He is also a member of several Halls-of-Fame for Karate, Kobudo, Teaching, and even Geological Sciences. He is a notable alumni of his high school, and the University of Utah and notable person of Gilbert and Laramie.

Soke Hausel with three of his favorite students.

His students are scattered worldwide and include many university faculty, staff, researchers, as well as engineers, scientists, health care providers, law enforcement officers, clergy, pharmacologists, and martial arts instructors and most indicate his classes were some of the better at the university because of diversified teaching, interesting stories, philosophy and Okinawan history that kept the classes interesting. In 2006, Grandmaster Hausel took early retirement and moved to the Phoenix valley and opened a martial arts training facility at the northeast corner of Baseline and MacDonald (between Country Club and Mesa Drives) in 2008. The facility; Arizona School of Traditional Karate acts as a school of martial arts for the public as well as the Arizona Hombu (world headquarters) for his students around the world. He continues to focus on academics.

Soke Hausel with some Yudansha members of the Utah
Shorin-Kai including Kyoshi Rob Watson (8th dan)
(Standing next to Soke) and Renshi Todd Stone King (6th
dan) standing next to Kyoshi.

During the past 30 years, Grandmaster Hausel also taught many classes and clinics for the general public and other martial artists in self-defense such as self-defense for laymen, self-defense for martial arts instructors, self-defense for airline travelers, self-defense for women, self-defense for librarians, self-defense for teachers.

Because of his contributions in martial arts as well as geological sciences, art, public speaking, astronomy and writing, he has been nominated for induction into Marquis 30th Pearl Anniversary of Who's Who in the World.  Soke Hausel indicated that he looks up to two martial artists who he believes are the two greatest living martial artists in the world - Dai Soke R. Sacharnoski and Osensei Tadashi Yamashita.

1996 International Martial Arts Clinic members sit outside of Corbett Gym on the University of Wyoming Campus in Laramie. Dai-Soke Sacharnoski, TV and Movie Star sits in center front.  Professor Hausel stands in back to the far left.

Soke-Dai Eric Hausel (left) and Soke at the Arizona
Hombu (Arizona School of Traditional Karate in
Mesa and Gilbert, Arizona.

JKI Yudansha including (in front row in white pants) Soke Hausel (2nd from left) and Dai-Soke Sacharnoski
(4th from the left).

Famous photo of Professor Hausel accepting full force kick from Donette
Gillespie (3rd dan) while totally unprotected and smiling! Photo courtesy of the University
of Wyoming.

30th Anniversary Clinic at the University of Wyoming (2008)

2003 Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo Clinic at Corbett Gym at the University of Wyoming. Soke Hausel sits in front (6th from the left in black jacket), Osensei Tadashi Yamashita sits 8th from the left, and Soke-Dai Eric Hausel sits 10th from the left (in black jacket). Yamashita is one of the better known Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate Ka, a movie star with such credits as Enter the Dragon with Bruce Lee and The Octagon with Chuck Norris.

ARIZONA MARTIAL ARTIST HONORED

Soke Hausel accepted the invitation by Action Martial Arts Magazine’s Hall of Honors 2012 for induction reports Topix. Hausel, a martial arts instructor for more than 4 decades, taught karate, kobudo, jujutsu and self-defense at four universities prior to opening a martial arts center in Arizona. An instructor of Shorin-Ryu Karate, the art originally developed on Okinawa, he focuses primarily on training adults of all ranks - from beginner to the most advanced black belts. Remember Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-san in the Karate Kid? Same karate!

Master Alan Goldberg, publisher of Action Martial Arts Magazine wrote to Hausel in November stating,

“Congratulations, we take great pride and pleasure to inform you of your Induction as an Ambassador to the Martial Arts, into the largest and one of the most Prestigious Martial Arts Halls of Honor in the World”.

Soke Hausel (right) stands with his son Eric who is also a polymath.

Action Martial Arts Magazine touts its event as the world’s largest gathering of martial arts superstars, film and combat celebrities and renowned masters in the world. The event has become known as the Academy of Awards of Martial Arts held at the Tropicana in Atlantic City, New Jersey in January, 2012. Hausel will accept induction into the Hall of Honor and the award for Outstanding Contributions to Martial Arts as a Grandmaster.

Hausel is the grandmaster of Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate and world head of the international organization Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai, also known as Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Renmei and Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Budo Bugei Renmei.

In 2004 he was presented certification for 10^th degree red belt and presented certification as Sokeshodai (grandmaster) in 1999.

No stranger to Halls of Fame, we found during conversations with Soke Hausel and research on the Internet that he has been inducted into more than a dozen halls of fame – some for martial arts, some for geosciences, and some as a polymath.

How rare is that? We couldn’t find any statistics but we personally don’t know any Hall of Fame inductees; we don’t know of any in our neighborhood, let alone any in the schools we attended?  As we pondered this we watched some of the great athletes turned TV commentators. How many of them were inducted into more than one Hall of Fame, let alone for different professions?

At the turn of the century, Soke Hausel was inducted into the Millennium Hall of Fame as a polymath because of contributions to geological sciences, public speaking, writing and martial arts (he was also active in art, astronomy and music).  He declined nomination for a similar Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2001, he was inducted into the National Rock Hound and Lapidary Hall of Fame as a geosciences educator for rock hounds and prospectors and is an author of few hundred books, articles and geological maps.

His martial arts background is impressive. We won’t mention all of the dozens of awards and inductions, but a few include the 2005 World Martial Arts Black Belt Hall of Fame in Malaysia, the 2004 American Karate Association Hall of Fame in Ohio, the 2004 World Head of Martial Arts Society Hall of Fame in the Philippines, the 2003 Latin America Martial Arts Society Hall of Fame in Puerto Rico, the 2001 North America Black Belt Hall of Fame in California. He was awarded Instructor of the Year in 1998 and 2004, the International Instructor of the Year in 2001, and Grandmaster of the Year in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2005 by various national and international martial arts associations.

In recent years, he declined several Hall of Fame inductions, national awards and international awards for martial arts and geological sciences. We asked him why on earth he would do this. His answer was he is simply tired of traveling and would much rather be teaching his students in Arizona and those that travel to Arizona to see him.

“Don’t get me wrong, I consider these nominations and awards to be a great honor and I am humbled by them, but my family and students need me more”. The upcoming induction ceremony will take place at the Tropicana Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey on January 20^th.

ARIZONA KARATE INSTRUCTOR - WHO'S WHO IN THE WORLD

Fred Marks Editor-in-Chief of Who’s Who in the World writes that many famous people have biographies that appear alongside the biography of Phoenix, Arizona’s outstanding martial arts instructor and grandmaster.    

Professor Hausel, hall of fame martial arts
instructor from Arizona, demonstrates a
restraint on Sensei Jason Gies from Chicago
during a jujutsu class at the University
of Wyoming (UW photo).

In the recently published Who’s Who in the World 2012 (29^th edition), Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton), named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2011 by Time magazine, Didier Faivre, appointed Director of the Galileo program and navigation-related activities for the European Space Agency, Professional cyclist Cadel Evans, winner of the 2011 Tour de France, Dilma Rousseff, inaugurated in 2011 as the first female President of Brazil, Carolyn S. Miles, newly appointed President and CEO of Save the Children and others’ appear alongside the biography of Arizona Polymath W. Dan Hausel.

Geoscientist Hausel discovers the Grizzly Creek
colored gemstone deposit in Wyoming in 2004.

Hausel is a world-renown Martial Arts Instructor and member of more than a dozen Halls of Fame scattered worldwide. He is a geoscientist, author, public speaker and artist, and in the past worked as a guitarist for some rock n' roll bands and was employed as an astronomer. He also conducted geochemical research on some of the first lunar samples recovered by the Apollo program. But as a geoscientist, he may be best known for his many discoveries.

He is the world head of Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo Kai and operates a hombu dojo (martial arts facility and school) on Baseline between Arizona and McQueen at the border of Mesa and Gilbert, Arizona. He is a 10^th degree black belt and a member of several halls of fame for achievements as a polymath. Today, he teaches adult classes at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate and Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Hombu in Arizona.

Each year the Who’s Who staff researches people from around the globe who merit inclusion in Who's Who in the World. Beginning with the first edition of Who's Who in America in 1899, which featured such luminaries as Thomas Edison and Mark Twain, Marquis Who's Who publications have represented the most comprehensive sources available for information on human achievement.

Grand Canyon University Professor Earns Master Degree

SO How Does a PhD Earn a Master Degree? Easy! Join a Traditional Okinawan Martial Arts School Operated by a Soke (Grandmaster).

Dr. Neal Adam is awarded both Godan (5th degree black belt)
and Shihan (Master Instructor) certificates by Soke Hausel at
the Seiyo Kai Hombu in Mesa.

Wax on, wax off.  It takes decades of dedication & training to master a martial art. When most people think of a master of martial arts, they often visualize an old, wise monk; or a faster than life karate master who is indestructible. But to be a true master of martial arts, one must not only master the physical skills of a martial art, but they must also master oriental philosophy, history and traditions.

It is also rare for a PhD to earn a Master Degree: not the master’s degree from a university, but a master degree in Shorin-Ryu Karate. Remember Daniel-san from the original Karate Kid?   Mr. Myagi taught Daniel-san Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate - the same art taught at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa and Gilbert at 60 W. Baseline Road. Reaching the level of PhD and Professor requires dedication to a particular field of study and research leaving little time for anything else. And to do the same in martial arts is rare.

Dr Neal Adam, associate professor of biology at Grand Canyon University, has dedicated the past 30 years to learning karate while pursuing a career in science. His love for karate reached a high level of comprehension of Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Seiyo Kai Karate and Kobudo. To reach this level of expertise, one must understand the mechanics and physics of karate, they must comprehend the philosophy of the art, they must learn dozens of complex forms and be able to demonstrate these forms without thinking and with extraordinary power and focus, and they must master ancient weapons, and must learn to defend themselves effectively.

Mild mannered Dr. Adam in his traditional
university professor uniform

The Master degree is a measure of one’s expertise and translates in Japanese as Shihan. Dr. Neal Adam reached this level and was presented certifications of Shihan and Godan (5th degree black belt) after testing in front of Soke Hausel, world head of Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo at the Hombu (world headquarters) in Mesa.

In addition to demonstrating an understanding of karate and kobudo, Dr. Adam was also required to develop new forms of kobudo. He created a new form of hanbo (3-foot staff) and applications for self defense, and also developed a new form using common everyday tools of his trade for self-defense: eye glasses, rulers, pens, belt, etc. The new form was named the Nerd-ja kata.

Grandparents Earn Black Belts at HOMBU in Mesa Arizona

Soke Hausel, Paula Borea and Bill Borea pose for FOX 10 news
interview and discussion of what traditional martial arts is all
about.

The Arizona School of Traditional Karate, also known as Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Hombu, in Mesa, Arizona congratulated Bill and Paula Borea of East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona after successfully passing exams in Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate for nidan (二段) on September 8th, 2011. It's not rare for two people to earn black belts, but it is rare for a married couple who are also grandparents. Furthermore, the two earned 2nd degree black belts.

According to Hausel, 10th degree black belt (十段), this is the first time he has ever heard of a married couple who are senior citizens earning black belts on the same evening. Hausel has taught martial arts for more than 40 years and promoted a Canadian couple to black belt during the same evening, but they were in their mid-20s. Another couple from the University of Wyoming earned 3rd degree black belts (三段) in the same year, and were later married. They were also in their mid to late 20s. As far as senior citizens, he did have one professor earn a 1st degree black belt (初段) in his 80s, but this is rare.

Sempai Paula Borea trains with the heart of
a samurai at the Mesa Hombu after receiving
promotion to nidan black belt. Actually, Paula
is of a samurai blood line.

Bill and Paula Borea underwent 1.5 weeks of exams in Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo (martial arts weapons). Both were required to demonstrate advanced forms (known as kata 型), Okinawan weapons (known as kobudo 古武道) and Samurai Arts (known as kobujutsu 古武術). They also had to demonstrate karate (空手) & jujutsu (柔術) defenses against a variety of attacks including an assailant with a knife, gun and rifle. They were successful and promoted to Nidan (2nd degree black belt) in karate and kobudo at the Arizona dojo in Mesa (60 W. Baseline Road).

But there are even more unusual circumstances about this couple that is made for a movie script:

•   Few ever reach the level of 2nd degree black belt in Okinawan Shorin-Ryu karate. This is because of extreme dedication and many years of training that are required.

•   Both Bill and Paula Borea have been training for years and each trained in Japan (日本) while Bill was stationed in the orient as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force.

Sensei Bill Borea trains with kobudo
class at the Arizona School of Traditional
karate. Here he trains in nunchaku-jutsu.

•   Paula Borea's story alone is the kind of stuff made for a novel or movie. She is half Japanese. After World War II, she was born to a Japanese mother and American serviceman. Being a child of two opposing cultures, much of her Japanese family disowned her and she was given up to adoption at the age of 5 (her life was threatened by one Japanese uncle).

•   Later in life, she returned to Japan with, where she met her mother for the first time since the forced separation and the two shared many tears.

•   Paula is not only of Japanese descent, she is also of samurai (侍) lineage and has always had an interest to her heritage. This led her on a search for a traditional martial arts school in Arizona that would bring her closer to her Japanese heritage. She found the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa provided her with that part of her life that was missing and started training under Grandmaster Hausel (宗家) in 2006.

Watch out Bill! Paula is showing her samurai lineage again!

•   Both Bill and Paula are grandparents who show that with the right attitude, anything can be accomplished.

•   Bill and Paula Borea show this everyday in their lives. People who claim they cannot work out because of physical limitations need to met these two extraordinary people - one recently had back surgery and the other open heart surgery. Both continue to train at the school in Mesa 2 to 3 times a week. Paula reports that the Arizona School of Traditional Karate is as traditional as anything she saw in Okinawa. Bill reports that karate training saved his life by greatly improving his health.

Sensei Paula Borea in traditional Japanese
kimono.

Several months later, January 6th, 2012, Soke Hausel certified both Bill and Paula Borea to Sensei (先生). Most Sensei in the Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Seiyo Kai system are ranked at sandan. However, Soke saw that Bill and Paula were unique individuals who are also leaders and certified the two as instructors.