Arizona's Hall-of-Fame Karate Instructor

Arizona Karate Instructor, Soke Hausel loves to teach martial arts and has been teaching for more than 40 years. Imagine learning karate from a Hall-of-Fame grandmaster, a grandmaster of Traditional Martial Arts. Imagine what this would do to your learning curve. All of this experience and expertise available to accelerate your martial arts training and skills. The Arizona School of Traditional Karate on the border of Mesa and Gilbert is home to this Hall-of-Fame martial artist.

Soke Hausel is not only a great martial artist, he is very good at several professions - so much so that Who's Who noted that he is a polymath. He was inducted into the 2013 and 2014 Who’s Who in America and 2013 and 2014 Who's Who in the World and appeared in several Who’s Who compendiums over the past two decades because of accomplishments as a martial arts instructor, scientist, writer, public speaker and artist. Who’s Who noted 2013 was the 10 year anniversary since he was initially inducted into Who's Who in the World and the 20th anniversary of his induction into Who's Who in the West and Who's Who in Science & Engineering.

Photo of Grandmaster Hausel (right) with friend of many years, Hanshi Ron Smith (10th dan) from
Virginia. Hausel met Hanshi Smith at a Juko Kai International Clinic in Florida more than
20 years ago and the two developed a close friendship. Photo taken at the New Braumfels, Texas
JKI clinic in 2013.

Professor Hausel looks forward to his students' progress. When he started teaching martial arts at the University of Wyoming in 1977; within a short time, his classes will filled: more than a hundred students signed up for Beginning Karate in the Department of Physical Education and Department of Kinesiology each semester, 22 students in Jujutsu classes (the maximum number of students allowed in both of these classes), dozens of students in self-defense, kobudo, rape prevention, self-defense for women and martial arts history classes in the Department of Extended Studies, and more than 150 students in the University of Wyoming Shorin-Ryu Karate in Club Sports.


2013 JKI clinic in New Braunfels, Texas. Soke Hausel with martial arts
colleagues Hanshi Kirby Roy and Hanshi Ron Smith to his left along with
his Seiyo Kai students who traveled from Phoenix, Chandler and Mesa
Arizona and from Gillette, Wyoming.

Many dozen of clinics taught to the public, staff, and faculty related to self-defense, jujutsu, samurai arts, karate, kobudo as well as special classes taught to the University ROTC and dance departments on his free time. This training led to international recognition to the University of Wyoming martial arts program which the program, Soke Hausel, and some students were presented national and international awards. Previously, he had taught karate at the University of Utah and University of New Mexico, and recently at Arizona State University.

He was asked if he considered himself a good fighter? He responded,"What does that have to do with martial arts? Personally, I see myself as good instructor and hope students agree".

Left to right - Bill Durbin, Ron Smith, Hausel and Jeff Goodwin at the
2013 JKI clinic.

According to Hausel, Durbin, Smith, Goodwin and also Kirby Roy (above)
are some of the best martial artists he has ever seen in his 5 decades of
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

Mesa Martial Arts Instructor Nominated For 30th Pearl Anniversary of Who's Who in the World

Soke Hausel (left) and Hanshi Finley at the
Hombu in Mesa, Arizona.

In 1999, the University of Wyoming Campus Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo Club was awarded the top JKI-Affiliated Martial Arts School of the Year after training a few hundred students in a variety traditional Okinawan and Japanese martial arts at one of the smaller State universities in the country. In that same year, Professor Hausel, was promoted to Sokeshodai (grandmaster) of Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo (Seiyo Kai) after 35 years of martial arts training.

Yudansha attending the University of Wyoming
2010 Martial Arts Clinic. Soke Hausel stands
4th from right, Hanshi Finley Stands 5th
from the right.

Now a martial artist of more than 45 years of experience, Grandmaster Hausel has been recognized as one of the top-rated martial arts instructors in the region. He was awarded Grandmaster of the Year by six major martial arts associations over the years, Instructor of the Year, and International Instructor of the Year. He is also a member of several Halls-of-Fame for Karate, Kobudo, Teaching, and even Geological Sciences. He is a notable alumni of his high school, and the University of Utah and notable person of Gilbert and Laramie.

Soke Hausel with three of his favorite students.

His students are scattered worldwide and include many university faculty, staff, researchers, as well as engineers, scientists, health care providers, law enforcement officers, clergy, pharmacologists, and martial arts instructors and most indicate his classes were some of the better at the university because of diversified teaching, interesting stories, philosophy and Okinawan history that kept the classes interesting. In 2006, Grandmaster Hausel took early retirement and moved to the Phoenix valley and opened a martial arts training facility at the northeast corner of Baseline and MacDonald (between Country Club and Mesa Drives) in 2008. The facility; Arizona School of Traditional Karate acts as a school of martial arts for the public as well as the Arizona Hombu (world headquarters) for his students around the world. He continues to focus on academics.

Soke Hausel with Yudansha members of the Utah
Shorin-Kai including Kyoshi Rob Watson (8th dan)
(Standing next to Soke) and Renshi Todd Stone
 King (6th dan) standing next to Kyoshi.

During the past 30 years, Grandmaster Hausel also taught many classes and clinics for the general public and other martial artists in self-defense such as self-defense for laymen, self-defense for martial arts instructors, self-defense for airline travelers, self-defense for women, self-defense for librarians, self-defense for teachers.

Because of his contributions in martial arts as well as geological sciences, art, public speaking, astronomy and writing, he has been nominated for induction into Marquis 30th Pearl Anniversary of Who's Who in the World.  Soke Hausel indicated that he looks up to two martial artists who he believes are the two greatest living martial artists in the world - Dai Soke R. Sacharnoski and Osensei Tadashi Yamashita.

1996 International Martial Arts Clinic members sit outside of Corbett Gym on the University of Wyoming Campus in Laramie. Dai-Soke Sacharnoski, TV and Movie Star sits in center front. 
Professor Hausel stands in back to the far left.

Soke-Dai Eric Hausel (left) and Soke at the Arizona
Hombu (Arizona School of Traditional Karate in
Mesa and Gilbert, Arizona.

JKI Yudansha including (in front row in white pants) Soke Hausel (2nd from left) and Dai-Soke Sacharnoski (4th from the left).

Photo of Professor Hausel accepting full force kick from Donette
Gillespie (3rd dan) while totally unprotected and smiling! Photo courtesy
of the University of Wyoming.

2003 Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo Clinic at Corbett Gym at the University of Wyoming. Soke Hausel sits in front (6th from the left in black jacket), Osensei Tadashi Yamashita sits 8th from the left, and Soke-Dai Eric Hausel sits 10th from the left (in black jacket). Yamashita is one of the better known Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate Ka, a movie star with such credits as Enter the Dragon with Bruce Lee and The Octagon with Chuck Norris.

ARIZONA KARATE INSTRUCTOR - WHO'S WHO IN THE WORLD

Fred Marks Editor-in-Chief of Who’s Who in the World writes that many famous people have biographies that appear alongside the biography of Phoenix, Arizona’s outstanding martial arts instructor and grandmaster.    


Professor Hausel, hall of fame martial arts
instructor from Arizona, demonstrates a
restraint on Sensei Jason Gies from Chicago
during a jujutsu class at the University
of Wyoming (UW photo).

In the recently published Who’s Who in the World 2012 (29^th edition), Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton), named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2011 by Time magazine, Didier Faivre, appointed Director of the Galileo program and navigation-related activities for the European Space Agency, Professional cyclist Cadel Evans, winner of the 2011 Tour de France, Dilma Rousseff, inaugurated in 2011 as the first female President of Brazil, Carolyn S. Miles, newly appointed President and CEO of Save the Children and others’ appear alongside the biography of Arizona Polymath W. Dan Hausel.



Geoscientist Hausel discovers the Grizzly Creek
colored gemstone deposit in Wyoming in 2004.

Hausel is a world-renown Martial Arts Instructor and member of more than a dozen Halls of Fame scattered worldwide. He is a geoscientist, author, public speaker and artist, and in the past worked as a guitarist for some rock n' roll bands and was employed as an astronomer. He also conducted geochemical research on some of the first lunar samples recovered by the Apollo program. But as a geoscientist, he may be best known for his many discoveries.

Each year the Who’s Who staff researches people from around the globe who merit inclusion in Who's Who in the World. Beginning with the first edition of Who's Who in America in 1899, which featured such luminaries as Thomas Edison and Mark Twain, Marquis Who's Who publications have represented the most comprehensive sources available for information on human achievement.

Grand Canyon University Professor Earns Master Degree

SO How Does a PhD Earn a Master Degree? Easy! Join a Traditional Okinawan Martial Arts School.

Dr. Neal Adam is awarded both godan (5th degree black belt)
and Shihan (Master Instructor) certificates by Soke Hausel at
the Seiyo Kai Hombu in Mesa.

Wax on, wax off.  It takes decades of dedication & training to master a martial art. When most people think of a master of martial arts, they often visualize an old, wise monk; or a faster than life karate master who is indestructible. But to be a true master of martial arts, one must not only master the physical skills of a martial art, but they must also master oriental philosophy, history and traditions.

It is also rare for a PhD to earn a Master Degree: not the master’s degree from a university, but a master degree in Shorin-Ryu Karate. Remember Daniel-san from the original Karate Kid?   Mr. Myagi taught Daniel-san Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate - the same art taught at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa and Gilbert at 60 W. Baseline Road. Reaching the level of PhD and Professor requires dedication to a particular field of study and research leaving little time for anything else. And to do the same in martial arts is rare.

Dr Neal Adam, associate professor of biology at Grand Canyon University, has dedicated the past 30 years to learning karate while pursuing a career in science. His love for karate reached a high level of comprehension of Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Seiyo Kai Karate and Kobudo. To reach this level of expertise, one must understand the mechanics and physics of karate, they must comprehend the philosophy of the art, they must learn dozens of complex forms and be able to demonstrate these forms without thinking and with extraordinary power and focus, and they must master ancient weapons, and must learn to defend themselves effectively.

Mild mannered Dr. Adam in his traditional
university professor uniform

The Master degree is a measure of one’s expertise and translates in Japanese as Shihan. Dr. Neal Adam reached this level and was presented certifications of Shihan and Godan (5th degree black belt) after testing in front of Soke Hausel, world head of Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo at the Hombu (world headquarters) in Mesa.

In addition to demonstrating an understanding of karate and kobudo, Dr. Adam was also required to develop new forms of kobudo. He created a new form of hanbo (3-foot staff) and applications for self defense, and also developed a new form using common everyday tools of his trade for self-defense: eye glasses, rulers, pens, belt, etc. The new form was named the Nerd-ja kata.

Grandparents Earn Black Belts at HOMBU in Mesa Arizona

Soke Hausel, Paula Borea and Bill Borea pose for FOX 10 news
interview and discussion of what traditional martial arts is all
about.

The Arizona School of Traditional Karate, also known as Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Hombu, in Mesa, Arizona congratulated Bill and Paula Borea of East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona after successfully passing exams in Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate for nidan (二段) on September 8th, 2011. It's not rare for two people to earn black belts, but it is rare for a married couple who are also grandparents. Furthermore, the two earned 2nd degree black belts.

According to Grandmaster Hausel (十段) this is the first time he has ever heard of a married couple who are senior citizens earning black belts on the same evening. Hausel has taught martial arts for more than 40 years and promoted a Canadian couple to black belt during the same evening, but they were in their mid-20s. Another couple from the University of Wyoming earned 3rd degree black belts (三段) in the same year, and were later married. They were also in their mid to late 20s. As far as senior citizens, he did have one professor earn a 1st degree black belt (初段) in his 80s, but this is rare.

Sempai Paula Borea trains with the heart of
a samurai at the Mesa Hombu after receiving
promotion to nidan black belt. Actually, Paula
is of a samurai blood line.

Bill and Paula Borea underwent 1.5 weeks of exams in Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo (martial arts weapons). Both were required to demonstrate advanced forms (known as kata 型), Okinawan weapons (known as kobudo 古武道) and Samurai Arts (known as kobujutsu 古武術). They also had to demonstrate karate (空手) & jujutsu (柔術) defenses against a variety of attacks including an assailant with a knife, gun and rifle. They were successful and promoted to Nidan (2nd degree black belt) in karate and kobudo at the Arizona dojo in Mesa (60 W. Baseline Road).

But there are even more unusual circumstances about this couple that is made for a movie script:

•   Few ever reach the level of 2nd degree black belt in Okinawan Shorin-Ryu karate. This is because of extreme dedication and many years of training that are required.

•   Both Bill and Paula Borea have been training for years and each trained in Japan (日本) while Bill was stationed in the orient as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force.

Sensei Bill Borea trains with kobudo
class at the Arizona School of Traditional
karate. Here he trains in nunchaku-jutsu.

•   Paula Borea's story alone is the kind of stuff made for a novel or movie. She is half Japanese. After World War II, she was born to a Japanese mother and American serviceman. Being a child of two opposing cultures, much of her Japanese family disowned her and she was given up to adoption at the age of 5 (her life was threatened by one Japanese uncle).

•   Later in life, she returned to Japan with, where she met her mother for the first time since the forced separation and the two shared many tears.

•   Paula is not only of Japanese descent, she is also of samurai (侍) lineage and has always had an interest to her heritage. This led her on a search for a traditional martial arts school in Arizona that would bring her closer to her Japanese heritage. She found the Arizona Hombu dojo in Mesa provided her with that part of her life that was missing and started training under Grandmaster Hausel (宗家) in 2006.

Watch out Bill! Paula is showing her samurai lineage again!

•   Both Bill and Paula are grandparents who show that with the right attitude, anything can be accomplished.

•   Bill and Paula Borea show this everyday in their lives. People who claim they cannot work out because of physical limitations need to met these two extraordinary people - one recently had back surgery and the other open heart surgery. Both continue to train at the school in Mesa 2 to 3 times a week. Paula reports that the Arizona School of Traditional Karate is as traditional as anything she saw in Okinawa. Bill reports that karate training saved his life by greatly improving his health.


Sensei Paula Borea in traditional Japanese
kimono.

Several months later, January 6th, 2012, Soke Hausel certified both Bill and Paula Borea to Sensei (先生). Most Sensei in the Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Seiyo Kai system are ranked at sandan. However, Soke saw that Bill and Paula were unique individuals who are also leaders and certified the two as instructors.

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?