Arizona's Top Martial Arts Teacher

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 martial artist Soke Hausel loves to teach people martial arts and has trained in martial arts all his life! He began training in karate in 1964 at the Black Eagle Federation kyokushin karate dojo in SLC, Utah. Later, he 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. Certified in more than a dozen martial arts, he focuses on traditional Shorin-Ryu karate and kobudo and Juko-Ryu samurai arts in the East Valley of Phoenix.

Those who are interested in traditional martial arts, are welcome to contact Soke Hausel by email at sokeshodai@yahoo.com. Classes are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays each week at 6:30 to 7:30 pm. 

Soke retired from the Wyoming Geological Survey at the University of Wyoming, and taught martial arts for 35 years while researching gemstone, gold, diamond, and greenstone belt deposits, before moving to Gilbert Arizona. Over the years, he taught a few thousand students from all over the world the martial arts. 

Soke Hausel teaching an advanced karate clinic - Hakutsuru Shorin-Ryu - karate of the
White Crane, at a clinic at the University of Wyoming.
(photo courtesy of the University of Wyoming).

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.

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