"How does an adult defend against a child? With a lollipop. At the Arizona School of Traditional Karate we teach you to defend against adults." - Soke Hausel, 10th dan
Konnichi Wa!
When I arrived in the East Valley of Phoenix after teaching martial arts at the University of Wyoming for nearly 30 years, it was a challenge trying to find a building for a martial arts center. Buying was out of the question due to high costs of commercial property and leasing was incredibly high - about 10 times that in Laramie. So I began teaching classes at local gyms, community centers and ASU - none of whom cared that I had many years of experience teaching a variety of martial arts. It was a different world.
 |
Yudansha train in Mesa in 2009. L-R,
Kyle Linton, 3rd dan, Wellington,
Colorado; Kevin Vance, 5th dan
Cheyenne, Wyoming; Soke Hausel,
10th dan, Gilbert, Arizona; Glenn Polk,
4th dan, Cheyenne, Wyoming; Neal
Adam, 4th dan, Phoenix, Arizona. |
But finally, I found a building at 60 W. Baseline Road in Mesa near crossroads of Country Club and Mesa. We designed the dojo as a traditional school with Japanese decor throughout the training center. But we hope to someday find that one building to buy or piece of land to build on, or Foundation to work with to build a training center to benefit the community.
 |
| University of Wyoming Campus Shorin-Ryu Karate Club |
I began training in karate in 1964. Martial arts in those days were tough - everything was full contact and repetitions were typically done in multiples of hundreds. At least once a week (usually twice a week) we fought everyone in the dojo with no protective gear, no mouth pieces, no gloves, no head protection, just a cup - and we did not hold back on anything. And the cup did nothing except make us uncomfortable. Then there were the periodic blood fests with the American Kempo group on State Street. They would either come to the Black Eagle Federation dojo or vise versa, and it we typically fought, not for trophies, but for bruises. I'm not sure how we all survived that kind of training. One thing for sure, it is not the type of training that I would recommend unless you were going to be working in a war zone.
 |
About 1969 - photo of me at the
University of Utah with Tim Smith |
All of my life, I've taught adults the lessons of karate, beginning at the University of Utah, later at the University of New Mexico and then at the University of Wyoming. I never taught kids until moving to Gilbert, Arizona. But I decided to open a class and restrict teaching to a few kids who have tested with their families in the adult class before being allowed into the Kids Class.
The Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa is located across the street from Gilbert. Nearly all classes that are taught are designed for adults. I set up the classes to mimic my past schedule at the University of Wyoming.
 |
Out front of the Arizona School of
Traditional Karate & Hombu of Seiyo
Kai International |
We are always excited about our new students and we tend to attract very bright and personable students - I believe this is because of all of my teaching as kyoju (professor of budo) at different universities in the past. We probably have more PhDs per capita than any other martial arts association because of this.
So our new deshi (students) are greeted by everyone in the club. You will find everyone will want to help you on your journey in the martial arts - this is just part of martial arts training. You will make new friends, learn martial arts with considerable power, but you will find yourself laughing and enjoying yourself as you train with your uke (partner). We are very serious about martial arts, but we also have a good time learning. So at the Arizona Hombu, your instructor will be either Professor Hausel, 10th dan or Dr. Adam, 4th dan assisted by Senpai P. Borea, B. Borea and Lang (1st Dan). If you are at one of our other dojos in Utah, Wyoming, etc. get to know your instructor.
New deshi (students) must be non-violent in nature, otherwise, they are not considered for training. There are NO contracts to sign, NO administration fees, NO fees for signing your name, just a monthly training fee. When you reach a certain level, you will be asked to test and there is an additional fee for successfully passing a rank exam.
All deshi are welcome into our training center and become part of our 'Ryu'. A ryu is a style of martial arts, but is also considered as a family. So in a sense, new members become part of our martial arts family.
We have to pay for our lease, so we require a monthly fee from our students to assist in paying for the lease, but we do not gouge. The only fees paid by our students are our low monthly fees that are paid at the beginning of each month, and periodic promotion and certification fees, which are minimal. However, one will not be ranked as rapidly as in other schools, because at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate, students are only asked to test when they are actually ready to test for rank and have mastered kata, bunkai (self-defense applications from kata) and kobudo for the next step.
As new members are welcomed into the adult classes they can expect to learn focus, traditions and courtesy at the start of training. Most everything in the school is presented in Japanese and English. We do not compete as this is not part of our style. If you are looking to compete, there are several good sport karate schools around the valley that you might consider.
Tuesday evenings: class begins at 6:45 pm, which is convenient for most people who work in the valley because they can leave their offices for the dojo, or leave their homes after dinner before training at the dojo. Tuesdays, the group focuses on kihon (the basics of karate) and new members learn to walk, they learn the variety of stances and when to use various stances. Then the learn to uke (block), geri (kick), tsuki (punch) and various combinations. We also work on hip movement to teach all of our students to achieve maximum power, or maximum focus.
 |
Kata training led by Hanshi Finley,
7th dan |
The basics are practiced over and over but in different ways so that we do not get bored. I watch new members in particular to be sure that they do not get overwhelmed. When they reach a point that they have absorbed all they can for the evening, they retreat to another part of the dojo where they train with other members under one of the adult black belt instructors: Dr. Neal Adam (5th dan), Dan Graffius (2nd dan), Paula Borea (2nd dan), Bill Borea (2nd dan), Sarah Kamenicky (2nd dan) or Dan Lang (1st dan).
 |
| Training in hakutsuru kata |
Tuesday night is also kata (forms) night. Kata are forms that include an amazing amount of information on zen, respect, courtesy, balance, history and self-defense. Not all sensei (instructors) understand kata and its importance. So important was kata in Okinawan karate that the famous Grandmaster of Matsubayashi Shorin-Ryu Karate, Shoshin Nagamine (1907-1997) wrote "If there is no kata, there is no karate, just kicking and punching".
This simply meant that to practice karate, one must practice kata and understand kata. If a person practices kicking and punching without kata, and wears a gi (karate uniform), they are practicing physical exercises or street fighting, but not karate.
 |
| Training in White Crane karate at UW |
A few years ago, I was asked to take over a kickboxing class at Gold's Gym in Gilbert. It was filled with women who were looking to kick and punch to music, and they all thought they were learning kickboxing and karate. Not one of them had any concept of kata or self-defense, and they were frustrated at first when I turned off the music and taught them how to defend with kicking and punching. This was one example of what Soke Nagamine meant.
 |
| Bunkai training from kata (tanto - knife defense). |
Kata is a living encyclopedia of self-defense applications known as bunkai. So on Tuesdays, not only do we practice and learn kata (we have about 70 kata in our ryu) we also learn to use the kata in bunkai.
At the beginning and ending of each class, we have formal rei (bowing ceremony) and members learn our dojo kun in both Japanese and English. Kun is philosophy that we live by. For example, a common one is "There is no first attack in karate" meaning that we learn karate for self-defense and self-improvement and never to attack anyone. Class is over at 7:50 pm. Then we begin our Advanced Kata and Bunkai training at 7:50 pm to 8:20 pm.
On WEDNESDAY NIGHTS, class starts at 6:45 pm. This is self-defense night. Members review self-defense techniques and usually one new technique is introduced. The group may focus on grabs, restraints, knife attacks, guns, rifle attacks, club attacks, and even how to defend against someone grabbing a purse or computer, or how to defend against an attacker on a commercial airliner. They are taught to defend against these attacks as well as multiple attackers. Since jujutsu is part of the Shorin-Ryu system (it shows up in many katas), defenses may include blocks followed by strikes and finishing the attacker with nage waza (throws), arm bars and restraints. We teach everyone proper falls before they ever are thrown, and if you have some medical condition, we are sure to identify you as a person who does not get thrown. For instance, we have some people who train with us who have bad backs, bad knees and even previous heart conditions.
Some evenings, we may turn out the lights in the dojo and teach how to defend against attackers with limited light.
While at the University of Wyoming, I taught self-defense to the University of Wyoming Campus Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo Club, taught classes in the Department of Physical Education, Department of Kinesiology, Department of Continuing Education, Department of Extended Studies and taught self-defense to ROTC, Law Enforcement, Taekwondo black belt groups, EMT, church groups, sororities, boy and girl scouts, women's groups, university housing, and others. Many classes of Women's Self-Defense were co-taught with the University of Wyoming Police Department, in particular, with former chief Tim Banks. I enjoy teaching people self-defense.
Our students are also invited to learn combinations, kotekitae (body hardening) or breaking rocks during this class.
 |
Full force kick to groin. Sensei Gillespie
kicked me as hard as she could and
actually lifted me off the floor at the half
time at a UW basketball game. I was not
wearing a cup. The UW Photographer,
Ted, called me after he recovered the
photo to tell me he caught this shot
while I was smiling. |
Class ends at 7:50 pm on Wednedays and then we see samurai show up.
At 7:50 pm, those who want to train in samurai arts may learn about iado, kenjutsu, naginata, yari, bo, tanto or more. These are some of the samurai weapons we learn. This class ends at 8:20 pm. and learn advanced martial arts including weapons, combinations, kotekitae (body hardening) or breaking rocks. This latter class is only for the more advanced members in the dojo.
Thursday evenings is kobudo night. Class starts at 6:45 pm at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate. Karate was created on Okinawa according to history and Shorin-Ryu was one of the initial forms of karate. It included kobudo, or the ancient art of weapons that were farming implements and fishing implements used both by Okinawan royal guards and peasants. The kobudo includes kata and bunkai just like karate, and kobudo is considered part of karate.
 |
Kobudo training - here Paula and Bill train
with katana (samurai sword) and kuwa
(garden hoe). |
There are many kobudo weapons and most have their own kata. Some of the more common weapons that most people are familiar with are bo, hanbo, nunchuku, sai, kama, and tonfa. We teach all of these and more. On Thursday evenings, members learn how to use various weapons, and typically we focus on one or two weapons for a few months at a time before moving on to other weapons. Since we do not sell equipment or supplies at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate, members can use the weapons we have in the dojo, or they can purchase their own from a supply house. We provide a list of links on our websites.
Class ends at 7:50 pm so we can begin Advanced kobudo from 7:50-8:20 pm.
 |
Sensei Katie practices self-defense with Sensei
Kris. |
I also teach a class for adults on Wednesdays from 3 to 4 pm, just before Kids Karate. Periodically, national or international groups of martial artists train at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate also known as the Hombu of Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai. All members of the Arizona School of Traditional Karate are invited to train at these clinics. Other schools would charge a hefty fee for these additional classes and clinics, but at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate, all are part of your monthly membership fee to the club with few exceptions.
 |
Dr. Neal Adam attacks Bill
Borea with his bo. Bill
defends with kama. |
Only rare clinics such as the upcoming Self-Defense clinic, require additional fees. But clinics, such as the upcoming clinic for Utah martial artists, we have no fee for our students as this clinic is already paid for by the Utah Shorin-Kai. This additional training will include several hours on Friday and Saturday at absolutely no charge to our members.
Kon Bon Wa!
