A Martial Art Legend in Gilbert, Arizona

Soke posses while teaching tekko (Okinawan Horse shoes) 
during Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo classes at the Arizona Hombu dojo 
in Mesa, Arizona.

Hall-of-Fame Grandmaster of Shorin-Ryu Karate & Kobudo could have chosen most anywhere to open a dojo, but after teaching karate, kobudo, samurai arts, self-defense, jujutsu, kempojutsu, sojutsu, self-defense for women, etc., for more than 30 years at the University of Wyoming, he decided to move to the East Valley of Phoenix and relocated to Gilbert where he opened nearby Hombu dojo in Mesa, Arizona in 2008, known as the Hombu Dojo. Hombu is a rare dojo that is recognized as the world headquarters of a martial arts style, system and or association, and is also the home of the grandmaster of that martial arts style.

Soke Hausel, nominated and selected for the Albert Nelson
Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award.

Hausel has always been considered to be a very good martial arts instructor. While at the University of Wyoming, he was certified as Professor of Budo (martial arts) by Juko Kai International, and taught martial arts classes in four different colleges including Club Sports, Extended Studies, Physical Education and Kinesiology. Over the years, he was awarded national and international awards for his teaching and even recognized by the University President and the Governor for his outstanding contributions to martial arts and the education of hundreds of students. And just as outstanding in geological sciences as in martial arts, Hausel won many awards for his achievements in geology. Many consider him a workaholic and a person who loves to work and to help others.

In addition to teaching traditional martial arts at UW, he also taught martial arts at the University of Utah, University of New Mexico and Arizona State University. Last year, he was selected for awards recognizing his lifelong dedication to martial arts, geology and writing. Along with General Colin Powell, he was selected for the Albert Nelson Marquis Who’s Who Lifetime Achievement Award. And along with Grandmaster Jhoon Goo Rhee from Korea, Grandmaster Hausel was inducted into in Who’s Who in Martial Arts Legends in Washington DC, and this year, he received recognition as an outstanding alumni of the Who's Who in Martial Arts Hall of Fame.

Students of all ages - from 10 to 100, learn karate and kobudo. Children train with a parent or grandparent.

At the start of his sojourn in martial arts, he signed up for in kyokushin-kai karate in 1964. The powerful karate style created by Mas Oyama built the foundation Hausel, who was at the time a teenager in a rock n' roll band. Later, Hausel studied other forms of martial arts including Wado-Ryu Karate, Shotokan Karate, Kempojutsu, Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo, Yamanni-Ryu kobudo, Dai Yoshin-Ryu samurai arts, jujutsu, and others. Each martial art gave him another perspective.

Hausel, a polymath, reached the highest level of achievements and twice was inducted into Halls-of-Fame for contributions to both martial arts and geological sciences in the same year. And several years, Marquis Who’s Who recognized his martial arts, geological sciences, writing, art and public speaking accomplishments.

So, you can learn traditional martial arts from anyone, or if you are in the East Valley of Phoenix, you can learn martial arts from one of the best. Soke Hausel trained a few hundred black belts around the world as well as hundreds of lower ranked students. Most of these people now are productive members of society as engineers, scientists, accountants, physicians, accountants, priests, high-ranking soldiers, mechanics, university faculty and staff, university students, school teachers, lawyers, nurses, pilots, etc.

According to various researchers, training in traditional martial arts helps improve physical and mental conditioning. Part of the reason for this is getting into better physical health, but also because martial arts requires students to use both sides of their brains an appears to expand brain mass, IQ, memory, concentration, and even social skills through training in the traditional Okinawa Shorin-Ryu martial arts.

Hausel dreams that one day he will meet a benefactor as devoted as he, so a permanent martial arts school can be constructed to offer many different aspects of the traditional Okinawan and Japanese martial arts to the public in the Phoenix valley, and train people to respect others and be ethical, something that is not practiced by politicians.

In one recent (2018) US study reported by Dr. Ashleigh Johnstone from Bangor University, children between the ages of 8 and 11 were tasked with traditional martial arts training that focused on respecting others and defending themselves as part of an anti-bullying program. The children were taught to maintain a level of self-control in heated situations.

Researchers found martial arts training reduced the level of aggressive behavior in boys, and the boys were more likely to step in and help someone who was being bullied. Significant changes were not found in the girls’ behavior, possibly because they showed lower levels of physical aggression before the training than the boys did.

Interestingly, this anti-aggression effect is not limited to young children. A different research project found reduced physical and verbal aggression, as well as hostility, in adolescents who practiced martial arts.

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

Chandler Librarians Use Books and Knees

Librarians at the Chandler Public Library in Arizona listen to
Hall-of-Fame Grandmaster Hausel discuss the use of library
tools for self-defense.

Imagine – you’re in-between bookshelves at the public library just before closing – someone sneaks up behind and grabs you. What do you do with that book in your hand?

Several librarians and staff of the Chandler Public Library were confronted with this and other imaginary scenarios at a recent seminar taught by Hall of Fame martial artist and grandmaster, Soke Hausel from the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa (60 W. Baseline Road, Mesa) and world head of Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai in Gilbert, an international association of Okinawan Karate and Kobudo. Kobudo is a martial art that teaches use of Okinawan farming and fishing implements, as well as modern garden and construction tools, as weapons of self-defense. Hausel was assisted by Senpai Charles Jean (nikyu brown belt and librarian).

During the seminar, Hausel taught the attendees how to escape from wrist grabs, lapel grabs and bear-hugs, by using their elbows, knees, feet and hands and how to use books, magazines, coins, pens, belts, and car keys for self-defense tools against aggressive attacks. The attendees were surprised to find they were working with potential self-defense weapons every day and even checking them out to the public. Who would have thought that a book or rolled up magazine could be so effective in self-defense.

Over the years, many librarians have taken up martial arts training with grandmaster Hausel. In fact, the University of Wyoming Campus Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo Club had some librarians in its group and the club is currently taught Shorin-Ryu Karate by a university librarian.

Hausel taught similar self-defense clinics and seminars to local political groups, EMT, university faculty and staff, military, scouts, teachers, women’s clubs, sororities, religious groups, martial arts instructors, etc. He is a professor of martial arts who taught at four universities in past years and currently teaches karate, kobudo and self-defense in the East Valley.

We thank Charles Jean (nikyu brown belt on the right) for setting up the self-defense clinic for the Chandler Public Library.

And what should a librarian know about their knees and feet?