Martial Arts Instruction of the Highest Caliber

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Looking at the entrance of the Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler martial arts school, does not prepare one for what is inside the Karate School.

Visitors to our martial arts school in the East Valley of Phoenix are often pleasantly surprised by what they see at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate at 60 W. Baseline Road, Mesa, across the street from Gilbert. Our martial arts schoolalso impressed FOX 10 NEWS so much, that they did a special report in the fall of 2011 on our dojo and its intructors. It included a 3-minute news clip on TV as well as on their website for months following their visit.

While visiting our martial arts school in Mesa, Richard Saenz from FOX watched one class demonstrate a common martial arts weapon from Okinawa - tonfa (sometimes referred to as a side-handle baton). Then the martial arts lesson moved to self-defense against the Japanese knife (tanto). The Fox team also interviewed Hall-of-Fame martial artist and Karate Grandmaster, Soke Hausel who introduced two of his extraordinary karate students and teachers: grandparents from Gilbert. Both were recently promoted to nidan black belt (二段) (2nd degree) and presented title of Sensei (先生) (martial artsteacher). Another video, showed Soke Hausel demonstrating one aspect of power and focus.

A few things that really stand out in this Mesamartial arts school is its traditional Okinawankarate decor and its intructors. The martial artsschool also does not take part in sport competition which is the tradition of OkinawaKarate created centuries ago. There is no effort to promote trophies that often lead to bad behavior at tournaments: instead the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa focuses on pragmatic self-defense and training in a large variety of martial arts. All students work with each other in a very positive manner.

Students at this traditional martial arts school are from all walks of life. Adult karate students include retired air force pilots, retired geologists, geological consultants, hall-of-fame martial artists, hall-of-fame geoscientists, university professors, teachers, secretaries, librarians, computer specialists, engineers, accountants, nutritionists, foreign exchange students, several pilots, scientists, authors, artists, astronomers and physicists. Members of the international martial arts association include many university professors, students, priests, teachers, law enforcement officials, military personnel, lawyers, social scientists, doctors, etc. Overall, this martial arts association has a group of highly educated individuals due to Soke Hausel's past associations teaching martial arts at 4 universities.
Martial artists from the Mesa school are unique. For instance, the school is operated by a Soke (宗家) (grandmaster of Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo), and other instructors include Shihan (師範) (Master instructor), Sensei (先生) (martial arts teachers), Kyoju (Professor of Martial Arts and Senior (先輩) black belts.

Soke Hausel is one of the few martial artists in history to receive certification as junidan (12th degree black belt). He is also a JKI (Juko Kai International) Samurai(one who has received Shihan rankings in more than three martial arts), a member of the North American Black Belt Hall-of-Fame& World Martial Arts Black Belt Hall-of-Fame.

The school also includes a real, honest to goodness samurai from Japan (Sensei Paula Borea). Few other martial arts schools in the world have such a unique group of students and high caliber of martial arts instructors.

Some adults of the Phoenix Community discovered martial arts training provides many physical and mental benefits. A few claim that martial arts training saved their lives - because of being so healthy.

Students travel to the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa, Arizona (across the street from Gilbert, Arizona and down the street from Chandler) to learn self-defense, traditional martial arts, martial arts weapons,jujutsu and samurai martial arts. Not only are they learning martial arts, they are getting in physical shape - few other forms of exercise provide a means for burning as many calories as martial arts training (at the same time, students have the added benefit of learning a martial art for self-defense!).

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Dr. Florence Teule, 1st degree black belt from France (formerly professor at the University of Wyoming and Utah State University) and currently at Casper College, trains in martial arts bunkai (applications) with Dan Graffius, 2nd degree black belt and an engineer from Mesa.

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Self-Defense training on Wednesday evenings

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Martial arts weapons class on Thursday evenings at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa: training with tonfa.

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Dr. Neal Adam, a master instructor of martial arts and professor at Grand Canyon University blocks strike by Rich Mendolia's martial artsbo using a tonfa during traditionalmartial arts weapons training at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate.