University of Wyoming martial arts professor (kyoju) moves to Phoenix Valley

Soke Hausel of Gilbert, Arizona loves teaching martial arts.
Photo shows Hausel with black belt Jason Gies, demonstrating
jujutsu techniques to faculty, staff and students at UW. Photo 
courtesy of the University of Wyoming.

Hall-of-Fame karate and kobudo grandmaster located in Arizona, loves to teach martial arts receiving considerable joy in watching his students progress! How he got started decades ago, was  because he was actually led to karate by the Beatles in 1964. At the time, along with millions of other people, he watched the Beatles make their debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. As a brand-new teenager, this made a strong impression on him and he began to look into guitar lessons. A few months later, a note posted on a public bulletin board at Hart Brothers Music Company for a band  looking for a lead guitar attracted his interest. He showed up for the audition and over the next several months, the band: the Churchman, slowly rose in popularity until they became the number 1 band in Utah. Along with the music and long hair came the closed minded people who did not like anything different, leading the four band members to sign up for self-defense training with Sensei Tom Anguay at the  Black Eagle Federation kyokushin karate dojo. The intense karate training, led to the band handling any threats. And the  natural path for Soke was to continue training in martial arts. As his path progressed, he found astronomy, geology and other disciplines - but continued learning many Japanese/Okinawa martial arts and earning rank certification and awards in more than 2-dozen arts as well as as promotion to the highest rank in Okinawa karate and certification as sokeshodai (grandmaster).

As time progressed, soke taught karate at the University of Utah,  University of New Mexico, ASU, and taught karate, kobudo, self-defense, jujutsu, and samurai arts at the University of Wyoming for 35 years. After retiring from UW and the Wyoming Geological Survey, he moved to the East Valley of Phoenix where he continues to teach, consult on mineral deposits, and author books.

Those who train in Okinawa martial arts are often interested in soke's classes because of his knowledge and background. A member of several halls-of-fame, and one of the few legitimate soke in the US, he puts emphasis on teaching. Besides martial arts, soke worked as an astronomer, geoscientist, even researched lunar rocks, and was inducted into Halls-of-Fame as a geologist.  He is a polymath and has made niche not only in martial arts, but also astronomy, geology, writing, public speaking and art. He extended his life-long path after completing post-graduate studies in sindonology during the covid crisis/scam. In the past few years (2020-2025), he trained at the Juko Kai hombu where he earn additional certifications in some combat martial arts. 

Soke Hausel teaches advanced karate clinic in the art of Hakutsuru Shorin-Ryu (
(White Crane karate), at Corbett Gym at the University of Wyoming.
(photo courtesy of the University of Wyoming).

Gilbert, Arizona Karate Instructor Receives Awards

Soke Hausel hugs two of his favorite people. Karate instructors - Sensei Paula Borea and O'Sensei Bill Borea - at the Arizona Hombu in Mesa.

What does it mean to be a 'traditional' karate instructor? Ask any person who trains in martial arts about their instructor(s). Plan to sit down and listen for awhile because they are going to tell you about all of the stories. Our first karate instructors along with some later ones are branded into our minds. We see them like our grandfathers or grandmothers, or a favorite uncle. The thoughts of these people are almost always favorable as they influenced our lives in one way or another. There will always be many stories. Such people must be ethical, moral, and show concern for their students; otherwise they might leave that nasty taste of Cobra Kai in one's mind. We need to remember these mentors as our personal Mr. Miyagi. A person who is willing to do most anything to help his/hers ethical students in life.  Yes, because of the lineage of martial arts, they are liken to monks. 

HALL OF FAME MARTIAL ARTS INSTRUCTOR Soke Hausel of Gilbert, Arizona received many awards for teaching martial arts throughout his martial arts career. He has also received national and international awards for public speaking, geological research, writing and sketching. Since 1998, he entered several Martial Arts Halls-of-Fame including the North American Black Belt Hall of Fame, the World Martial Arts Black Belt Hall of Fame, the American Karate Association Hall of Fame, the World Karate Union Hall of Fame, where awarded Instructor of the Year, International Instructor of the Year, and Grandmaster of the Year. 

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There is no question Soke Hausel loves to teach martial arts, so he teaches a variety of traditional martial arts at the Arizona Hombu (he has certifications in 16 martial arts) in Mesa, Arizona. He is a grandmaster (Soke) of Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo and a master (Shihan) of Juko-Ryu Bujutsu. He is a member of Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai, Zen Kokusai Soke Budo Bugei Renmei, and Juko Kai International and was awarded one of the highest honors for a martial artist in recent years - that of meijin wa jutsu. A title reserved for only a few of the most dedicated martial artists. 

HALL OF FAME GEOLOGIST. Many people are fascinated by the hit TV program Gold Rush that focuses on a couple of groups of prospectors as they search for gold and gemstones such as diamonds in the Yukon and elsewhere in past seasons. As amazing as it sounds, Grandmaster Hausel has been inducted into two Halls of Fame for geological research and public education and was even awarded one of the more prestigious awards in economic geology for finding gold: the Thayer Lindsley Award for a major mineral discovery. While consulting in Alaska for a gold company, Grandmaster Hausel and six other geologists discovered one of the largest gold deposits in North America - a deposit that has 2 and a half times more gold than mined throughout the entire history of mining in the Yukon! But, because of his contract, he was only paid consulting fees and did not get to keep any of the gold.

But he still loves geology and teaches prospectors and rock hounds how to search for gemstones, gold and other valuable minerals through magazine articles, books, lectures and websites and writes informative blogs to educate the public on diamonds, gemstones, gold and martial arts.

After receiving so many awards over the years including three of the highest honors in martial arts, one of the highest in geological sciences, and one of the highest in rock hunting, one would think nothing new would surprise him. But on April 2nd, 2015, he was totally surprised by his students as he was preparing for to teach karate and kobudo classes in Mesa.

Sensei Bill Borea surprises Soke Hausel with plaque showing
recognition by all of the Grandmaster's students scattered worldwide.

GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY

After arriving at the martial arts facility at the 60 W. Baseline Center on the border of Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa, Soke Hausel was greeted by two of his senior students requesting permission to speak to the class. Class began at 6:45 pm with a traditional ceremony followed by warm-up exercises and stretching. Soke Hausel stood aside and gave the floor to Sensei (instructor) Bill Borea and Sensei Paula Borea of Mesa. 

The plaque reads: "This certificate is presented to W. Dan Hausel, 12th dan/Soke. 
One who leads the Way".
"In recognition of Outstanding Accomplishments and Contributions for 50 Years of Dedicated
Devotion to the Martial arts. The Knowledge, Understanding, Teaching and Embodiment of and
 Sharing that with your Many Students. We Your Dedicated Students Say Arigato, January 2015,
 Mesa, Arizona.

Sensei Bill Borea began by mentioning the first time he ever heard the term "karate" was in 1968, four years after Soke Hausel began training in Karate as a teenager. Sensei Paula Borea acknowledged she was aware of karate as a teen since she was born in Japan, but knew little about the art. Sensei Bill Borea went on to tell the Arizona students that the karate he trained in while serving in the US Air Force in Japan and later in New Jersey was the same taught by Soke Hausel, with all of the traditions, Japanese commands and terminology, emphasis on power, body hardening, forms and practical applications. He emphasized this was the real thing and included an entire curriculum that was even unmatched by most Japanese schools.

Soke Hausel talks to students at the Arizona Hombu, 2015.

On behalf of Soke Hausel's Arizona students, as well as all of those scattered around the world, Sensei Borea presented a 'Certificate of Achievement for Dedication and Devotion to the Martial Arts over the past 50 years (1964 to 2014)'. It was noted, Soke Hausel touched many lives through martial arts while at four major universities including Arizona State University, University of New Mexico, University of Utah and the University of Wyoming. 

Soke Hausel with students at the University of Wyoming, 1999

Soke Hausel with some of his students at the University of Wyoming.
 

Soke Hausel at the Murray Utah Shorin-Kai dojo.

Soke Hausel with Hanshi Ron Smith and students from Arizona and from Gillette, Wyoming,
at the 2013 Juko Kai Clinic in New Braunfels, Texas, where he was awarded 
honorary title by his personal instructor Dai-Soke Sacharnoski.