Arizona Traditional Martial Arts Center Receives International Award

Its not every day that a blog receives a Web Award for content. We were quite happy to wake up and find that this blog was recognized by Snippet.com for its informative content on karate. This Blog was deemed by Snippet as a reliable source for trustworthy content and we were thus awarded for its content on Gilbert Karate.

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Traditional Karate and Kobudo in Gilbert, Arizona

Okinawa Karate and Kobudo at the Hombu training center.

Students in Gilbert and Mesa, enjoy classes taught by a Hall-of-Fame martial arts instructor and geologist. Soke, a polymath, and has mastered Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo (西洋少林流空手道) and is also known for his geology, books, lectures on martial arts and geology, astronomy and art. The training regimen students receive at the martial arts school, is superior to most schools according to the students.  

Students from all over Phoenix Valley train at the school each week. Others periodically travel great distances to train under the hall-of-fame martial artist for a few days or a few weeks. Over the past few years, students have traveled from Massachusetts, Utah, Wyoming, Florida, Switzerland, India with other members from India, Vietnam and Greece planning to travel to the Arizona martial arts school in the near future.

University of Wyoming Campus Shorin-Ryu Karate & Kobudo

Many like training at the Chandler-Gilbert-Mesa martial arts center because of the Okinawan decor. They also are impressed by the extensive background of their martial arts instructor who has been training since the mid-1960s in many martial arts and has certifications in 23 arts.

Only traditional Okinawan-Japanese martial arts are taught at the school. When karate was created on Okinawa, it was kept secret from all outsiders. Karate was developed only for self-defense and self-improvement and never meant to be a sport. To train in karate, one had to swear an oath of secrecy. This worked so well that karate had been practiced for at least 3 centuries on Okinawa right in front of a Japanese occupation force, and no outsider had any idea it existed until was introduced to the world by two famous Okinawan martial artists - Shihan Anko Itosu (糸洲 安恒) (1831-1915) and Shihan Gichin Funakoshi (船越 義珍) (1868-1957) at the beginning of the 20th century. 

Being that Okinawa was assimilated by the Japanese, the Japanese were exposed to karate only after its introduction to the school systems on Okinawa and later Japan. Many Okinawans now wish it would have been kept secret because of perceived abuse by outsiders. First the Japanese modified the combat art into sport at the objections of Okinawan karate masters, and then others (notably Americans) modified it into dance-like competitions with brightly colored uniforms, glitter, twirling and gymnastics - making a mockery of the original art designed for empty hand self-defense (known as karate) and weapons (known as kobudo).

We can gain insight into the original form of Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo by reading some concepts by some great shorin-ryu masters and grandmasters. Gichin Funakoshi wrote, "The purpose of Karate Lies not in defeat or victory, but in the perfection of its participants". Shoshin Nagamine (長嶺 将真) (1907-1997), Grandmaster of Matsubayashi Shorin-Ryu Karate wrote, "if there is no kata, there is no karate, just kicking & punching", in reference to the direction some so-called martial arts were taking, such as MMA. He also wrote, "One must embrace a mu gen proverb that there can be no end to learning and that karate begins and ends with the study of kata".

Shorin-Ryu Karate, the art taught at the martial arts school on Baseline, is based on shaolin kung fu. "Shorin" translates from Japanese as "Shaolin". It was modified from kung fu and includes very unique techniques of White Crane known as hakutsuru. Hakutsuru is based on the movements and actions of white cranes and is thought to have been developed by a female Chinese martial artist before being adapted to karate on Okinawa. It is such a unique, powerful and complex martial art that few Okinawan martial arts instructors teach it to anyone other than their most trusted students.

Kobudo at the martial arts school in the East Valley of Phoenix includes many martial arts weapons as well as modern tools. Kobudo is thought to have been created by on Okinawa in the 15th century after king of Okinawa - Shoshin, decided to outlaw bladed weapons. This left Okinawa without any standing army to defend itself; thus the peasants began to arm themselves in secret using tools of trade from fishing and farming. On Okinawa karate and kobudo have been combined as one art for centuries even though most Japanese and American martial arts neglect kobudo.

In the context of martial art, ryu in Shorin-Ryu translates as system, or style. But it is much more.

Ryu also implies family. So members who train at the Arizona Hombu can be likened to an adopted family of martial artists led by a Soke (Head of Family). It is encouraged to make close friends in the dojo similar to members of a family - meeting each other for additional training, talking about martial arts at the local coffee house, etc. The Soke is the head of the karate style and head educator of all members. Because of this position, the Soke can only be a friend at a distance.  

Sensei Paula Borea wears her komono at
Birthday party during Christmas.

 

Gilbert Karate - Adult & Family martial arts

Utah Shorin-Kai members at special training at the Hombu Dojo in Gilbert, Arizona.

We feel it is important to reach out to offer martial arts to the public. Why? Take a look at Japan. The Japanese have a relatively low crime rate compared to the United States. Part of this is due to the Japanese culture and part due to a large segment of the population having trained in martial arts. Not only does traditional martial arts teach non-violence, commitment and integrity; but when much of the population is armed, it acts as a deterrent.

Martial artists from Utah traveled to the Hombu dojo in Arizona
in April to train in advanced martial arts

We offer special self-defense classes to the public and this year have added a new program - NEIGHBORHOOD SELF-DEFENSE Clinics. These clinics are 2 hours and only require a minimum of 6 people to sign up. The clinic attendees are taught pragmatic self-defense that includes escape techniques, use of tools as weapons (such as a pen, car keys, magazine, etc). 

Soke taught more than a hundred self-defense clinics and classes over the years to a variety of groups including martial artists, martial arts school owners, EMT groups, military, university faculty, university students and staff, librarians, church groups, sororities, women's clubs, girl scouts, scientific organizations, etc.

In addition to weekly training in traditional karate, kobudo (martial arts weapons), self-defense and samurai arts, the school has received visitors by martial artists from Utah, Wyoming, India, Switzerland, Nebraska and Colorado.

In 2012-13, Soke was inducted into Who's Who in America (2012, 2013), Who's Who in the World (2012) and Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honors (2012). Shihan Adam (5th dan) another martial arts instructor, was promoted to full professor at Grand Canyon University, and Sempai W. Borea and Sempai P. Borea were both promoted to Sensei (teacher) in 2012.

FOX 10 news  recently aired a program about two Arizona Grandparents receiving 2nd degree black belts in Shorin-Ryu Karate. The news team stopped by the Borea’s house in Gilbert and then moved onto the martial arts school to film for about 3 hours before whittling the tape down to 3 minutes. They did a great job (other than forgetting to mention the location of the school).

Dr. Adam practices kobudo with Rich.
Here they use a bo (staff) and tonfa.

FOX 10 News Visits Mesa-Gilbert Martial Arts Center

Fox 10 News from Phoenix visited the Gilbert-Mesa Karate school to see what a traditional Okinawa school was like. They were impressed by the power exhibited by the martial arts students as well as all of the traditions. 

Fox focused on two grandparents who recently were promoted to 2nd degree black belt and certified as sensei (martial arts instructors) - both whom spent considerable time in Japan and had trained in the martial arts for more than a decade. The FOX 10 interviewer and camera team taped a class of martial artists training with tonfa (side-handle okinawa batons) and video taped self-defense applications of nunchaku vs. tanto (knives). 

We had a great time with the Fox 10 news crew from Phoenix and hope to see them again someday.



Dr. Adam defends against attack by Rich

Members of the Hombu on baseline (Gilbert and Mesa) practice tonfa-jutsu.

GILBERT ARIZONA KARATE and KOBUDO

Sensei Paula Borea punches her way to being
a successful grandmother.

It's our path to train in martial arts such as karate-do, kobudo, self-defense and samurai arts. And the path of some of of Gilbert's martial artists led to the School of Traditional Karate in the East Valley of Phoenix. 

The head instructor of the school, has been a top-rated instructor for years. He has nearly 5 decades of martial arts of experience, and is a former professor of martial arts at 4 universities. Stop in our traditional dojo (martial arts school) and you will be greeted as a friend and have the opportunity to meet our students one on one. We're more like a family than a martial arts school.

Training at the martial arts school on the border of Gilbert and Mesa is available for members of Seiyo Kai International as well as for members of the general public. 

Take That!  Dr. Teule (1st degree black belt) from France practices Shorin-Ryu karate
with Dan from Mesa (2nd degree black belt)

Nunchaku kata practice at Arizona Hombu Dojo in Mesa.

A Hombu is the headquarters of Seiyo no Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai. It is occupied by the world head (Soke) of Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Karate. Our Grandmaster is a judan (10th degree black belt) in Shorin-Ryu karate and kobudo. This is unique, as many styles of karate have their hombu in Japan. We are also affiliated with JKI. Our school is the Hombu of Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo SeiyoKai. 

Shorin-Ryu Karate has several branches, and our Shorin-Ryu is just one of several. Shorin-Ryu Seiyo Kai was developed over many years and officially recognized and certified by Zen Kokusai Soke Budo Bugei Renmei in 1999. 

Prior to moving to Arizona in 2006, Soke Hausel was a research geologist and Professor of Martial Arts at the University of Wyoming for 3 decades, where he taught classes, clinics, seminars and university clubs karate, kobudo, samurai arts, jujutsu and self-defense. He was elected to Halls of Fame and Who's Who compendiums for martial arts, teaching, geological sciences, and writing and also awarded national and international awards. When he moved to Arizona, he taught classes for a year at Arizona State University in karate, then moved from ASU to open a private school on the border of Gilbert and Mesa.

Soke Hausel demonstrates knife defense with Shihan
Gewecke at University of Wyoming clinic in 2010.



Tonfa training. Sarah (2^nd degree black belt)
defends with down block using tonfa against attack with the
bo staff by Amber.

 

We have an unique method for trimming pumpkins at Halloween at the Gilbert
Karate School on Baseline.

Use of hanbo (3-foot stick) for self defense. Ryan employs kubi nage (neck throw).

Bill attacks Paula with his bo while Paula defends with her garden hoe (kuwa).

Last April (2011), members of the Utah Shorin-Kai traveled to Mesa to learn an advanced kata known as gojushiho (54 steps) and its bunkai with members of the Mesa dojo.

Professor Hausel demonstrates kijutsu at
University of Wyoming half-time entertainment.
Shitai Kori like this requires special training
with no protection!

Some evenings, we train in shitai kori (body hardening). We realize that kote kitae 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 adults.

Okinawan body hardening is a method that teaches one to harden their muscles so they can accept strikes to many vital points in the body. 

Our dojo was recently invaded by a 'Nerdja'
the silicon valley's analogy of a 'Ninja'.

Patrick Scofield attacks Dave Hargreaves during kobudo practice. Our students learn to
use more than 2 dozen kobudo weapons in kata, bunkai, self-defense and kumite.