Arizona Martial Arts Grandmaster Inducted into Hall of Honor

Training in kata. Soke Hausel teaches his martial art to members of the Utah Shorin-Kai from Murray, Utah at the Arizona Hombu on the border of Mesa and Gilbert.

Arizona Karate Instructor 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. Hausel operates a Martial Arts School in Mesa Arizona on its border with Gilbert and Chandler, Arizona. 

Soke Hausel has trained in martial arts his entire life and 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 School of Traditional Martial Arts in Mesa. 

Soke Hausel teaching Hakutsuru Shorin-Ryu Karate at the
University of Wyoming.

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 never reveal the art to the outside world.

When finally 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. Some people include sport karate and MMA. However, MMA in particular, is not a martial art as it cannot fulfill requirements necessary to make it an 'art'. Traditional karate systems 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, focuses on development of powerful self-defense techniques that can include intense body hardening, and focuses on several esoteric values that fulfill the requirements of being a martial 'art'.

Great shot of two of Soke Hausel's students. Patrick Scofield
follows through with tonfa  reverse strike after blocking
Adam Bialek's attack with bo.

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!

Sensei Paula Borea blocks Sensei Bill Borea's 
bo attack using her kuwa.

Master Alan Goldberg, publisher of Action Martial Arts Magazine and curator of the Hall-of-Honor recently contacted Soke Hausel, “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). 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.

Dr. Florence Teule trains with Dan Graffius at the Arizona Hombu.

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.

It's Halloween in Arizona! Pumpkin carving the 
Okinawan way