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.

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?