Friday, September 30, 2011

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 (2nd 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.