Self-Defense Training, Gilbert and Mesa, Arizona

Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Hombu dojo, Mesa Arizona, 2019

Education Gym, University of Wyoming Shorin-Ryu Karate & Kobudo, 1999

Our current students are 13 to 75 years in age. We plan to keep the group small (<20) until the economy turns around. Soke is a member of several halls of fame, taught karate, kobudo, samurai arts, jujutsu, and self-defense at four different universities. 

Corbett Gym, University of Wyoming Shorin-Ryu Karate, 2003

Soke (airborne), University of New Mexico,
Shorin-Ryu karate, 1975

Soke (airborne), University of Utah,
Kyokushinkai karate, 1969

Body hardening in Martial Arts - Kote Kitae



Photo of Soke Hausel taking full force kick at
half time (University of Wyoming photo).

One part of martial arts neglected by most martial arts groups, particularly sport karate, is kote kitae - or body hardening. In the traditional forms of karate, the body is trained to accept hard punches and kicks by training with a makiwara board. The board produces harden knuckle bone and callus over a period of time. Other types of training may include kicking and punching bags, and still other forms may require use weights or train on rock in bare feet.  But nothing is as extreme as combat ki - a martial art of Juko Kai International created by its grandmaster - Dai Soke Sacharnoski.  

The first time (and second, third, forth, and so on) martial arts students and instructors sees this, they are in denial as well as in complete awe. We all try to figure out how a person can take a full-force kick to the groin and not flinch, let alone not collapse in a heap singing soprano. But all of the ki masters I've communicated with, all sing in a normal voice.

 

There are suggestions these extreme individuals must some how suck up their testicles into their stomach, or some other ridiculous theory that is physically impossible. And of course, none of the combat ki people wear any protection what-so-ever. So how do they do it? It is done like any other martial art - they train hard and long and learn to use this art properly.

Another form of body hardening - weight training.
Soke Hausel squatting 400 pounds at a body
weight of 165 pounds. He use to squat as much as
600 lbs at this body weight and one of his students
witnessed him squatting 800 lbs while at UW.

One of the more incredible people to master this art is a jujitsu stylist from Louisiana by the name of Kirby Roy. After watching him get kicked in the groin, punched in the neck, knife hand in the neck, punched in the sternum, upper cut in the liver, etc, he just stands looking at the attacker as if he is thinking - "is that all you have?"  Talk about a humbling experience for the attacker.

Believe me, this art is many magnitudes beyond any other. And so how do you learn this?  The only way to learn it is to join Juko Kai International. However, a great majority of applicants are refused entrance because of lack of proof of lineage in martial arts. This organization includes the best traditional martial artists in North America. And in the case of body hardening, there is no second best.

 

In the summer of 2013, I took a group of my students - traditional Shorin-Ryu martial artists from the Phoenix Arizona and Gillette Wyoming to the Juko Kai National clinic in New Braunfels, Texas on June 15^th to train in this incredible art known as Combat Ki – a martial art of extreme body hardening that allows JKI martial artists to accept full-force strikes to vital parts of the body with little effect. The art, created by Dai-Soke Sacharnoski in 1960, is so advanced it has been featured on several programs in recent years including Stan Lee’s Superhumans, Sports Science, Discovery Channel and others.

Dr. Jesse Bergkamp from the Arizona School of Karate trains with vases
 filled with sand while on vacation in Okinawa in 2013.

While at the clinic, we trained in Okinawan Kempo and Tode. At the close of the clinic, martial artists from around North America including those from Arizona and Wyoming tested for rank and some of our students were awarded Menkyo Okuden (a combat martial art rank essentially equivalent to 1^st dan black belt). Those from Gillette Wyoming who attended the clinic included Kyle Gewecke (4^th dan), Chase Cassidy (1^st dan), Brandon Brown (3^rd kyu) and Nick Jarvis (4^th kyu). Those from Arizona included Dr. Neal Adam (6^th dan), Victoria Davis (1st dan) and Ryan Nemec (4^th kyu).  Menkyo Okuden ranks were awarded to Neal Adam, Kyle Gewecke, Brandon Brown and Nick Jarvis. Chase Cassidy was awarded the rank of Menkyo Kyoshi (essentially equalivaent to 3rd dan).

Awards were also presented to two martial artists from Arizona. Ryan Nemec was awarded “Outstanding male martial arts student of the year”, an award presented by the JKI Hombu for students who have shown exceptional dedication in the martial arts.

Soke Hausel was awarded Meijin Wa Jutsu’ for lifelong contributions to martial arts as an instructor. Only a few martial artists have been presented this award.

In 2012, Soke Hausel was also awarded junidan and became one of a handful of to be awarded this rank since the 18^th century. Soke Hausel began training in martial arts five decades ago and taught at four major universities prior to opening the Arizona Hombu (world headquarters) in Mesa in 2006. Recently, he was also inducted into Who’s Who in America 2013 and 2014 and has been selected as a Who’s Who honoree more the past 25 years and inducted into 16 Halls of Fame since 1998. He was also inducted into Whos Who in the World, 2013 and 2014.



Andy Finley of Casper, Wyoming accepts kick from Kyle Gewecke from
Gillette, Wyoming.

So, if you would like to learn the traditional martial arts, please come join our martial arts family on Baseline and MacDonald on the border of Mesa and Gilbert. We have a wonderful group of individuals (about 25% women) who are learning martial arts the way it has been taught for centuries. Our students are from Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix and Tempe.

In traditional martial arts you only compete with one person - yourself.


In 1996, Shihan Hausel takes strikes to vital parts of the body at halftime at a University of Wyomnig basketball game.
Here, sensei Donnette Gillespie, 3rd dan, kicks Hausel in the ribs with all of her power. Incredible, but
nothing compared to what others in the JKI have done over the years.

Training on 1.4 billion year old granite - circa 1992.

A makiwara in Gilbert Arizona. This is used for striking
with the hand, elbows and feet.






 

 

 

 

Is "Stupid" a Good Defense?

When will we start arresting people for "stupid"?  It should be against the law!

Teaching Nunchuku at the University of Wyoming - maybe we should have been teaching the art of French-Fry-do

Today, it was on the news that a man was arrested for throwing french fries (considered a deadly weapon in Massachusetts) at his step-daughter during a dispute at a MacDonald's in Lowell, Massachusetts. The man was carried away in handcuffs and crime seen investigators collected evidence for a later trial - although it is reported that a few of the weapons may have been misplaced and couldn't be found. 

One has to wonder what is wrong with Barney Fife (or is this the general demeanor of the Lowell Police Department?) who arrested this individual - what sort of IQ is required of officers in Lowell? Of course, Massachusetts is a place already known for this kind of logic (or lack of it): for example, it is only one of four states in which the nunchaku is illegal.


Imagine that? Nunchaku being illegal?  That's about as smart as outlawing french fries. Out-lawing the nunchaku is just not very bright! But some will suggest this was necessary because they were being used by gang members.

What!?! Are you going to tell me that gang members are trading in their zip guns, 9 mms, switch blades, shotguns and machine guns for a pair of sticks on a string?  What kind of morons do we have in our legislatures?  Well, guess I shouldn't ask a question we already know the answer to.

In addition to giving up fire power, the other problem with gang members using nunchaku is that they would have to learn how to use them - besides, they are not going to pay attention to laws anyway. Why not just give all gang members a pair of nunchaku and several problems will resolve themselves. I remember when I was in college hearing about some guy in California (where else?) who held up a bank with a pair of nunchaku. Just before grabbing the cash and leaving the bank, he decided to give the tellers a demo. As he swung the chuks around - bam - he apprehended himself with a stick between the eyes.

Using nunchaku is not easy and requires considerable training and self-induced bruising. When nunchaku were developed on Okinawa, it was because there was a lack of all kinds of weapons because King Shoshin had banned all bladed weapons on Okinawa in 1480 AD.  So, the Okinawan peasants went looking for other weapons - the nunchaku, and other things like a 6-foot pole, a boat oar, a common hoe, etc. So when is Massachusetts going to wake up and ban hammers, hoes, pencils and car keys? And what about shoes? Remember President Bush having to duck a shoe? Don't tell Lowell's Barney Fife about that incident otherwise the town people will have to run around in bare feet.

Any politician who came up with (or supported) legislation to outlaw fries and nunchaku should be presented with a pair of chuks for punishment and be told to go outside and play. Unfortunately, Massachusetts is not the only state with not so bright legislators. Other states followed in their footsteps including California, New York and - can you believe it?  Arizona. What gives Arizona?

After I moved to Arizona from Wyoming, I stopped by the Gilbert Police Department to find out what martial arts were illegal in Arizona. I was told nunchaku (nunchakujutsu), or anything that acts, looks and swings like a nunchaku is illegal. Imagine that - the legislature banning an entire martial art. According to the Gilbert Police Department, it is also illegal to have foam rubber nunchaku (after all, they are just as dangerous as french fries). And if you purchased those simple plastic nunchaku found in a ninja toy sets sold at many toy stores for Christmas, your five year old Johnny is risking being wisked away in a Phoenix squad car for having his toy ninja set (this may sound crazy, but based on the state law as it reads according to the Gilbert Police - if it looks and swings like a nunchaku, it is illegal).

Yes, in Arizona, a person can carry a live blade samurai sword (katana) on the streets, a 9 mm strapped to your side, an AK47, but you better not be seen with foam rubber nunchuks or you will be on your way to jail. Come on Arizona - where's the logic?



PhD Earns Master Degree

A play on words? One of my favorite students already has an advanced degree in biology - but now he also has an advanced diploma in martial arts.  Dr. Adam has been a student of mine for more than 20 years, and prior to that, he studied Shotokan karate for at least a decade.

Few people master martial arts – it takes years of dedication & training. When most people think of a master of martial arts, they visualize an old, wise, Oriental monk; or a faster than life karate master who is almost indestructible. Hollywood exaggerates many elements of a martial arts master. To be a true master of martial arts, one must learn considerable oriental philosophy, history, traditions and of course, martial arts.
Reaching the level of a PhD and Professor requires dedication to a particular field of study and research leaving little time for anything else. And to do the same in martial arts is rare.

Dr. Adam receives certification as shihan and godan at
the Arizona School of Traditional Karate.

Dr Neal Adam, associate professor of biology at Grand Canyon University, has dedicated the past 30 years to learning karate while pursuing a career in science. His love for karate reached a level of nearly complete comprehension of Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Seiyo Kai Karate and Kobudo. To reach such a level of expertise, one must understand the mechanics and physics of karate, they must comprehend the philosophy of the art, they must learn dozens of complex forms and be able to demonstrate the forms without thinking and with extraordinary power and focus, they must master several ancient weapons, and they must learn to defend themselves effectively.

The Master degree (Shihan no Budo) is a measure of one’s expertise and translates in Japanese as Shihan. Dr. Neal Adam reached this level and was presented certifications of Shihan and Godan (5^th degree black belt) after testing in front of Soke Hausel, world head of Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo at the Hombu (world headquarters) in Mesa.

In addition to demonstrating an understanding of karate and kobudo, Dr. Adam was also required to develop new forms of kobudo. He created a new form of hanbo (3-foot staff) and applications for self defense, and also developed a new form using common tools of his trade for self-defense: eye glasses, rulers, pens, belt, etc.

Dr. Adam, wearing official nerdja gi provided
us with a very entertaining demo of kobudo
for professors and nerds.

Arizona Traditional Karate - Journal of a Soke

RANK PROMOTIONS IN SEPTEMBER

We are proud of all of our students and excited to see progress along their martial arts path. In September, some of our deshi were ready to move forward at the Hombu.  Two of our students have been wearing white belts long enough and reached the next step along their budo path and were tested for kukyu (yellow belt).

Lacy Pine and Adam Bialek put in a lot of extra time training each night during September. It was uncommon for either to miss a training session and they also were seen training before and after class most evenings. During their exam, they were required to perform the first three taikyoku kata and then square off and demonstrate bunkai (applications) from the kata. Omedetoo (congratulations)! They kicked their way past the first goal of their budo path.

Adam Bialek (left) and Lacy Pine (right) were promoted to ku kyu following exams Tuesday evening. They did super!

Three deshi (students) from our Gillette dojo affiliate were also promoted by Shihan-Dai Kyle Gewecke, 4th dan.  We are proud of our Gillette students and excited to see them progress!

From Gillette, Chase Cassidy was promoted to sankyu (brown), Nick Jarvis to rokukyu (blue) and Brandon Brown to shichikyu (blue). Omedetoo!

Photo taken at recent Gillette samurai clinic taught by Soke Hausel. 

Back row (L-R) Elaine Finley (1st dan), Hanshi Finley (7th dan), Soke Hausel (10th dan), Kyle Gewecke, 4th dan and Dr. Florence Teulé (1st dan).

Front Row - Heather From, Chase Cassidy, Charlie Bissell, and Brandon Brown.

Three other members of Seiyo Kai International underwent 1.5 weeks of exams at the Hombu dojo in Mesa and Gilbert, Arizona. These individuals had to know dozens of kata and applications and had to master a number of kobudo weapons. Mastering the weapons included demonstrating the kobudo kata for each weapon, bunkai (applications from the kata), and kobudo kumite (sparring). All of these kata are from the Seiyo Shorin-Ryu system. 

After passing the karate and kobudo kata and bunkai portions of the exams, the three were required to perform self-defense applications against an aggressor with a knife, pistol and rifle. Our three candidates were successful and promoted. After presentation of their diplomas, the dojo members were treated to a demonstration of a new kata created by Dr. Neal Adam (Shihan Adam also created a hanbo kata earlier) that is a must for everyone to see.

Paula Borea (center) and Bill Borea (right) pose with Soke
Hausel at the Arizona Hombu following promotion to nidan
(2nd degree black belt).

Following the exams, all three were promoted at a celebration Thursday evening (September 8^th). Dr. Adam was promoted to godan (5^th degree black belt) and certified as shihan (master instructor). Bill and Paula Borea were promoted to nidan (2^nd degree black belt).

Shihan Adam developed a kata for Seiyo Shorin-Ryu in the recent past that uses several of our hanbo (baton) waza. It’s a powerful kata that we will have to get him to teach at an upcoming clinic.

But his latest kata is a sight to behold. He demonstrated this latest– I think he calls it Nerdan No Professor Adam. The kata is designed for the university professor and computer geek and uses tools of the trade for weapons: such as a ruler, pen, glasses, belt and even one’s high-water pants. I suspect that a joystick can be substituted for a pen.

Dr. Neal Adam receives certifications for godan (5^th degree black belt) and shihan (master instructor). Shihan Adam has been in the martial arts for at least 3 decades and was one of my students at the University of Wyoming a little more than 2 decades ago. He is currently a member of Grand Canyon University’s faculty.

Thus, right after the award ceremony, our dojo was invaded by a Nerdja, wearing a traditional geek cloak. As the nerdja entered the dojo, it was clear everyone was gripped with fear at the sight of this individual. Never before had any of us seen such an intimidating foe (at least not since we took calculus) and many members came unhinged at the sight of this villain! No computer was safe!

Is it a Nerd? A martial artist?
A ninja? No, its a Nerdja!

Dressed as a nerdja, Shihan Adam preformed a kata using the tools of trade for a geek. Using his ruler, pens, belt and glasses, he was able to show how such simple tools can be effectively used as self-defense weapons.

FOX 10 VISITS HOMBU

The Arizona School of Traditional Karate (Seiyo Kai Hombu) was visited by a FOX 10 news crew on  September 22^nd, 2011. The crew included a cameraman and interviewer (Richard Saenz) from the nightly news in Phoenix. They were very professional and we enjoyed spending time with them on their visit to the Hombu dojo.

They visited the hombu because two of our grandparents were promoted to nidan black belt – Bill and Paula - a very rare event. The interview began at the Borea’s house as this was a program about how two grandparents end up becoming 2^nd degree black belts in Okinawan karate. Bill and Paula have been part of our dojo pretty much since I moved to Arizona in 2006 from the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

The start of the interview showed the mild mannered couple as typical grandparents by day. In the evening, after finding a phone booth, they quickly changed into Super nidans. The Fox 10 crew later came to the dojo and spent time interviewing Bill, Paula and myself, and then went into the training center to video our session. It was kobudo night, so they watched our group train with bo, tonfa as well as nunchaku – the entire session was in Japanese and we finished with our traditional ceremony of respect for martial arts and one another. 

Senpai Paula responds to senpai Bill’s bo attack with tonfa. Bill should know better by now!

 For those of you outside of Arizona who have not yet met Bill and Paula, they have been very important in assisting in establishing our Hombu in Arizona. They also assist Shihan Adam and myself in teaching. Before Arizona, Bill and Paula had some unique attachments to Japan and karate. Both trained in Japan while Bill was stationed in the orient in the US Air Force.

Paula is half-Japanese. After World War II, she was born to a Japanese mother and an American serviceman. Being a child of two opposed cultures resulted in conflicts in her early years. Her Japanese family demanded her mother give her up for adoption at the age of 5 as she was half gaijin (foreigner). At this time in history, the Japanese were nationalistic and did not want to have anything to do with other cultures.

 When Paula returned to Japan with her husband Bill many years later, she was reunited with her Japanese mother and shared many tears. It is the stuff that makes great movies and novels! Paula is not only of Japanese descent, she also of samurai lineage and always had an attachment to her heritage. When she moved to Arizona, she searched for a martial arts school that could help her get closer to that part of her heritage.

Both Bill and Paula are grandparents who show that with the right attitude, anything can be accomplished. They show this everyday in their lives. People who claim they cannot train because of physical limitations need to spend time with these two extraordinary people. Both recently had surgery for serious problems and both continue to train! They are tough as nails!

Shihan Adam uses age jodan uke (rising high block) to defend against atana uchi (head strike) with bo by Rich Mendolia.

We finished the training session with nunchaku kata (forms) followed by a few nunchaku bunkai (self-defense) against tanto (knife) attacks. I noticed a few bruises were provided by Rich and Ryan to their uke (training partners) and we only broke one rubber knife. So it was a very good evening.

The FOX 10 crew indicated that the video will be edited and they will provide us with a copy (hopefully both edited and non-edited) and the edited version will likely air sometime soon and will also be placed on their website.  I want to thank FOX 10 and all of our dojo members – this could not have been done without you, whether you made it or not.

Nunchaku kata demonstration at the Hombu.

DISTINGUISHED VISITOR

A distinguished scientist and martial artist from France stopped by the dojo last month to train in our Wednesday class. Dr. Florence Teulé who is working with a research group at Utah State University on synthetic spider silk stopped by for a few hours of training while in town to do some work at ASU.

Right - Dr. Teulé, senapi (shodan) delivers uraken uchi (back fist) to Dan Graffius (nidan).  Dr. Teulé is not only a shodan black belt in Seiyo Shorin-Ryu karate and kobudo, she is also a uchi deshi (person of significance) for soke, former University of Wyoming faculty advisor for the Campus Shorin-Ryu Karate Club and now the Utah State Representative for Seiyo Kai International.