Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Mesa Martial Artists Certify in Martial Arts Weapons



Kobudo, the ancient Okinawan martial art of farming and fishing tools as weapons of self-defense has been part of the Okinawa Karate system for centuries. It is a very important part of Shorin-Ryu Karate for members of all ranks and levels.

One of the more traditional kobudo weapons is that of a fork-like weapon known as sai. The sai is one of the more difficult weapons to master. Even so, members of Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai in Chandler, Mesa and Gilbert tested for certification with this weapon. To certify, the group was required to demonstrate four advanced kata (forms) including all bunkai (self-defense applications) and one-step full-focused sparing.
Grandmaster Hausel of Gilbert Arizona teaching Okinawan sai to students at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.
Sai-jutsu training on the sandy beaches of Okinawa?  Nope, in the sand pile
of the Education Building at the University of Wyoming.

Adam Bialek and Sensei Bill Borea train in applications of the Okinawa Sai.

Six martial artists from the Mesa and Gilbert martial arts school successfully passed exams and were awarded certification in this complex weapon. The six included Adam Bialek, Sensei Bill Borea, Amanda Nemec, Ryan Nemec, Alexis Pillow and Patrick Scofield. We congratulate them all!













Dr. Neal Adam (6th dan) and Sensei Bill Borea (2nd dan)
 train with sai and bo.


Saturday, March 9, 2013

Mesa Martial Arts Classes


Interviewers with Planet News and Fox 10 Phoenix discovered a unique martial arts school, martial arts program, and martial arts instructors in the East Valley of Phoenix at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate located on the border of Gilbert and Mesa and only a mile from Chandler.  A martial arts program that is geared towards teaching adults the traditional aspects of Okinawan Karate, Kobudo and Self-Defense. Students at the School come from Chandler, Florence, Gilbert, Mesa, Queen Creek, Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix and other places in the Phoenix valley to train with arguably the best martial arts instructor in Arizona, Sixteen time, Hall of Fame martial arts grandmaster, Soke Hausel. In addition, groups of martial artists from Wyoming, Utah, Massachusetts, Colorado, Nebraska and India have recently trained in Mesa Arizona to learn from the grandmaster.

Many martial arts students who currently train at the Arizona Hombu (world headquarters of Seiyo Kai Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo) on the border of Mesa and Gilbert (and only a mile from Chandler) ended up at this traditional martial arts school while searching for classes taught by qualified martial arts instructors with experience in traditional martial arts. Many also were looking to find a karate school (dojo) that would be around for some time. People are frustrated by being locked into yearly contracts that require them to pay fees whether they show up to classes or not or even whether the martial arts school closes its doors. And in many cases, some later find their instructors have no lineage to back up their credentials (if they have any credentials at all). Others who would like to learn weapons are required to pay extra fees to attend those classes. One will not find this at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate on Baseline and MacDonald.
Soke Hausel explains wrist lock technique using hanbo at 2013 martial
arts clinic in Mesa (Photo courtesy of Nemec Photography).
Fox 10 Phoenix discovered that this martial arts center is operated by one of the highest ranked instructors in the world and the highest ranked instructor in Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo. Soke Hausel, the owner and operator of the martial arts school (dojo), is the world head of Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo and the world head of the International Association of Traditional Okinawa Karate and Kobudo. As a member of national and international grandmaster councils and boards, a member of several Halls of Fame, and a national and internationally recognized instructor, he maintains his teaching expertise by teaching 6 to 8 classes a week, teaching clinics and seminars and also training at the Juko Kai International Hombu.

Paula Borea, Sensei from Japan, roughs up Dr. Neal Adam, Shihan at 2013
martial arts clinic in Gilbert - Mesa, Arizona (photo courtesy of
Nemec Photography).
During a 90-minute interview with Fox 10 Phoenix, Grandmaster Hausel and Sensei (instructor) Paula Borea (2nd dan) and Bill Borea (2nd dan) talked about their martial arts experiences, the health benefits of martial arts programs and impressed the Fox 10 crew with their abilities and power. The focus and power was unlike any martial arts that they had seen. Pretty amazing, especially when one realizes that all three of these instructors are also grandparents.

Some students who end up at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate are looking for a school where they can train with other adults. Some mentioned they were tired of getting kicked in the shins by 4 and 5 year old kids in taekwondo classes. Few, if any martial arts schools in Arizona offer as much as the Arizona Hombu (Arizona School of Traditional Karate) where the head instructor has nearly 5 decades of experience and a former professor of martial arts at the University of Wyoming and instructor at Arizona State University, University of New Mexico and University of Utah.

Self-defense applications and forms (kata) practice at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate on Baseline Road, Mesa & Gilbert, 2013.
Members of Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo, an international martial arts association, are found in several countries and include a very large percentage of college graduates. Soke Hausel has been training in martial arts since the early 1960s and taught as a professor of martial arts at the University of Wyoming for 3 decades. In 1999, he was certified as grandmaster of Shorin-Ryu Karate (Seiyo-Kai) and in 2004, was certified as 10th degree black belt. In 2012, he received one of the rarest honors in martial arts. He was certified as 12th degree black belt in Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo, something that has only happened a couple of times in since the 19th century.

Martial Arts Weapons (Kobudo) training at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, 2011

In 2006, Soke packed up and moved the world headquarters from the University of Wyoming to the corner of Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa, Arizona, where he established the Arizona Hombu, or world headquarters for adult martial artists and families. In the past he taught university classes filled with more than 110 students, and now he enjoys smaller karate classes of less than 25 so he can focus on details with each martial arts student.

The Mesa martial arts center also has special martial arts clinics. These martial arts clinics involve visitors from other parts of the world. The clinics may focus on self-defense, martial arts weapons, samurai arts, jujutsu, etc., or just focus on some rare martial arts weapon or martial arts form.  In recent years, martial arts and self-defense clinics were taught to university students, university faculty and staff, Chandler librarians, military groups, girl scouts, church groups, political organizations, other martial arts groups, etc. And special weapons clinics were taught to our martial artists.

Members of the Police DAV Karate team from Punjab, India visit the Arizona School of Traditional Karate to train in Shorin-Ryu Karate

Many black belts have trained directly under our soke. While at the University of Wyoming, a few thousands students learned martial arts under the guidance of Soke Hausel.

Members of the Utah Shorin-Kai from the Salt Lake valley make one of their annual visits to the Arizona School of Traditional Karate to train in martial arts. Robert Watson (8th degree black belt) stands next to Soke Hausel.
In total, the instructors at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate have more than a century of experience. If you are looking for a different kind of martial arts school that focuses on the traditions of the martial arts, it will be worth your time to check out this martial arts school at the border of Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa, Arizona.
Two instructors at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate at the border of Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa on Baseline Road east of Country Club. (Left to Right) Soke with Sensei Paula Borea (2nd dan) and Sensei Bill Borea (2nd dan). Both Paula and Bill spent considerable time in Japan training in martial arts. Paula is Japanese-American with samurai lineage.
George Mumford (1st dan) from Boston and Elaine Mumford from Switzerland
visit the Arizona School of Traditional Karate. George was a student of Soke's at the University of Wyoming more than 3 decades ago.

Black belts from up north visit the Arizona School of Traditional Karate. Left to Right are Sensei Kyle Linton (3rd dan) from Wellington, Colorado, Shihan-Dai Glenn Polk (4th dan) from Cheyenne, Wyoming, Shihan Kevin Vance (5th dan) from Cheyenne, Wyoming and Soke.

Soke-Dai Eric Hausel (5th dan) visits the
Arizona School of Traditional Karate from Parker, Colorado.
Dr. Florence Teule (1st dan) visits Arizona School of
Traditional Karate from Utah State University.


Dr. Neal Adam (5th dan), our Arizona School of Traditional Karate
martial arts master instructor trains in kobudo (martial arts weapons).
Shihan Adam was a student of Soke's at the University of Wyoming
 more than 2 decades ago.

Hanshi Andy Finley (7th dan) visits the Arizona School of Traditional Karate
from the Casper Wyoming, dojo. 
Kyoshi Rob Watson, 8th dan and Renshi Todd Stoneking, 6th dan from the Utah Shorin-Kai, present Soke Hausel with gifts at a recent Arizona-Utah martial arts clinic at the Arizona Hombu in the Phoenix East Valley (photo courtesy of Nemec Photography).

Heather From (former University of Wyoming Student) visits and
trains at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate from Kearney, Nebraska





Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Traditional Martial Arts in Mesa, Arizona


"On Okinawa, Miyagi know two things: fish and karate" - Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid.

How could we ever forget these classic lines by Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid movie? Particularly since they provide insight into Traditional Okinawa Karate and Martial Arts Classes.

Something seems to be missing in many karate schools these days. There is much more to karate than trophies or scoring points at a tournament. In fact, Mr. Miyagi was alluding to the traditional karate methods of martial arts training such as taught at our Mesa Martial Arts School on Baseline. In particular, Okinawan Karate, like fishing, was a way of life and the two were inseparable. Even the tools using in fishing was employed as martial arts weapons.
Daniel San “All right, so what are the rules here?” 

Miyagi “Don't know. First time you, first time me”. 

Daniel San “Well, I figured you knew about this stuff. I figured you went to these before. Oh great, I'm dead. I am dead. You told me you fought a lot”.

Miyagi “For life, not for points”.


There is nothing wrong with scoring points and winning trophies at martial arts tournaments if this is what you want from martial arts. But we provide an alternative at our martial arts school in Mesa across the street from Gilbert and Chandler. We will teach you to bow, to respect others and yourself, and teach you power and focus of traditional Okinawa Karate and traditional Japanese martial arts. And we will not send you to a tournament.

We don't have Mr. Miyagi, but we have Soke Hausel: some think he may be the nearest thing to Miyagi. So, experience the traditions of Okinawa Karate and Kobudo at our martial arts school in Mesa on Baseline Road. 


Drive east on Baseline from Country Club Road and turn left at the second traffic light (MacDonald) and you will see a simple KARATE sign at the northeast corner. "Welcome to our Traditional Karate School in Mesa".
Train under a certified Grandmaster of Karate in traditional Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo with other adults.



Soke Hausel teaching karate at the Utah karate school.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Mesa Martial Arts - Award Winning Blog About Karate & Students

We are very excited to see our blog was selected for the international Web Award for Martial Arts. The Web Award - Martial Arts is international award that recognizes a site that provides the most trustworthy and valuable information on the Martial Arts in Mesa Arizona. We are excited to be recognized for providing information on martial arts and especially for martial arts in Mesa. Our author and martial arts instructor tries to provide the best training and information to his students and readers. But more importantly, we are most concerned for our students and their martial arts education.

The Path, or Way. Karate and martial arts in general are all thought to be lifelong paths.
Those who chose this path typically are healthy, happy individuals who build self-
confidence as they train in the martial arts. Such a path should be a life long commitment.


Karate and martial arts training in Arizona.
Karate training teaches one to be like water - adapt to other's movements



Monday, November 19, 2012

Traditional Martial Arts - A Story About Students

Mesa Martial Arts is about our teaching students values, ethics, morals and self-defense. We believe that showing people a proper path through martial arts training leads them to be productive members in society.

Soke Hausel presents award to Kate Lehman
at the University of Wyoming dojo
How is this done?  A path is created at our Mesa Martial arts school by giving a positive atmosphere with positive affirmations to create goals. We teach students to respect one another, their instructors and their martial arts and give them new goals to achieve. We help them to set one major goal - achieving one of the highest honors in martial arts: shihan (Master Martial Arts Instructor) awarded at 4th, 5th and 6th degree black belt.

Our students learn to meditate on positive affirmations known as dojo kun (martial arts philosophy). At the end of each martial arts class in Mesa, we recite this philosophy. This provides a tool to the subconscious to lead them on a path of positive growth in martial arts. Karate is a tool that is used to build positive people and this has always been the purpose of traditional Okinawa Karate.

Stated by the Great Shorin-Ryu Master of martial arts - Gichin Funakoshi - "The Purpose of Karate Lies Not in Defeat or Victory, but in the Perfection of its Participants". 

The ultimate goal of Karate is attainment of moral character built through hard & diligent training and courtesy. Karate sport focuses on training to merely win a match or trophy leading to deterioration of this dynamic art, whereas traditional karate focuses on the individual and his or hers training and self-esteem.

Soke Hausel with Sensei Bill Borea recognize Alexis for promotion
and as an outstanding martial artist

Arizona School of Traditional Karate Tuesday evening class


Dr. Florence Teule trains in Samurai arts at Gillette, Wyoming clinic




Soke Hausel and Shihan Neal Adam and Sensei Bill Borea with Utah Shorin-Kai group in Mesa, Arizona


Sensei Bill Borea blocks bo attack by Dai-Shihan Neal Adam with kama


Soke Hausel brought his camera




Soke Hausel with Utah Shorin-Kai group at the outdoor karate training camp at the East Canyon Resort, Utah

Training with nunchaku at kobudo night in Mesa


Members of the Police DAV School Karate Team from India pose with Soke Hausel, Dai Shihan Neal Adam, Sensei Bill Borea and Sensei Paula Borea at the Arizona Hombu in Mesa



A show of respect at the Arizona Hombu (photo courtesy of Nemec Photography).












Friday, February 10, 2012

Mesa Martial Arts Classes




































The Arizona School of Traditional Karate brings a bit of Okinawa to Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa, Arizona. Remember Mr. Miyagi in the KARATE KID? Same Karate!


Letter from the Wyoming governor recognizing some of Soke
Hausel's accomplishments as a martial arts instructor
and scientist. Soke Hausel now teaches martial arts
in the Phoenix East Valley of Arizona.
If you are inclined to study traditional martial arts, our martial arts school on the border of Gilbert and Mesa may be just what you need. We teach traditional Okinawa Shorin-Ryu Karate, Okinawan Kobudo (martial arts weapons), Japanese Samurai Arts, Self-Defense, martial arts history, some Japanese, and this is just the beginning. Oh, and you will train with other adults and not have to worry about getting kicked in the shin by a 4-year-old black belt instructor from a martial arts school down the street.

martial arts school in Mesa has been in operation in Arizona since 2006. It is operated by a Grandmaster of Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo who moved here in 2006 after teaching martial arts at the University of Wyoming. We are affiliated with several legitimate martial arts associations including Seiyo Kai International, Juko Kai International and others. And our grandmaster has been teaching martial arts for more than 4 decades.
Our

Prior to moving to Arizona, our grandmaster taught karate, martial arts weapons, jujutsu, samurai arts and self-defense at the University of Wyoming for 3 decades as a Professor of Martial Arts. You probably had no idea that there is a certification for Professor of Martial Arts. The professor has been recognized by Who's Who, several martial arts Halls-of-Fame, even two Halls-of-Fame for science, awarded International Instructor of the Year, Instructor of the Year etc.

Soke Hausel receives congratulatory letter from the University of
Wyoming President for his induction into the World Karate Union
Hall of Fame. Soke Hausel taught martial arts at the University of
Wyoming for 30 years.
Our Mesa martial arts school is on the NE corner of MacDonald at Baseline. Just drive east along Baseline Road from Country Club and turn left at the second traffic light. You will see KARATE over our door. We hope you will be impressed by our traditional martial arts decor.  We are on the Mesa side of Baseline across the street from Gilbert. And if you are in Chandler, we are only a block away.

Our students travel from all over the Phoenix valley to train at our traditional martial arts school in Mesa. You will recognize our karate school by all of the smiling adults and families walking from our Hombu dojo.

The Mesa martial arts school is the world headquarters of Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai because the world head, or grandmaster, teaches at our school. Our school is open to members of Seiyo Shorin-Ryu, Juko Kai International, martial arts groups from around the world, and to people of Arizona who would like to learn a traditional martial art. Traditional just means that we respect the original traditions of martial arts and practice martial arts as they were originally designed: self-esteem, self-defense, respect and for health - not for tournaments.
Our classes are designed for adults because our grandmaster taught martial arts all of his life at the University level.  He taught karate at Arizona State University, University of New Mexico, University of Utah, and classes in karate, kobudo (martial arts weapons), self-defense, samurai arts, and jujutsu at the University of Wyoming. He also taught classes at Gold's Gym, Laramie Health ClubChandler Community Center.

Traditional martial arts and martial arts are the same. Recently, there have been rogue offshoots from martial arts, so that "Traditional" is often inserted to assist the public in recognizing that it is an art and not MMA or other systems that lack characteristics of the original Chinese/India/Okinawan/Japanese martial arts that have extensive lineage, martial arts forms, zen philosophy and more.

It has been said that karate and kata (martial arts forms) are the same. Kata have been a mystery since karate was revealed to the world in the early 20th century. These martial arts forms incorporate kicks, blocks and strikes, but when one studies these in detail, one finds techniques hidden in kata such as pressure point strikes, one punch knock outs, vital point strikes, possible delayed death strikes, throws, chokes, sweeps, weapon defenses and more.

There are martial arts and there are martial ways. Karate can be considered a martial art, and also a martial way. The 'way' indicating the path of martial arts training will lead to a better life. The first martial art was created by a Buddhist Monk by the name of Boddhidharma according to legend. He combined Zen with a fighting method known as Shi Pa Lohan Sho and this combination produced a martial art with redeeming value. And this is what we emphasize at our Mesa martial arts school.
At the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa we focus on teaching students to master martial arts and master life. We want our students to be positive contributors to society. The more they learn, the more secrets of karate and martial arts they acquire until they can readily defend themselves with their bare hands and a variety of weapons, or by positive actions. We also give them philosophy to promote a way of non-violence.  

CLASSES. Our classes for the study of kata are scheduled on Tuesday evenings from 6:45 to 7:45 pm. For those who want more, we have an Advanced Kata and Bunkai Class that follow from 7:45-8:20 pm.


It is rare for anyone to be inducted into a Hall of Fame. But to be inducted
two different Halls of Fame for two completely unrelated activities, is
unheard of as noted by the Branding Iron Newspaper in Wyoming. Soke
Hausel is now a resident and martial arts instructor of the
Phoenix East Valley
Wednesdays from 3-4 pm, we have a family karate class at our Mesa martial arts school. Members train in Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo. In the evening, we start with Self-Defense from 6:45-7:45 pm. Students learn to defend against grabs, takes down, punches, sucker punches, knives, guns, rifles, clubs, etc. They learn to defend with hands, feet, elbows, wrists, knees. We teach them to use weapons such as pencils, pen, car keys, cell phones, books, belts, ropes.  This is followed by our Samurai Arts class from 7:47 to 8:20 pm where we even have one student of samurai lineage train and teach in our dojo. In this class, students learn the samurai sword, halberd, spear, stick, rope, jujutsu and other arts.

Thursday is Martial Arts Weapons (kobudo) night. This starts at 6:45 and ends at 7:45 pm. This is followed by Advanced Martial Arts Weapons training from 7:45 to 8:20 pm.

And this is only the beginning at our Mesa Martial Arts school.

Soke Hausel with Hanshi Ron Smith and Soke Yamashita at a University of Wyoming Clinic.



Soke Hausel with coach of the Police DAV Karate team from India.