Shorin-Ryu Karate & Kobudo (Seiyo Kai)

Martial Artist Inducted into 16th Hall of Fame

Thu, 17 May 2012 18:00:00 +0000

ARIZONA MARTIAL ARTIST inducted into the Academy of Awards of Martial Arts

My induction into another Hall of Fame was recently reported. I would like to thank Planet News, Master Alan Goldberg, Action Martial Arts Magazine and all of those who supported my induction into this Hall of Honor.

I've been teaching martial arts for more than 4 decades, beginning my teaching career at the University of Utah and then spending 3 decades at the University of Wyoming. My greatest achievments are not so much the martial arts I've created, the mineral deposits I discovered, the books I wrote, etc, it is the students who went through our martial arts programs and were encouraged to become better people. Over the years, my students because university professors, clergy, teachers, socialogists, geologists, biologists, engineers, chemists, astronomers, astrophysicists, lawyers, nurses, doctors, dentists, law enforcement officiers, soldiers and more. These are the people who have made a difference in my career in martial arts. I would like to thank each and everyone of you!

PRESS RELEASE (Planet News, 5/17, 2012).

Hall of Fame martial artist, geologist, author, public speaker, astronomer, prospector and artist, Grandmaster Hausel of Arizona, was inducted into Action Martial Arts Magazine’s Hall of Honors 2012. Soke Hausel, a martial arts instructor of more than 4 decades, taught karate, kobudo, jujutsu & self-defense at four universities prior to opening a martial arts center at the border of Mesa Arizona with Gilbert and Chandler in the Phoenix valley. He is an instructor of Shorin-Ryu Karate, a martial art originally developed on Okinawa that teaches its members to respect oneself, each other, and works to develop powerful techniques. For centuries, it was the martial art of body guards for Okinawan royalty and peasants and was strictly guarded in secrecy, such that even the Japanese conquerors of Okinawa had no idea it existed until it was introduced to Japan in the early 1900s by Shorin-Ryu great, Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957). Remember Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-san in the Karate Kid? Same karate!

Master Alan Goldberg, publisher of Action Martial Arts Magazine stated, “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 that is held at the Tropicana in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Soke Hausel was recognized for Outstanding Contributions to Martial Arts as a Grandmaster.

In karate, there is only one living Grandmaster in any particular martial arts style or system. 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.

Hausel began training in martial arts in mid-1960s and 40 years later (in 2004), he was awarded the highest rank in Okinawan Karate: 10th degree black belt. Prior to this event, he reached his greatest achievement in martial arts when he was certified Soke Shodai (grandmaster) in 1999 and certified by two of the world’s greatest martial arts grandmasters.

At the turn of the century, he was inducted into the Millennium Hall of Fame as a polymath due to contributions to geological sciences, public speaking, writing and martial arts (he has also been active in art, astronomy and music). He is an author of nearly 1000 publications and books and responsible for discovery of hundreds of gold and gemstone deposits including one of the largest gold deposits in North America.

In 2001, he was inducted into the National Rock Hound and Lapidary Hall of Fame. Since 1998, he has been inducted into 16 Halls of Fame around the world for martial arts and geology and has been 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.

Professor Hausel was inducted into Action Martial Arts Hall of Honors at the Tropicana Resort in New Jersey for Outstanding Contributions to Martial Arts as a Grandmaster.

Martial Arts Experts Travel to Arizona

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:00:00 +0000

On April 12th, 2012, a group of senior martial artists from Murray, Utah traveled from Salt Lake City International to Phoenix Sky Harbor airport to train at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate and Seiyo Kai martial arts facility in Mesa and Gilbert, Arizona. The group from Utah included Kyoshi Watson, 8th degree black belt and Renshi Stoneking, 6th degree black belt of the Utah Shorin-Kai.

The Utah group trained with some Arizona martial artists in advanced Okinawan Karate Kata (forms) that included many devastating self-defense applications against a variety of attacks. These applications included gun, knife, club and riffle defenses and defenses against grabs, sucker punches, and chokes. The group later trained with hanbo (law enforcement night stick, or 3-foot club) for strikes, throws and restraints and also trained in traditional Okinawan kenjutsu (samurai sword). The three day clinic was taught by Soke Hausel, 10th degree black belt and Hall of Fame martial artist from Arizona.

Soke Hausel recently trained librarians from Chandler, Arizona and faculty, staff and students from the University of Wyoming in self-defense.

Mesa Karate Students Receive Promotions

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:10:00 +0000

Patrick Scofield (above right) was promoted to gokyu (gren belt) following exams at the Arizona School of Traditional Okinawa Martial Arts in Mesa, Arizona.

Patrick Scofield was promoted to gokyu (green belt) and Ryan Harden was promoted to sankyu (brown belt) at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa and Gilbert, Arizona after demonstrating several kata (forms), kobudo (weapons), and self-defense against armed and unarmed attackers. Both demonstrated excellent technique.

Ryan Harden show above with tonfa during Kobudo Class at the Arizona School of Traditional Okinawan Martial Arts was promoted to sankyu (brown belt).

Arizona Karate Students Break Rocks

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:00:00 +0000

BREAKING NEWS! Or should we say, ROCK BREAKING NEWS in ARIZONA.

Each spring, it is traditional in Okinawa that karateka (Karate Students) learn the art of tameshiwara! Tameshiwara is the art of breaking! Students at all Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai schools learn this art, and this includes the students at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa. Not only do they learn tameshiwara (breaking rocks) , they also get a little geology lecture!

When Soke Hausel started training in martial arts in the 1960s, most in the US were of the impression this was the primary function of karate and jujutsu: breaking things. In reality, it is a very, very minor part of karate and practiced to assist in development of self-confidence.

Many US schools today use rebreakable boards, but being that the Arizona School of Traditional Karate is a traditional Okinawan martial arts school, and Soke Hausel is also a geologist, there are plenty rocks willing to assist the students. So, Soke headed out to the field to pick up a bag of rocks.

This year, many of the rocks came from the Salt River flood plain in Phoenix, while others were from the Gleeson Mining District east of Tombstone. The bag also contained rocks of all different sizes. So for himself, he took one of the hardest rocks possible and the largest in the bag - a rhyolite (the fine-grained equivalent of a granite). For his black belts, they were rewarded with another hard rock - basalt. And his lower ranked students earned their choice for limestone (mother nature's concrete) or basalt.

So, for the past 40 years, Soke Hausel has taught this art to a few thousand students and all (except one) have been able to break rocks after instruction.

The group met outside the dojo at 60 W. Baseline Road on the sidewalk in Mesa, as people drove by on MacDonald Drive and Baseline wondering why a group of martial artists were screaming at rocks. No, they had nothing against the rocks, they were just using their kiai (karate yell) to assist in rock breaking.

Chandler Librarians Learn Self-Defense

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:15:00 +0000

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 of the Chandler Public Library were confronted with this and other scenarios at a recent seminar taught by Hall of Fame martial artist and grandmaster, Soke Hausel of the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa (60 W. Baseline Road, Mesa). Hausel is an expert in kobudo, 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.

During the seminar, attendees learned how to escape from wrist grabs, lapel grabs and bear-hugs 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 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.

Soke Hausel has been a martial arts instructor for more than 40 years and 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

Arizona Martial Artist Inducted into Hall of Fame

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Soke Hausel of Mesa, Arizona, was inducted into Action Martial Arts Hall of Honors at the Tropicana Resort in New Jersey on January 20th of 2012. Touted as the world’s largest gathering of martial arts superstars, film & combat celebrities & renowned masters in the world, the event has become known as the Academy of Awards of Martial Arts. Inducted for Outstanding Contributions to Martial Arts as a Grandmaster, Professor Hausel taught martial arts at 4 universities prior to teaching at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate at 60 W. Baseline in Mesa. (Soke Hausel at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert, Arizona, Photo by Kenrick Davis).

Arizona Samurai Challange Pumpkins

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:30:00 +0000

It’s Halloween; the season of ninja, the season of pumpkins, the season of samurai? It’s all of these at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate at the border of Mesa and Gilbert on Baseline where things are always a little different. Different because the school stresses ‘traditional’ curriculum (remember Mr. Myagi in the Karate Kid?), and because classes are taught by Hall of Famer, Soke Hausel, 10th dan, a kojyu of budo (professor of martial arts) and world head of Shorin-Ryu Karate & Kobudo (Seiyo Kai) a traditional style of Okinawan martial arts. Classes are also taught by Shihan Neal Adam, 5th dan, a master of karate and kobudo and also an active professor at one of the local universities. But where does Halloween fit into traditional arts?

Soke Hausel with Traditional martial art gi and hakama

Students of the Arizona School of Traditional Karate and Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo not only train in traditional karate and kobudo, they also train in samurai and other arts, so they get a better, all-around martial arts and self-defense education. For example, Soke Hausel has certifications in 23 martial arts and takes advantage of this by teaching a diversified curriculum to his adult classes. Some of the arts taught by the hall of fame grandmaster include Okinawan karate, nunchaku, tonfa, kama, bo, hanbo, nitanbo (two sticks), sai, tanto (knife), yari (spear), naginata, manrikigusari (chain), gusarigama (sickle and chain), katana (samurai sword), kuwa (garden hoe), eku (okinawan oar), shuriken (star darts), jujutsu and other arts.

Soke Hausel carves pumpkin with traditional side cut

But imagine smashing pumpkins – not the famous alternative rock band, but rather smashing pumpkins with a karate punch, kick, or just slicing them with kama (Okinawan sickles) or katana, better known as a samurai sword. Why would anyone do this? Because it is Halloween, it gives the students an opportunity to see how well their technique has developed, and most of all, it brings members together in friendship and works towards the ultimate goal of becoming more self-confident and better all-around members of society at 60 W. Baseline Road.

Soke Hausel of Mesa cuts pumpkin with traditional top cut.

Professor earns MASTER of Martial Arts degree

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:45:00 +0000

Few ever master martial arts – it takes years of dedication & training.

Dr. Neal Adam, Associate Professor of Biology at Grand Canyon University, receives certification as Shihan (Master Instructor of Martial Arts) and Godan (5th degree black belt) from Soke (Grandmaster) Hausel, Judan, at the Hombu dojo in Mesa Arizona.

When most people think of a master of martial arts, they visualize an old, wise, Oriental monk; or a faster than life karate master who is almost indestructible. Hollywood exaggerates many elements of a martial arts master. To be a true master of martial arts, one must learn considerable oriental philosophy, history, traditions and of course, martial arts.

It is rare for a PhD to earn a Master Degree: not a master’s degree from college but a master degree in Shorin-Ryu Karate. Reaching the level of a 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 level of nearly complete comprehension of Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Seiyo Kai Karate and Kobudo. To reach such a 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 the forms without thinking and with extraordinary power and focus, they must master several ancient weapons, and they must learn to defend themselves effectively.

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 tools of his trade for self-defense: eye glasses, rulers, pens, belt, etc.

TOP-RATED Karate Classes in Phoenix!

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:55:00 +0000

Soke Hausel poses in kokutsu dachi - photo by Kenrick Davis.

Thumbtack.com rated the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa and Seiyo Kai International Hombu as having the #1 and #2 Top-Rated Karate Classes in Phoenix. How does one receive such a favorable rating? The answer lies in quality of instruction & appearance of the school.

Students attending the Arizona School of Traditional Karate and the Seiyo Kai Hombu in Mesa are treated to traditional Okinawan décor in the Mesa martial arts center. As one walks into the dojo, the school is similar to what one would see in some training halls in Okinawa. The school also focuses on adults and families. Thus adults learn to defend against one another instead of getting kicked in shins by 5 year olds. In this way, adults can learn basics of karate and much more complex advanced techniques (>150 black belts have trained under Soke Hausel along with hundreds of other students).

Kids are not neglected, but to participate in the Kids’ Karate Class, children must attend family classes with their parents and later be invited to attend the Kids’ Karate class. Parents who have their kids in this class are impressed by the training – the children are actually taught karate and kobudo rather than games, and they are also required to learn respect and Japanese. Unlike many other schools in the valley where adults may be taught by teenagers, nearly all of the classes at the dojo are taught by the Soke. Many self-defense classes and clinics are taught to martial arts students and to the general public by Soke.

Soke is a term meaning world head, president or grandmaster; thus Soke is the highest ranked martial artist in the world in Shorin-Ryu Karate (Seiyo-Kai). He has 8 different black belt ranks and is a certified 10th degree (judan) black belt in Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo. As a result, the students (deshi) get access to Soke’s 46 years of experience in martial arts. Furthermore, Soke has certifications in nearly 2 dozen martial arts – so one will not get bored while training at his schools because there is lifetime of martial arts experience to draw from. The over-achiever has been inducted into 15 Halls of Fame for his accomplishments and is a member of dozens of Who’s Who.

Hausel was awarded the title of kyoju (Professor of Martial Arts) due to 40 years of teaching at four Division 1 universities. He was also awarded the 2001 International Instructor of the Year, the 2004 Instructor of the Year and the 2000, 2002-2005 Soke of the Year by several major international martial arts associations. He was awarded the President’s Certificate in 1992, the 1994 Distinguished Speaker and 1998 Distinguished Lecturer awards.

Girl Scouts Learn Self-Defense from Grandmaster

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:50:00 +0000

On Wednesday, February 23rd, a group of girl scouts from Troup 4102 in Mesa learn a little about Self-Defense. The 2-hour clinic focused on simple blocking and strikes along with a variety of escapes designed to teach them how to react if attacked by an adult.

On the following week, the scouts spent another 2 hours learning the art of modern Kobudo (martial Arts weapons). Here the girl scouts were taught how to use pens, pencils, Ipads, computers, back packs, magazines and their school backpacks as weapons of self-defense.

The Girls were surprised that such common tools could be used as weapons. They all indicated that they would never be able to look at their school books in the same manner again. :D

Grandmaster Hausel, their instructor, has taught dozens of self-defense classes and clinics over the past 4 decades to groups as diversified as religious groups including priests to military groups to sororities to other martial arts school owners.