Adult and Family Classes in karate, kobudo, samurai arts and self-defense at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa - Gilbert. A great place for adults (women and men) to learn Okinawan martial arts.
On our tour of martial arts schools of the East Valley of Phoenix, we were pleasantly surprised by one school in particular - the Arizona School of Traditional Karate at 60 W. Baseline Road in Mesa, just right across the street from Gilbert. This school was so impressive, that it was recently featured on a FOX 10 NEWS report in the fall of 2011.
The FOX video introduced two extraordinary grandparents from Gilbert who were recently promoted to nidan black belt (二段) (2nd degree) and presented with the title of Sensei (先生) (teacher). I highly recommended watching the video as it gave great insight into the extraordinary power and technique of the students of this school. No where else in the valley did we see such power and focus. The video was on the Fox 10 News website from August to April (2011-2012). Another video, shows Soke Hausel demonstrating one aspect of power and focus.
A few things that really stood out in this school is its traditional Okinawan decor on the inside of the school. Additionally, the school does not involve itself with sport competition. We like this idea as there is no effort to promote trophies that often leads to bad behavior seen at many tournaments, instead this group focuses on pragmatic self-defense and learning a very wide range of martial arts. All of the members work with each other in a very positive manner. And nowhere else did we see such a wide variety of martial arts curriculum in the valley.
Students at this traditional school are from all walks of life. The adult & family members include retired air force pilots, retired geologists, active university professors, teachers, secretaries, librarians, computer specialists, engineers, accountants, nutritionists, foreign exchange students, pilots, scientists, authors, artists, astronomers, physicists and cooks. And members of the international association include many university professors, students, priests, teachers, law enforcement officials, military personnel, lawyers, social scientists, doctors, etc.
The martial artists from the Mesa school are unique. For instance, the school is operated by a Soke (宗家) (grandmaster of Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo), a Shihan (師範) (Master instructor), Sensei (先生) (martial arts instructors), Kyoju (Professor of Budo [budo translates as martial arts]), Sempai (先輩) (senior black belts), a JKI (Juko Kai International) Samurai (one who has received Shihan rankings in >three martial arts), a member of the North American Black Belt Hall-of-Fame & World Martial Arts Black Belt Hall-of-Fame, and a real, honest to goodness samurai from Japan. Few other martial arts schools (dojo) in the world have such a unique group of students and such a high caliber of instructors.
Some adults and families of the Phoenix Community have discovered martial arts training provides many physical and mental benefits. The students travel to the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa, Arizona (across the street from Gilbert, Arizona and down the street from Chandler) to learn self-defense, traditional martial arts, kobudo (weapons), jujutsu and samurai arts. Not only are they learning martial arts, they are also getting in physical shape - few other forms of exercise provide a means for burning as many calories as martial arts training (and at the same time, students have the added benefit of learning a martial art!).
Dr. Florence Teule, 1st dan, from France trains in bunkai (applications) with Dan Graffius, 2nd dan in Mesa.
Self-Defense training on Wednesday evenings
Kobudo training (weapons class on Thursday evenings) at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa. Members train with classical tonfa.
Dr. Neal Adam, Shihan blocks strike by Rich Mendolia's bo using a tonfa during traditional
kobudo (weapons) training at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate.
Sensei Paula Borea, 2nd dan, demonstrates karate punch
during classes. Sensei is the staff samurai at the Arizona
School of Traditional Karate and is of actual Japanese
samurai lineage!
Just before Christmas of 2011, we celebrated the birthday of our Staff Samurai for the Arizona School of Traditional Karate (Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert, Arizona). Paula Borea, who is half-Japanese, spent her early years in the 'Land of the Sun' and returned to Japan later in life with her husband Bill (retired Air Force pilot). While in Japan and doing historical research, they came across information showing that Paula has samurai lineage - no wonder why all of the guys at the dojo fear her! Anyway, on her birthday, and at the Hombu Christmas party, Sensei Paula showed up in one of her kimono and then dissected her birthday cake with katana (刀) (日本刀 samurai sword). For some reason, no one wanted to lick the icing from the katana?
Bill and Paula are two very important members of our martial arts group in Arizona (Arizona School of Traditional Karate). We all take great pride in practicing traditional Okinawan-Japanese-American martial arts and being members of a Ryu (流) (family).
Our Arizona members include a wide variety of professionals including geoscientists, biologists, university professors, teachers, engineers, nutritionists, retired military, secretaries, accountants, house wives, students, computer techs, librarians, cooks, etc. In our international organization (Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai) we also have members who include doctors, chemists, lawyers, law enforcement agents, councelors, biochemists, priests, janitors, etc. So don't be shy - stop by!
Note how well the cake was cut - and by a samurai sword!
In addition to cutting birthday cake, we find other pragmatic uses for samurai arts including carving pumkins and trimming cactus (as well as for traditional martial arts training).
Soke Hausel carves pumpkins on Halloween first with yoko uchi followed by shomen uchi.
The size limit of our classes is 20 adults. The limit of our Kids Class is 10. The Kids Shorin-Ryu classes are not available to the public. However, our adult and family classes are open to members of the public.
A Hombu dojo is the administrative headquarters of a martial art association or system and is occupied by the world head (Soke) of the system and we are proudly affiliated with Juko Kai International.
Shorin-Ryu Karate has several branches, and our Shorin-Ryu is one of these. It was developed over many years and officially recognized and certified by Zen Kokusai Soke Budo Bugei Renmei in 1999. This was the style envisioned by Soke Hausel as the best style in the world (for himself). Just like everything in this world, it may also be the best style of karate for you, or because of body differences, philosophy, etc, other styles may be better suited for you.
Come join our family (ryu) at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa and Gilbert.
Prior to moving to Arizona, Soke Hausel was a research geologist as well as Kyoju no Budo (Professor of Martial Arts) at the University of Wyoming for nearly 3 decades, where he taught classes, clinics, seminars and university clubs in karate, kobudo, samurai arts, jujutsu and self-defense. He was elected to 15 Halls of Fame since 1998 for martial arts, teaching, geological sciences, and writing and also awarded national and international awards for these as well as public speaking and art. When he moved to Arizona in 2006, he taught classes for a year at Arizona State University in karate. But he moved from ASU because of scheduling and parking problems at the university. At this point, he decided to open a private dojo in Mesa.
At our dojo in Mesa, we have groups from around the world visit and train in our dojo. We also have special clinics for martial artists and non-martial artists in self-defense and karate. In addition to these, our school offers karate, kobudo, kobujutsu and self-defense classes four nights a week. We also have a super Tai Chi group that teaches out of our dojo - you will need to visit their website to get their hours.
UW Campus Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo Club- Soke Hausel (6th from left in front row).
OUR SCHEDULE & CLASSES
Each weekat the Arizona Hombu in Mesa, our members train in Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo primarily in evenings after work. Periodically, groups from our international organization (Seiyo Kai International) travel to Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix and then to the Hombu dojo in Mesa to train with Soke Hausel. Or Soke travels to others regions of the West to teach special clinics. For our weekly classes, Soke keeps the classes small and limits them to 20 people. The following is a summary of the weekly schedule of Shorin-Ryu:
Tuesdaysat the Arizona School of Traditional Karate, begin at 6:45 pm, ending at 7:50 pm. This class focuses on basics (kihon), forms (kata) & applications (bunkai). It is a great class for Adult and Families who are new or relatively new to the martial arts. For our new students, you will join our regular class and train with all of our members until you reach a point of confusion. At the point, we will take you to a different part of the dojo where you will train with another instructor. In this way, you will slowly catch up with the rest of the class.
We spend alot of time on kata. Kata is karate - and cannot be separated. Kata is basically forms with dozens of powerful self-defense applications incorporated into a pattern that helps you build up your martial arts abilities and later helps you develop effective martial arts strategy and applications.
Currently the main class is learning a kata known as Pinan Godan. This is a classical Okinawa kata or form that has many built in self-defense applications known as bunkai. Much of the group trains with Soke in Pinan Nidan, Pinan Sandan, Pindan Yondan and Pinan Godan while new members train with Shihan Adam (5th dan) or Sensei B. Borea (2nd dan) and Sensei P. Borea (2nd dan) or with Senpai Graffius (2nd dan), Kamenicky (2nd dan), or Lang (1st dan).
Kata training at the dojo in Mesa and Gilbert
This class is followed by Advanced Shorin-Ryu Karate from 7:50-8:20 pm. This class is for students with at least 8th kyu rank or higher. Currently we are focusing on Naihanchi Shodan, Passai Dai and we just started Meikyo kata and bunkai.
Wednesday'sare a little different. We have a karate and kobudo class in the afternoon from 3-4 pmopen to adults and families. Senpai Graffius (2nd dan) assists in this class when possible. In this class, we are training in Pinan Gondan kata and bunkai along with additional focus on sai-jutsu and naginata.
The class is followed by our Shorin-Ryu small people class that is a closed class. New kids are allowed into this ONLY after they have trained in the evenings with their parent(s) until they reach a level of expertise and maturity that they can be invited by Soke.
Dr. Teulé provides Dan with a backfist during Wednesday's class
The Kids class is currently working on pinan godan kata and bunkai along with bojutsu, nunchakujutsu and iaido. We periodically we will have family afternoon invitationals where parents will be invited to attend with their kids to help work on self-defense applications – athletic cups recommended for fathers.
Wednesday Evening Classis from 6:45-7:50 pm. Self-defense night. We primarily focus on empty hand (weaponless) techniques for adults, and periodically throw in some hanbo (half-bo), tanto (knife) or manrikigusari (short rope or weighted chain). In particular, I enjoy using the hanbo and its cousin the kioga (also known in law enforcement as the ASP tactical baton). The hanbo is a very practical weapon – it’s just a stick about the diameter of a broom handle. Currently, we are working on self-defense against lapel grabs. We will soon be working on techniques similar to atana waza, used for plowing someone’s head into a wall.
From 7:50-8:20 pm, don't be surprised when the dojo fills with samurai carrying katana (samurai swords). This is our Samurai arts class open to all of our members.
Thursday night’sclass runs from 6:45-7:50 pm. This is kobudo (ancient Okinawa weapons) night and difficult for me, as I like to teach all weapons from the Bo (6-foot staff) to the kuwa (garden hoe) – but we don’t have enough time to cover everything. So I must be selective. Currently we are working with tonfa. Along with kihon (basics), members train in numerous kobudo kata and their bunkai. Because of safety reasons, the strikes must not be too focused because weapons tend to break - and all members are highly encouraged to wear safety goggles. This is primarily for adults, but some families may also want to attend. Unlike many other schools in the region, we start training our students in kobudo very early.
This is followed by advanced Kobudo training from 7:50-8:20 pm. Currently, this class is working with bo kata and bunkai.
Tonfa training on Thursday nights. Senpai Sarah (2nd dan) defends using gedan barai with tonfa against nuki te bo attack by Amber.
One night recently, we were introduced the class to hojojutsu which results in interesting photo shoots. Hojojutsu is an art in itself and involves restraining prisoners with a cord.
Dr. Adam defends against bo attack by Ryan. Tonfa (batons) are considered handles for rice grinder mills that were used by Okinawan martial artists in defense of their property. They were kept hidden from government officials and quickly retrieved at times of need.
For now, we start kobudo sessions with tonfa training and will do so until our members are certified in this art. As time permits, we will review nunchaku, kuwa and bo along with all of the bunkai for the various weapons’ kata as well as kumite. During ippon and sanbon kumite practice, members are highly recommended to wear safety goggles (andbandages – just kidding about the bandages). Ippon kumite is one-step and three-step sparring.
Melinda defends against attack by Steve using her nunchukuand knee.
Bill Borea and Charles Jean train in bunkai with bo (6-foot staff) and kama.
Our members recently learned Gama Shodan kata and we are still studying bunkai from this kata before moving on to Gama Nidan. The kama was a very practical weapon used by Okinawan martial artists in defense of their homes over the past several hundred years and is still very practical. All one has to do is walk through a Sear’s garden shop to see many modern tools that can be used similar to kama.
Not for everyone - shitai kori (Okinawan body hardening) practiced by Dr. Florence Teulé and Elena Finley.
We teach many other martial arts in clinics. For example, in some clinics that were taught at the Gillette, Wyoming dojo, Soke taught shitai kori (body hardening). We realize that shitai kori is not for everyone, so only those interested in learning this part of Shorin-Ryu Karate are taught this unusual art which is restricted to those at least 18 years old.
In other clinics, we may focus on jujutsu all Saturday. Or possibly on keibo on another clinic, or tsue (cane another). A few years ago, Soke also taught clinics in self-defense and tanto (knife) at the University of Wyoming.
We have a major variety of martial arts for you to learn at our dojo. We are part of Seiyo Kai International that was established in 1999, and affiliated with Juko Kai International established in 1961. After taking early retirement from the University of Wyoming where Soke taught martial arts for 30 years, he opened the Arizona School of Traditional Karate (Seiyo Hombu) in 2008.
Shitai Kori is a method that teaches one how to harden their muscles so they can accept strikes to vital points in the body as well as learn how to follow-up with devastating responses to an attack. Part of this art involves body hardening of the arms, legs, hands, feet, stomach, chest, ribs and even the neck and groin.
Dr.Teulé from Utah State University trains with Hanshi Andy Finley from Casper, Wyoming using bokken (wooden swords).
Right - Dr. Teulé trains with Hanshi Finley in iaido (samurai sword).
So, stop by and see us - we are always looking to expand our karate family and meet new friends.
(Sokeshodai@Seiyo-ShorinRyu.com).
Our dojo was recently invaded by a 'Nerdja' silicon valley's answer to the 'Ninja'. Here, Dr. Neal Adam (5th dan) from Grand Canyon University stands next to Dan Graffius (2nd dan) after demonstating common every day weapons carried by professors (i.e., lap tops, pens, glasses, belt, high- water pants, etc.
Group photo of Soke with three of his favorite martial artists - left to right - Elena Finley (2nd dan) from the University of Wyoming, Heather From (3rd kyu), Colorado-Nebraska, Dr. Teulé from France.
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Ryan Harden from Mesa, uses uchi uke during training
