Breaking Rocks | Geologist's View of Karate: martial arts schools

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.