Sunday, October 4, 2015

Breaking Rocks, Restraining Prisoners, Defending Gardens - all in a day of the life of a martial arts master

Students at the University of Wyoming in Laramie line up to break rocks
Grandmaster (soke) Hausel from Gilbert, Arizona returned from teaching a martial arts clinic at the East Canyon Resort in the Oquirrh Mountains of Utah to the east of Salt Lake City in August, 2015. The 2015 Utah gassuku (outdoor training clinic for Okinawan martial arts) included a variety of martial arts such as tameshiwari, kamajutsu, hanbojutsu, hojojutsu and karate bunkai used in self-defense against an individual armed with a hand gun as well as a rifle.

During tameshiwari training, Soke taught the Utah students a little about geology and how to break rocks with their bare hands. Rocks can be challenging as they are not like boards and seldom provide a grain to break along. A couple of years ago, a taekwondo group broke boards at a demo at the Islands clubhouse in Gilbert. Honestly, it was pathetic as these boards offered no resistance and we had no idea one could purchase boards that thin. we've seen taekwondo demos in the past that were very entertaining - this one was not. Personally, we enjoy watching people break bricks or ice and putting some effort into breaking.

Hojojutsu training at the 2015 Utah gassuku
At the Utah Clinic, the group was quite impressed they could break rocks as none of them had tried before. Soke also gave them a little lecture on rock types and what kind of rocks are a little more user friendly and why they should avoid granite, gabbro, basalt and rhyolite (rocks common in the Phoenix valley).

Hojojutsu is a traditional samurai martial art that uses cord or rope to restrain prisoners. The hojojutsu is always a lot of fun for students who have never seen this art - actually its fun as there is nothing more satisfying than tying up your partner with a rope and watching them squirm. They usually look completely helpless.

Over the past few years, Soke Hausel has been teaching members of the Utah Shorin-Kai as well as members of the Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Hombu the art of hanbojutsu. At the Utah clinic, soke reviewed strikes, throws and chokes with the hanbo (a 3-foot stick) and added a couple of new techniques. The hanbo is a great weapon as it can be carried anywhere - much like a cane.

Daughter and father train with hanbo (half-bo) at the Utah Clinic. 
Kamajutsu is a traditional Okinawan martial art that uses a pair of sickles for self defense. These are great weapons and we spent a few hours at the clinic practicing kata bunkai (practical applications hidden in kata).  Then it was time to train in self-defense against an armed attacker with knife, handgun and rifle. These techniques are simple, but must be practiced over and over again in case one ends up in a situation where an aggressor has a gun.

Kamajutsu training at the Arizona Hombu on Baseline Road, Arizona


Utah students train in hand gun defense at the Arizona Hombu in Mesa in the Spring of 2015

Monday, July 13, 2015

Two Arizona Karate Instructors Receive National Awards


The Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Hombu, Mesa, Arizona
Dr. Adam, a 6th dan (6th degree black belt) in Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo (and professor at Grand Canyon University) has been training in traditional martial arts for more than 3 decades. He initially trained in Shotokan karate (a variety of Shorin-Ryu Karate) prior to training with Hall-of-Fame Grandmaster, Hausel at the University of Wyoming in 1990. After they both moved to Arizona in 2006, they met again and continue to teach Karate. Dr. Adam was selected for the Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Hall of Fame in 2015 for his many contributions to the martial arts.


Upon arrival to Arizona, Soke began teaching at ASU as well as at Gold's Gym in Gilbert, Mesa, and Ahwatukee and at the Civic Center in Chandler, and then opened the Arizona Hombu (world headquarters) in Mesa where he began teaching adults and families

Two Gilbert residents who had trained in traditional karate in Japan, Bill and Paula Borea, found the Arizona Hombu and began training under Soke Hausel. Both had trained in Japan where Paula was born. After training with the grandmaster for several years, they were promoted to nidan (2nd dan) and Sensei Bill Borea was later promoted to sandan (3rd dan). Recently, the two senior citizens were inducted into the Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai Hall-of-Fame and both continue to train at the hombu in Mesa. They were hi-lighted on Fox 10 News for their martial arts accomplishments a few years ago. Sensei Bill Borea is a retired air force pilot, and Sensei Paula Borea is Japanese-American of samurai lineage.

Hausel, a member of Juko Kai International and Zen Kokusai Soke Budo Bugei Renmei, two of the more prestigious martial arts associations in the world. Hausel is also an inductee in several Halls-of-Fame. He has been presented national and international awards in martial arts.

Dr. Adam often entertains members of
Hombu with his creative martial arts.
Sensei Bill Borea trains with Sensei Paula Borea
In 2015, Soke was elected to Marquis Who’s Who in America (70th Platinum Anniversary Compendium) scheduled for publication in 2015. This induction recognizes contributions as a polymath in martial arts, geological sciences, writing, art and public speaking. Earlier, he was also elected to Who’s Who in the World 2015 and Who’s Who in Science and Engineering 2016-2017 (12th Edition). Along with these honors, the Arizona Grandmaster was selected for an international award by IBC. The award (DaVinci Award) recognizes his successes as a polymath. And earlier, Soke Hausel was presented an award by his students recognizing his golden anniversary in martial arts.

In 2011, Soke was selected for the ABI Man-of-the-Year for lifetime accomplishments, but turned down the award. Previously, he had been awarded ABI Man-of-the-Year and IBC International-Man-of-the-Year in 1994 and 1995.



Students Honor Soke Hausel’s 50th Anniversary as a Martial Artist

In 1964, a long-haired teenager from a popular rock n’ roll band in Salt Lake City walked into a local dojo (Black Eagle Federation) in Sugarhouse and began training in karate. In 1964, he had no idea what karate was other than a form of self-defense. This became a lifelong journey with Soke training in many martial arts and receiving more than a dozen certifications in different martial arts. Not only was he awarded sokeshodai (grandmaster) of the Seiyo Shorin-Ryu karate-do and karate-jutsu, he has been awarded Shihan (master) of 4 other martial arts.

Award presented to Soke Hausel at the Arizona Hombu by his Students.
In 2015, Thumbtack also high-lighted the Arizona Hombu as well as Grandmaster Hausel. And then the Arizona School of Traditional Karate (which is part of the Arizona Hombu) was awarded Best of Mesa for the third year in a roll.






Members of Seiyo Kai International pose with Hanshi Ron Smith at the JKI Hombu in New Braunfels, Texas in 2013, 
where Soke Hausel was honored as a martial arts genius!




Best In Mesa, Arizona.