Mesa, Arizona Self-Defense Class taught by Hall-of-Fame Grandmaster (Professor of Martial Arts)

Karate & Kobudo go hand in hand as both use the same hand and foot movements. Here, Dr. Teule uses tonfa
(side-handle baton) to strike the side of the head of an attacker.  A similar empty hand (karate technique) would use
shuto (side of her hand) for striking a pressure point. Alternatively, she could use car keys,
book, cell phone for this self-defense technique. At the Seiyo Hombu dojo, members learn to integrate
karate, kobudo & modern tools for self-defense.

Since Dr. Teule is a bio-chemist, anything in her office or lab that is small enough to grab, 
i.e.,  books, test tube holders, scissors, staplers can be used as a self-defense weapon.

Self-Defense training at the Arizona Hombu dojo in Mesa, Arizona is for karate practitioners and members of the general public. All non-violent members of the general public should learn self-defense because you never know when you will need it. There is a saying that "the harder you train in karate today, the less blood you will spill on the streets tomorrow" - and this certainly applies to self-defense training where most people have no idea how to defend themselves.

Soke taught self-defense clinics to EMT, girl-scouts, taekwondo schools, taekwondo school owners and black belts, karate team from India, prospectors, church groups, librarians, women's clubs, military groups, sororities, university faculty and staff, Mesa high school students, university students (Arizona State University, University of Utah, University of New Mexico, University of Wyoming), Tea Party members, and various groups in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, as well as groups in Utah, Idaho, Colorado and Wyoming.

Kathy and Vicky train  at the
Hombu dojo.

During the plandemic, we were forced to close our training facility in Mesa, Arizona, but thanks to some wonderful people in our school, we not literally train underground in Mesa, and on the earth's surface in Gilbert. Even though Soke still teaches classes 4 to 5 times every week, we are not as visible as we once were - so, if you are interested in learning traditional karate, kobudo and samurai arts, please feel free to contact us by email at sokeshodai@yahoo.com or shorin-ryu.karate@protonmail.com and tell us a little about yourself and your interest in training under Grandmaster Hausel. We only accept good people and train mostly adults and a few families. Soke is also interested in church groups to assist in preparation of harassment. 

Students at the Hombu dojo in Mesa examine all kinds of self-defense situations including defense against one attacker, multiple attackers, guns, rifles, clubs, knives. Our members not only learn to use their hands and feet, but also to use a variety of tools including coins, keys, books, magazines, pens, bottles, belts, rocks, etc. 

Many self-defense techniques come straight out of karate kata (forms) known as bunkai on Okinawa. Most if not all bunkai have been tested on the streets by past karate masters and then placed in the kata so that we would have a living encyclopedia of self-defense techniques. It is quite ingenious.

So, if you are concerned about the safety of your family and yourself, or the safety of your staff, we encourage you to sign up for lessons or schedule a clinic with Soke Hausel. Soke has been teaching self-defense for more than four decades.

Soke Hausel, demonstrates at a 1998 University of Wyoming basketball game.
To find out more, just do an internet search for Soke Hausel.

Tuesday Night Karate Classes in Mesa

The Phoenix Japanese Peace Garden

It's Tuesday night at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate on Baseline Road in Mesa. Members drive to the Arizona Hombu dojo (martial arts school) between Mesa and Country Club on MacDonald and Baseline (60 W. Baseline Road). Look for the 'KARATE' sign over the door (location map for our dojo).

Soke Hausel stretches before training at the
University of Wyoming, where he taught karate,
kobudo, self-defense and samurai arts for 30
years prior to moving to Arizona. Today, 
some watch Soke Hausel stretch at the Gilbert 
Lifetime Fitness gym.

Traditional Karate Classes start at 6:45 pm. If this is your first time, stop by about 6:30 pm to talk with Soke Hausel and and feel free to watch from the peanut gallery. We have a dojo full of adults and families ranging in age from 70 to 10 years old. You will want to meet the people who train in traditional Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo. We have college professors, nurses, doctors, biologists, geologists, chemists, engineers, teachers, accountants, secretaries, students, pilots, authors, senior citizens, house wives, computer techs, lawyers, electricians and other professions represented in our group of adults and families. As one person put it, you can get an education in martial arts as well as just about any other subject from gravitational energy to gemstone deposits, and frogs to jet engines. You also get great exercise while learning to defend yourself - something you can't get at a gym.

Bowing to one another at the Arizona Hombu to show 
respect for each other as well as the martial arts.

Tuesday nights, traditional karate class begins with formal bowing and then warm up. Warm ups include a group of exercises to limber muscles, stretch ligaments, and do a few sit-ups and push-ups. Next its off to basics (kihon) where we the group trains in a variety of stances, punches, blocks, kicks and combinations. After these are performed, the class moves on to kata (forms).

Kata is everyone's favorite as these are set forms that use all kinds of techniques to develop muscle memory for self-defense applications (bunkai). At some point, a person or two will need additional help as the group ranges from white belts to master black belt instructors. When special help is needed, the group breaks up into two or more groups to provide personal assistance. Class ends at 8 pm with formal bowing.

Several members also train in advanced kata. Soke (Grandmaster) will review some advanced kata explaining the history and origin of the kata and teach the bunkai (practical self-defense applications) of all of the techniques in the kata. After review, the group may learn a new advanced kata or just focus on a bunkai from an advanced kata. Each is taught over a period of a few months so that it can be broken down piece by piece to insure the entire class understands the applications and can employ them in self-defense situations. 

Students practice kata in Mesa - the heart of Okinawa karate. Look closely as you neighbors might be in this class.

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

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.