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.