Arizona School of Traditional Karate - Best of Mesa!

Arizona School of Traditional Karate, Gilbert, Arizona

Our martial arts school and martial arts instructors focus on teaching our Mesa Martial Arts students the traditions of Okinawan martial arts. This has resulted in some of the better martial arts students in Arizona. At the Arizona School of Traditional Karate, we were excited to see that we were honored in 2013 and in 2014 as the 'Best of Mesa'. This followed more than a dozen Hall-of-Fame inductions of the senior instructor - Soke Hausel from 1998-2008.

One student received an international award in martial arts. Ryan Nemec was presented the Top Male Martial Arts Student at the Juko Kai International clinic in New Braunfels, Texas in June. In addition, Soke Hausel was presented with an extremely rare award - 'Meijin wa Jutsu', due to his  genius expressed in martial arts. Earlier in 2013, Soke had been inducted into Marquis Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World.

Classes at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate focus on traditional martial arts for adults, women and families. Our curriculum is unmatched and members learn traditional Shorin-Ryu Karate, Kobudo, Samurai Arts and Self-Defense.

The samurai arts taught at this school include samurai sword (katana), halberd (naginata), spear (yari), jujutsu, half bo (known as hanbo), short stick, weighted chain and rope restraints (hojojutsu) and a number of common everyday weapons that would likely have been chosen by samurai if the weapons had been available including key chains, hatchets, ASP (expandable police baton), short rope and more.

In our Okinawan martial arts weapons classes (kobudo) all of our students learn many of the traditional martial arts weapons including long staff (bo), sickles (kama), side-handled night stick (tonfa), rice beaters (nunchaku), 3-section staff, forks (sai), sickle with chain, knives, rake, hoe (kuwa), cane and other weapons.

In our Traditional Shorin-Ryu Karate Classes, students can learn more about karate than they ever thought possible. Training focuses on forms (kata) and teach self-defense applications (bunkai) for every single move and technique in every karate and kobudo form. This also includes unique body hardening methods that will help build self-confidence. Breaking objects is a very minor part of our art, but at least once a year, we teach our students to break rocks.

Thank You Very Much Mesa, Arizona for Recognizing Our Martial Arts Curriculum and Instructors as the Best in Mesa!

Following cleaving of pumpkin during the Great Pumpkin Celebration in Mesa, Soke Hausel exams blade of katana.

  

Arm bar followed with foot sweep during hanbo (3-foot stick) training.

Preparation for karate practice

 

Soke restrains Kyle during Jujitsu class at the University of Wyoming.



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Sensei Patrick Scofield defends using naginata against Sensei Bill Borea
using bokken (samurai sword) during Samurai Arts classes.

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

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

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 Club, Chandler 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.