Top-Rated Okinawan Karate, Kobudo & Self-Defense in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Arizona

Following decades of fulfilling a lifetime dream with the opening a commercial dojo to teach
others about traditions of Okinawa martial arts, Hall-of-Fame martial artist, Soke Hausel
had little choice but to close the Shorin-Ryu training center in Mesa Arizona on March 1, 2021.  

Following decades of training in traditional martial arts, Soke made a decision to close the Arizona Hombu dojo (Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Hombu dojo) after 60% of the members stopped training during the pandemic. So, the facility closed in March, 2021, but we continue training at two private dojo in Mesa and Gilbert, Arizona. We hope to one day re-open a commercial dojo if the economy improves soon.

Rest in Peace

We lost three black belt members to the plandemic, who we all miss tremendously: Sensei Lenny Martin from Wyoming (Bushido Newsletter, 2021, v. 81, no. 4), Sensei Corey Westbrook from Murray, Utah (Bushido Newsletter, 2021, v. 81, no. 3) and Sensei Alex Hurowyj from Mesa, Arizona (Bushido Newsletter, 2020, v. 17, no. 4). May their souls rest in peace in the presence of God. 

But, we are not finished. Even though dozens of dojos in the Phoenix valley closed, three of our absolutely incredible members offered training facilities to keep us going, which we are so grateful for.

2019 group photo at the Arizona Hombu (Seiyo no Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai) in Mesa, Arizona

In June, 2022, some of our remaining members of the Hombu dojo traveled from the East Valley of Phoenix to Seguin, Texas to train at the Juko Kai International annual clinic - which we've made this an annual event since 1992. The JKI training focused on combat arts including defense against an attacker armed with a gun and with a knife.

Arizona Karate & Kobudo practitioners in Sequin, Texas for Juko Kai National Clinic, 2022.

Best Martial Arts School in the Phoenix Arizona Valley

Grandmaster Hausel continues to receive national & 
international recognition in expertise in martial arts &
teaching abilities.

The Arizona Hombu Karate Dojo is the best martial arts school in the Phoenix Valley, of Arizona, based on 'Expertise'. 

This relates to expertise of martial arts instructors, outstanding students, and traditional Okinawa martial arts curriculum that is unmatched in the state. The school in Mesa in the east valley of Phoenix, offers classes in Karate, Kobudo (these are the well-known martial arts weapons from Okinawa), Samurai Arts, and Self-Defense. But in each of these categories and many different martial arts taught at the school. For instance, Kobudo includes many arts such as bojutsu, nunchakujutsu, tekkojutsu, saijutsu, tonfajutsu, ekujutsu, and several more. Then, samurai arts are the classical arts of Japanese samurai which includes bojutsu, iaido (samurai sword), sojutsu (spear), naginatajutsu (pole arm), hanbojutsu (half-bo) and many more arts.

Dr. Florence Teule (France), recently
appeared on Stan Lee's Super-humans.
Here she practices kenjutsu taught by
Who's Who in Martial Arts Legend, Soke
Hausel at a clinic in Gillette, Wyoming

The karate dojo focuses on  adults, families, and traditions. While many classes around the Phoenix Valley are taught by teens with little expertise, the Hombu karate school has highly educated instructors and students. Where else can you find a martial arts school filled with university faculty, school teachers, engineers, rocket scientists, scientists, authors, accountants, musicians, lawyers, nurses, pilots, computer techs, doctors, including a Hall-of-Fame geologist, and a couple of Hall-of-Fame martial artists. In fact, the dojo is operated by a Hall-of-Fame martial artist who is also a Who's Who in Martial Arts Legend and was presented one of only a handful of awards recognizing him as a martial arts genius! So, you decide: - (1) take martial arts from a teenager, or from a school with adult instructors that have more than 2 CENTURIES of combined martial arts experience.  Currently, the martial arts school attracts about 30% women as well as young adults and senior citizens and some families.

The Hombu Dojo has been around for many years and was initially established at the University of Wyoming. The Hombu moved to Arizona in 2006 from the University of Wyoming, where the school was initially established as a dojo on campus for 30 years after moving from the University of New Mexico and from the University of Utah. 

Much of the curriculum at the Arizona Hombu Karate Dojo (aka Arizona School of Traditional Karate) focuses on the traditional Shorin-Ryu martial arts. Shorin-Ryu was developed on Okinawa and has origins in the Chinese Shaolin martial arts.