Okinawan & Japanese Martial Arts Weapons Classes in Mesa Arizona in 2015

Soke Hausel demonstrates tonfa

As the New Year begins in Arizona's Phoenix valley in 2015, the sounds of weapons clanging and whipping through the air can be heard when driving by the intersection of Baseline and MacDonald Roads not far from Walmart. The swoosh of nunchaku and samurai swords (katana), the thud of bo against tonfa, the distinctive clang of steel against steel can be heard in the air as Okinawan martial artists train each week.

Where are these sounds emanating from? Sounds like they are coming from the northeast corner of the intersection where a non-distinct sign 'KARATE' marks the Arizona Hombu (aka Traditional Karate). Each week, adults and families carry in their weapons and karate uniforms, yell "kiai" during training exercises in Karate, Self-Defense and Martial Arts weapons and learn a practical self-defense art while getting in shape and keeping their weigh manageable.

Since 2006, Arizona-ites known as zonies, have been learning from Hall-of-Fame martial artist, Soke Hausel, a notable person in Gilbert.  The Japanese title of soke denotes a world head, or grandmaster of martial arts, and Soke Hausel moved his hombu (world headquarters) martial arts organization from the University of Wyoming in Laramie to Mesa Arizona in 2006 after teaching at the university for 3 decades.  Some of the many traditional martial arts weapons taught at the school include bo, tonfa, kama, nunchaku, sai, kuboton, hanbo, kibo, nitanbo, manrikigusari, kuwa, katana, naginata, hojojutsu, jujutsu and yari.

Scott blocks kama attack by Sensei Harden using
Okinawan nitanbo in Mesa, Arizona

Soke Hausel cleans samurai sword blade (katana) after slicing pumpkin
in Gilbert, Arizona

2015 began with Zonies learning to use a farming implement. The tool, known as kama in Japanese, is the Okinawan version of a sickle. Unlike US farmers who may use one to cut weeds, Okinawans use two - one to block with, the other to cut with. Or, if you are like Soke Hausel, he had to remove some cactus from his yard and found these were perfect tools for the job.

At the end 2014, students finished learning a kata known as gama shodan and were working on all of the applications in the kata. Katas are forms that contain many self-defense applications that assist martial artists in learning how to use the weapon and how to develop power and blinding speed.

In 2015, the Arizona Hombu students will learn more kata with their kama. They are scheduled to learn gama nidan and gama sandan katas and their self-defense applications before moving on to another weapon known as sansetsukon (three piece nunchaku). These same students are also learning to use a yari in a martial art known as sojutsu. The yard is an Okinawan spear.

In 2015, the Arizona students will continue training in sojutsu before moving on to iaido. Iaido is the art of fast-draw samurai sword.

Mesa Arizona Karate Students Learn Many Martial Arts Weapons

It has been tradition in Okinawa martial arts for more than five centuries to teach kobudo with karate. By learning weapons and karate as one martial art, a person is better prepared in self defense situations. It became a tradition on Okinawa after King Shoshin outlawed bladed weapons in 1480 AD for fear of an uprising. As a result, Okinawan peasants began training with their tools of trade as weapons. A fisherman learned to use fish hooks, gutting tools, paddles, ropes for self-defense and farmers learned to use poles, hoes, shovels, sickles and other tools for self-defense. This can also be applied to Arizona.

This same form of Karate and Kobudo are taught at the Arizona Hombu martial arts school in Mesa, Arizona.

Grandmaster Hausel poses with kama (sickles) at the Arizona Hombu Karate & Kobudo Dojo in Mesa, Arizona.

When one learns to use the ancient Okinawan weapons, they are also introduced to everyday tools such as belts, car keys, coins, towels, magazines, cell phones, rocks, hammers, water bottles and other tools found around the workplace, home or restaurant. It makes a person better prepared in case they end up in a situation where they need to defend against more than one person, or an armed individual.

Kobudo (martial arts weapons) Classes and Schools in Mesa, Arizona

Kobudo classes provide karate students with a complete curriculum in martial arts training. Most martial arts students are not offered this opportunity, but at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate on the border of Mesa with Gilbert and Chandler, class fees include training in both empty hand (karate) and weapons (kobudo). Students of traditional Shorin-Ryu Karate learn both arts: kobudo has always been taught with karate in the historical pat. Kobudo, the ancient art of weapons, is an extension of the empty hand. You can not have one without the other.

Such an art is important for peaceful people to learn. In particular, women should learn kobudo as weapons will give them an advantage. Not only are traditional Okinawan weapons taught by Soke Hausel, but so are common everyday weapons such as car keys, belts, rope, magazines, books, and coins. With reported statistics indicating that 1 in every 4 women will be sexually assaulted in college, learning to use that book, magazine, car keys, notebook, pen, frying pan, etc could provide a needed advantage.

Training in nunchaku kata at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate (fall, 2014)

Kobudo (Martial Arts Weapons) Classes in Mesa, Arizona include training in the basics, kata (forms), and bunkai (self-defense applications). Most of the traditional Okinawan kobudo weapons are taught along with modern weapons such as key chain, magazine, coins, expandable baton, shovel, etc.

What is kobudo? Kobudo is a martial art of using tools at hand as a weapon. It was created on Okinawa in 1480 AD, and blended with karate such that the two are now inseparable in the traditional Okinawan martial arts. If you have a set of car keys, a pen, a book, a magazine, fish hook, hammer, etc., these are modern kobudo weapons. When kobudo was created, the Okinawans used their fishing and gardening tools as both weapons and tools. These became an extension of karate and used the same stances, arm and leg movements, and even similar kata (forms). In several of the traditional Okinawan martial arts, kobudo is taught along with karate - they are inseparable - they are like the tires on a bicycle.

“Karate and Kobudo can be likened to tires of a bicycle. Both are needed to make the bike move”

All students of Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai (西洋少林流) train in karate, kobudo, samurai arts and self-defense.

Kobudo students in Arizona also train with hanbo (half-bo) and expandable batons

Karate and Kobudo were blended into one martial art centuries ago, and only recently in the 20th century, many Japanese forms of karate elected to eliminate kobudo. And when karate was introduced to the US, even more schools chose to eliminate kobudo from the curriculum.

Kobudo employs Okinawan farming & fishing tools as weapons including nunchaku (rice flails), nitanbo (batons), kama (sickles), short staff (hanbo), tsue (cane), bo (6-foot staff), iiku (oar), ra-ke (rake), tonfa (rice grinder handles/baton), surichin (weighted rope), tanto (knife), fish hook, short rakes, rope, weighted chain, Kusarigama (weighted sickles), Manrikigusari (weighted chain, rope), Kuwa, Konobo, Konsaibo, Tetsubo (club) and more.

Okinawan gardening in Arizona with kuwa

Training with kama and nitanbo

You don't have to swing nunchaku to be effective

Training with sai

In addition to the traditional Okinawan kobudo tools, Soke Hausel also teaches 

Japanese samurai arts including sojutsu (see above), naginata, iaido (sword),
rope restraints, tanto (knife), jujutsu (throwing arts) and hanbo (half-bo), tekko 

(knuckle dusters), tanto (knife), sansetsukon, nitanbo (2 sticks), kuwa (hoe).

Kobudo should be pragmatic. The twirling of martial arts weapons makes them look more like part of a circus that a martial art. Students (deshi) should learn to use such weapons with power, focus and mushin, along with kata for kobudo weapons and bunkai (applications) kumite (sparring) for both kobudo and kobujutsu weapons.

Tonfa (side handle baton).