I'm Allergic to Rocks Hitting Me in the Face!

“I'm allergic to rocks hitting me in the face.” ― Mike Rowe

Soke Hausel is prepared to use his bare hands
or his rock hammer!

Recent research at Jeffrey City University, Rock U, and Home on the Range Community College indicate rock hounds, prospectors, and geologists, could all benefit from karate training, particularly if they forget to take a rock hammer to the field. But imagine the benefits of rock hammer! One or two?

Next time you are in the field, or outback, and forget your rock hammer, you can use your hands. Just take a geology or karate class with rock hounds and martial artists.

The benefit of rock hounds taking karate was discovered in the Australian outback in 1986. In that year, Soke (before he became a grandmaster, and was still known as sensei) traveled to Western Australia from the University of Wyoming to look for diamonds, crocodiles, gold, iron ore, lamproite, komatiite, beer, sheep, roos, emu and strange speaking people. It was just like Wyoming where diamonds, gold, beer, strange speaking people, sheep, lamproite, komatiite, kimberlite all occur, but rabbits were considerably smaller and did not carry Joey's in a pocket. Arizona has similarities - funny-speaking people, sheep, beer, gold and emu, but most everything else is missing.

In 1986, geologists, rock hounds and prospectors from many countries attended the International Kimberlite Field Conference to examine a brand-spanking new Argyle diamond mine and its incredible fancy diamonds. We also toured the Noonkanboh and Ellendale lamproite fields, and visited the locals at Geikie and Windjana gorges. 

Unfortunately, we missed the Merlin diamond mine because it had not been discovered until some years later. Our group included a couple of Australian and Japanese black belts, a sifu from China - so a challenge was issued and a contest began. Should we break rocks with rock hammers, or should we display testosterone and break them with our bare hands? To be sure the research was thorough, we tried both the testosterone enhanced method and the rock hammer method. The results were conclusive - termite mounds in Western Australia are hard as rock, and in some cases - harder! I don't know what those termites eat for breakfast, but they are a heck of a lot tougher than ants in Arizona and Wyoming.

Foreground shows termite mound and in the background is a hill formed of Ellendale lamproite, 
Ellendale diamond field, Western Australia.

Many termite (ant) mounds stood as high as a person. Most display peaked tops making them perfect for horizontal shuto uchi (open knife hand strike) - so why would any black belt pass them up? We didn't! The Aussie, American and Japanese black belts successfully broke 85% of the mound peaks with their hands, and about 90% with rock hammers, while the Chinese sifu watched with puzzled expressions. The group also periodically came across rock outcrops and we broke rocks to examine fresh rock surfaces for any strange and unusual minerals that would attract interest of the rock hound, diamond prospector and diamond geologist. Yes, some rocs we broke with our hands, others we left to hammers.

Above photo shows a termite mound ready to provide entertainment for geologists in the outback. In the background is an outcrop of lamproite (a very rare rock). Photo taken in the Ellendale diamond field of Western Australia by the author.

Swimming in the Fitzroy River at Geikie Gorge in Western Australia, can be a bit hazardous. But it
was so hot, that our entire group decided to get to know the locals - photo by the author.

Break Rocks! Don't Fix Them

"""Break rocks! Don't fix them" - Neil ArmstrongI 

Isotope geochemists have a saying, "Rocks remember where they've been!" 

Looking for gold in Arizona with my field assistant.

Almost became an isotope geochemist after spending much of my early after college life working as a economic geologist (a geologist who searches for minable mineral deposits). After working for the Wyoming Geological Survey at the University of Wyoming, I met a geochemist from the Colorado School of Mines while planning the upcoming International Archean field conference. Nobody liked this guy because he was so demanding, but everyone respected him because of his research. I wasn't too sure about him as he spent much time telling my former employee (who later joined the CSU faculty)

what to do and how to do it. Seems like everyone listened to him since he was a well-known in his field. Personally, I was mildly interested until he told me to do something - I immediately put him in his place! After that, he and I became good friends. 

Dr. Goldlich was impressed by my work on diamondiferous kimberlites in the Colorado-Wyoming diamond province. However, very little had been done on isotope geochemistry (basically, using unstable isotopes to determine the age of host rocks). He asked me if I would be interested in setting up a few sessions at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden to learn isotope geochemistry and apply it to my samples - I had already completed mapping three kimberlite districts, a lamproite field, found hundreds of anomalies, conducted ground geophysical surveys over the kimberlites, examined numerous samples with petrographic microscopes, search the US for diamondiferous kimberlite, lamproite and even unconventional diamond deposits for a number of companies as a consultant and wrote a couple of books about diamond deposits in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, the US, and the world. 

Then there was all of the other information I had access to, such as airborne IMPUT surveys, rock chemistry, etc. Dr. Sam asked me to stop in at the the School of Mines for a couple of weeks and run the samples, and then compile everything I had with the geochemistry. I guess he was disappointed when I told him "thanks, but no thanks". I told him I was very busy compiling data for UW and had projects mapping Archean Cratons and gold districts in Wyoming, and just didn't have time to take on another project (besides, isotope geochemistry was just not my thing). Nope, I loved getting outside in the outback and breaking rocks!!! We later had the Field Conference with people from all over the world - it was quite interesting.

After I retired moved to Arizon, my wife sent me out front to trim cactus. Luckily, no one called the cops when I walked out with a katana (samurai sword) and traditional hakama, but you could hear all of the neighbors gossip for years. In one slice, the cactus was lying decapitated on the ground begging for mercy. When I was a small boy, I remember my teacher asking "what do you want to do when you grow up?" 

"Break rocks", I answered.

Basic Geology 101 for Karate practitioners at the University of Wyoming. After teaching my students
about rocks, rock types, heft and specific gravity, we then took on those rocks with our bare hands.
If I remember correctly, ever student was able to break a rock after a few attempts.

I sensed she misinterpreted my ambition. She probably visualized me wearing stripes with a ball and chain strapped to an ankle while breaking rocks with a sledge, especially after I buried her 45 RPM records in the sand pile. But what the heck - teachers should know how to take a joke.

As a brand new teen, I signed up for karate classes - and yes, we even learned to break rocks with our hands. At the time, I started playing in an rock n' roll band, but few people in the early 60s respected long hair, so our entire band took part in the karate lessons at the local Kyokushin Kai dojo in Sugarhouse. Later, I graduated from high school, and went on to the local university. Got a job as an astronomy lecturer at the Hansen Planetarium and while in grad school, the Apollo astronauts brought me back some rocks to conduct mineralogical and geochemical studies. These rocks were out of this world! So, I had all kinds of contact with rocks.

On a trip to the outback of Australia, members of an international diamond conference were impressed by how most termite mounds were solid and silicified such that even the biggest rock hammers were turned away with a loud "clang" as the sledge bounced off the mound. Those little suckers are serious engineers! We had some Japanese black belt geologists attending the Aussie conference, so a challenge was issued. Who could take the top off these termite mounds with a shuto? A shuto, is the classic, bare hand, karate chop.

Now this was fun. Being a lifelong martial artist, I got a "kick" out of this. The termite engineers provided many mounds for the contest. We were up to the challenge: we broke off as many mound tops with our karate chops than other geologists broke with their mighty hammers. So we proved the adage, 'the hand is mightier than the hammer". And yes, I still practice geology, karate, kobudo and samurai arts to this very day.

Arizona Martial Arts Instructor Presented Science Awards

Trademarked symbol of Seiyo no Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo
Kai

Arizona martial arts instructor, Soke Hausel, selected as a member of Great Men and Women of Science! What?

Soke (grandmaster) Hausel, president of Seiyo no Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai(TM), was notified by the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge England, that his compendium will appear in the 1st Edition of Great Men and Women of Science. His selection to this Who's Who encyclopedia is because of many accomplishments as a polymath.

And it was just last year, Hausel was selected for Marquis Who's Who in Science and Engineering, Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World and nominated for other honors. Not bad for a martial artist! Hey, is there some mistake - why is a karate instructor being considered for science awards? 

It has to do with something known as workaholic and polymath. Grandmaster Hausel has been a workaholic most of his life. He is particularly good at the things that interest him - karate, kobudo, self-defense, sojutsu, iaido, samurai arts, kempojutsu, geology, prospecting, writing, music, sketching, public speaking, etc. But as with most polymaths, there is a ying/yang effect - he is just as bad at the things he has no interest in - so if your car dies on the highway - call a tow truck and don't ask him for help. He is what is known as mechanically declined.

Soke Hausel with two of his favorite people -
Sensei Paula and Sensei Bill Borea

As a martial artist, he has been recognized by many martial arts associations for unique style of teaching including Instructor of the Year, International Instructor of the Year, Grandmaster Instructor of the Year, Grandmaster of the Year, Best instructor in the Phoenix valley, and Best in Phoenix by associations that Soke Hausel is not even a member. He was even presented one of the highest honors in martial arts a couple of years ago: 'Martial Arts Genius'!  Whoever heard of a martial arts genius? Well, only a handful of people have ever received this latter award!

So, what does all of this mean? Simply put, Soke Hausel has taken a little pain, and the boring repetition out of martial arts and modified it so his students can't wait to get to class to learn something new. And, he has developed a major system of self-defense applications, known on Okinawa as bunkai, that are found in more than 70 forms (kata) that are used in defense against attackers of all kinds.

His instruction is restricted to adults and families - he even admits that teaching kids perplex him. Before he began teaching at dojo, health clubs, and churches in Gilbert and Mesa, he taught a few thousand students at four major universities, where many of his classes filled to a capacity of 110 karate students in the Departments of Physical Education and Kinesiology, 50 in Self-Defense classes in the Department of Continuing Education, and 24 in jujutsu in the Department of PE, 60 in University Club Sports. So what does he do different than other instructors - he works to find ways to do martial arts in a variety of entertaining ways, but he also trained under some extraordinary teachers.

Yan Ma, University ow Wyoming Student, accepts 
award from Grandmaster.

Soke Hausel is a member of 16 Halls-of-Fame scattered around the world. Well, not all of these Halls-of-Fame inducted him for karate skills, most inducted him for his teaching skills. Not only that, he was also inducted into some Halls of Fame for geology and education! 

Traditional Karate Schools teach like Mr. Miyagi in the 1984 Karate Kid movie. When entering the traditional martial arts school, if you are set upon by a herd of aggressive salesmen, turn around and run for your life - you will not get good instruction.  If you hear music blaring in the background, you are not in a traditional martial arts school, but rather a McDojo, and it is rare for any of the instructors to have certification from Okinawa and Japanese associations. Did you ever see a trophy in Mr. Miyagi's dojo? And you won't see any in traditional dojo. It's the way Mr. Miyaga would want it to be and the way martial arts have been taught for hundreds of years. Traditional schools teach self-defense and respect - not to win trophies. 

In traditional martial arts schools, students bow lower than martial arts instructors, and work to improve their bow. This is to insure they learn to respect karate, instructors, training partners, and people in general. Everyone bows to a grandmaster , but a grandmaster seldom bows to students except at the start and end of class. In the traditional school of karate, there are displays in the dojo, but all have traditional meaning. Before one enters or leaves the training facility, one bows to show respect to the martial arts.

YOUR FIRST CLASS

"Yokoso!" Welcome!

Grandmaster Hausel demonstrates one of dozens of
Okinawan kobudo weapons known as tonfa

Soke Hausel demonstrates joint lock on Officer Phil during
jujutsu class at the University of Wyoming.

In a traditional martial arts school, plan to bow a lot and plan to learn some Japanese language. we teach Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo. ‘Shorin-Ryu’ translates as ‘Shaolin style’. Karate translates as ‘empty hand’ and Kobudo translates as ‘old martial arts weapons’. So, feel free to stop by our Traditional Karate School and just have a look around. We look forward to meeting you.

Kobudo night at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate.

Kata night at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate.




Kata and Karate are the same - you cannot train in karate without kata. Here,
Ryan and Alexis are seen practicing Pinan Sandan

Dr. Adam (7th degree black belt) demonstrates Billy Bob kata using the tools of
trade for Nebraskan farmers

Training in kata on Tuesday nights

Merry Christmas from the Arizona Hombu dojo