Arizona's Adult & Family Karate and Self-Defense Classes

Konnichiwa! Yokoso! We specialize in teaching adults and families traditional martial arts and traditional ways!

At the Seiyo no Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai Hombu in Mesa, Arizona, the clientele are more than customers - each and everyone is a member of the Shorin-Ryu Karate family and most spend time at the dojo together, as well as training and recreating together outside the dojo.

The Arizona hombu dojo has been recognized as the top dojo
with the top instructor, by more several organizations,
magazines, clubs, martial arts associations, Who's Who,
and more, over the years.

Because of the friendly atmosphere of the dojo, most everyone spends a few minutes before class talking about recent events, activities, work, and family matters. And when Soke Hausel steps into the dojo, the students start filing into the training area by bowing (rei)(礼) deeply to the dojo, which is part of the etiquette of traditional Okinawan martial arts. When called to attention, everyone lines up by rank for an opening ceremony which assists in the instilling of respect for the martial arts. The ceremony is giving in Japanese language, with a purpose of showing respect not only for the martial arts, but also for one another, the instructor, and those who have kept traditional martial arts alive by handing down the arts.

In the traditional martial arts, people are taught respect because they are learning an art that could seriously injure another person if misused. As such, aggressive mentalities like those shown in the 1984 Karate Kid movie, are extremely rare in the traditional arts. People are encouraged to show concern about one another, just like in the Miyagi karate-do of the Karate Kid movie.

Soke Hausel previously taught traditional martial arts at the University of Wyoming, is an active member of Juko Kai International, and has been training in martial arts his entire life. Because of his background, members of the Arizona Hombu are introduced to a large variety of Okinawa and Japanese martial arts. Because of his extensive background in teaching at UW and three other universities, Soke has yudansha students scattered worldwide, with affiliated dojo in some other countries.

New students and families are always welcome (yokoso) to attend classes at the Hombu dojo in Mesa, which includes grandmas, grandpas, fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, college and high school students,  daughters, sons and grandkids. However, the classes are unique in that they focus on adults working with other adults, and the kids who attend with their parents or grandparents, train with their parents. For kids, they must attend the classes and train with their parent or grandparent, and they must be focused so they will not disturb other members. For those interested in training at the Arizona hombu dojo, the dojo has a peanut gallery in the back where you can walk in and sit down and watch a class or two to be sure the dojo is right for you.

Our head instructor continues to work towards perfection in teaching the martial arts because he loves to teach and loves martial arts and has been training since 1964.

Brother and sister train with cane (tsune) at the annual 2019 Shorin-Ryu
clinic, Arizona Hombu Dojo in Mesa, Arizona.

Mother and daughter train in Zasshi kobudo at the
Arizona hombu dojo - the art of a magazine
self-defense.

Father and daughter practice self-defense at the Arizona Hombu in Mesa

Soke Hausel stands with Karate Team Coach from the Police DAV School from India, following a
week long clinic for the members of the India Karate Team as they learned to improve their martial
arts skills.

  Soke has received some awards over the decades of teaching martial arts. In 2006, he moved
the Seiyo no Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai Hombu from the University of Wyoming to the Arizona
Hombu in Mesa. He actively teaches karate, kobudo, self-defense and samurai arts classes every week
in the Phoenix valley, teaches martial arts clinics, and stays active in his martial arts education through
annual clinics at the Juko Kai International Hombu dojo. JKI is one of the larger traditional Okinawan/
Japanese/American martial arts associations in the world.

See more on Soke from Gilbert Arizona, and the Arizona hombu dojo in Mesa, Arizona on various blogs and news articles.

The cast of the 1984 Karate Kid signed this photo for Soke Hausel and Adam Bialek, 3rd dan, presented the photo to Soke.

ADULT Martial Arts Classes - Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Tempe, Phoenix

Yokoso!

Welcome to the Arizona Hombu dojo on the border of Gilbert and Mesa, just a mile from Chandler, 15 minutes from Arizona State University and 5 minutes from Mesa Community College.

This School of Traditional Martial Arts in Mesa is an adult and family martial arts school and international training center for members of Seiyo Kai International.

Traditional Karate is the same martial art taught for hundreds of years on Okinawa and different from the sport karate that evolved in the past 60 years and MMA that recently followed the footsteps of sport martial arts in the last decade. The difference? If you saw the Karate Kid movie in 1984, you should know the difference. Traditional Shorin-Ryu Karate is similar to the Miyagi-Ryu Karate portrayed in the movie; and the Cobra Kai - well, that's similar to MMA and many sport karate groups. In traditional karate, we consider tradition, lineage and proper certification to be very significant - something that is lacking in sport.

Adult Karate Classes at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate, Gilbert, Mesa

At the East Valley dojo, students learn kihon (basics) and training will focus on stances, movement, blocks, kicks, punches. In Okinawan karate, about 95% of techniques use hands rather than kicks. Often techniques are practiced as shadow boxing to teach muscle memory, and other times the students train a partner. This is where an adult martial arts school is important. You don't have to worry about some 3-year old kicking you in the shins (or other inappropriate places). Families are seen training at the dojo in the adult classes and all parents train with their own children. This provides very good bonding for parents and their children.

Heather  trains with Charles using nunchaku for self-defens

At the school, considerable kata known as forms are taught. Kata is the heart of karate. These are like Oriental dances that self-teach and provide a living encyclopedia of martial arts techniques. As students learn kata (more than 70 kata are taught in Seiyo-Shorin-Ryu), they also learn bunkai (pragmatic self-defense applications) to the kata. Only three people know all of the kata in the Seiyo Shorin-Ryu system: Soke Hausel, Hanshi Andy Finley and Dai Shihan Neal Adam. 

Students also learn samurai arts including the use of a samurai sword, a naginata (polearm), hanbo, samurai bo, Okinawan spear, restraints, and jujutsu. Then there is the martial arts weapons known as kobudo. Dozens of weapons are taught to students which is considered to be part of Okinawan Karate. So, when one signs up for karate, not only do they learn karate, but they are also taught a variety of other martial arts.

Married couples train at the Arizona School
of Traditional Karate. Sensei Paula Borea (of Japanese
samurai lineage) works her husband over, Sensei Bill
Borea during class. These classes taught by Soke Hausel
have brought many couples together over the years.

2003 Shorin-Ryu Clinic at the University of Wyoming with Professor Hausel (front, 6th from the left) and Tadashi Yamashita (front, 8th from the left).

1996 International Martial Arts clinic at the University of Wyoming - Dai Soke Sacharnoski sits in front, center. Sensei
Hausel is standing in the far left back.

Visitors from a Karate Team from India at the Arizona Hombu