Chandler Arizona Librarians Use Self-Defense

Four of our female black belts at the Arizona Hombu (Hombu for Seiyo no Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai) in Mesa,
Arizona, train with magazines and books as very effective self-defense weapons at an annual Shorin-Ryu clinic
in Arizona in 2019. Such handy tools are available to any school teacher, university faculty and librarian. You just
 need to know how to use these and other tools found in the work place, such as pens, pencils, etc.

You are between two bookshelves at the library just before closing – someone sneaks up behind and grabs you. What do you do with that book in your hand? Imagine you are a school teacher, when a couple of large students back you up against the wall and all you have in your hand is a magazine, or a pen. What do you do to defend?    

Well, you could read your attacker a story, or if you were properly trained in self-defense, you would stomp on the person's toes and follow by striking your would be assailant with the edge of your book! We all think of libraries as being safe houses, but few places are truly safe anymore because of the drug wars, invasion of our homeland by millions of illegals, and an overall degradation in the moral fabric of society.

Librarians and staff of the Chandler Public Library were confronted with this and other imaginary scenarios at a clinic taught by Who's Who in Martial Arts and Hall-of-Fame martial artist and grandmaster, Soke Hausel of the Arizona Hombu Dojo in Mesa and world head of Seiyo no Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai. 

Grandmaster Hausel taught traditional martial arts for more than 4 decades at four universities prior to opening the Arizona Hombu dojo in Mesa, Arizona. One of the many arts he teaches is known as kobudo. Kobudo is a martial art of ancient Okinawan farming, fishing and merchant implements and tools used in self-defense. The techniques and concepts of kobudo can easily be adapted to modern garden and construction tools, as well as to most any movable object around the house or workplace. Soke Hausel admits he has a difficult time walking through any garden and tool shop without visualizing how modern tools can be used for self-defense - as a result, he has many garden tools purchased around the Phoenix valley to use in training and teaching martial arts.

Soke Hausel demonstrates a very simple response to wrist grabs
at the public library. When done properly, this technique causes
the attacker to lean forward into the kick.

During the Chandler Arizona seminar, Soke showed the librarians different methods to escape from wrist grabs, lapel grabs and bear-hugs by using elbows, knees, feet and hands and taught them how to use books, magazines, coins, pens, belts, and car keys as self-defense tools against aggressive attacks. The attendees were surprised to find they were working with self-defense weapons every day and even checking these weapons out to the public. Who would have guessed that the pen could be mightier that the sword for personal self-defense?

The librarians were also surprised at how effective a rolled up magazine could be as a self-defense weapon. Clinic attendees are taught to wrap a magazine tightly as it provides more punching power for a strike to the side of the head, ear or neck, to block a punch or knife thrust, or use the end of the magazine to thrust into the groin, solar plexus, liver, kidneys, neck or nose. In fact, magazines are so effective that he often has some of this students make their own weapons from magazines - such as nitanbo, kubotan, and even nunchaku. The magazine nunchaku are much better than any foam rubber nunchaku sold by martial arts supply outlets. The magazine chuks can be made from light-weight magazines for bunkai (self-defense) practice, or heavy magazines for kata (martial arts forms) practice.

Soke Hausel emphasized to the librarians - they must think about self-defense every day in order to reach a mental state talked about in Zen and in martial arts - mushin or no mind! He told them they must learn to react without thinking! 

Striking an attacker with a book.

As an example, he told them stories when he was a teenager after training in Kyokushin karate. "In kyokushin karate", he related, "we trained to fight in the dojo using nothing more than our bare hands and feet and the only protective gear available was an athletic cup which really didn't provide any protection". Years later when he trained in Shorin-Ryu karate and Kempojutsu at Juko Kai International, and learned an art known as Combat Ki which allows martial artists to take full-force strikes to vital points (including the unprotected groin) while smiling. He mentioned a demonstration at the University of Wyoming basketball half-time where is was photographed taking a full force kick in the groin from a 3rd degree black belt while smiling. The next day, the University photographer called him to stop by the university Photo Service to see the incredible photo caught at the moment of impact: Hausel was smiling! But he said, the full contact training in kyokushin karate taught him to react without thinking. In one instance, he hit another student in the hallway without any thought just because as the student walked by and quickly lifted his hand to brush his hair. Apparently, Soke Hausel's mushin mind interpreted this as an attack. 

It's also a way to break up a relationship. While digging through his high-school locker, his girlfriend snuck up behind him and gave him a light love-tap on the side of the face. Without thought, Soke indicated his body responded with a back elbow strike knocking her to the floor. He told the librarians not to worry about developing this kind of mushin mind, as it requires constant full-contact training where you often get hurt allowing your muscle memory to interpret this as negative reinforcement. By constantly training without full contact, you can get close to this kind of empty mind by practicing the same self-defense application over and over, thinking about it and visualizing the application. This will give you muscle memory, but with control over your muscles.

Great defense - note how the attacker (in
blue) leans forward into the kick.

So, the librarians trained in empty hand self-defense techniques, were told to carry car keys to the parking lot in one hand with the keys available for striking similar to a kubotan (short stick), or similar to tekko. He emphasize that the parking lot terrace in downtown Chandler could provide opportunities for criminals in the area. Let's face it, down town Chandler and the neighboring community is not the safest place in the evening. He joked saying he might be tempted to carry a samurai sword if he worked in the area. If nothing else, it would provide a warning to criminals.

The clinic continued and the librarians were taught simple escapes against varieties of bear hugs, wrist(s) grab, lapel grabs, take downs, chokes, punches. Some commented they were impressed to discover how easily they could defend themselves with just a little knowledge and training. They broke up into groups of two and practiced with each other while Soke and his student (a brown belt librarian from his dojo) came around to help each pair tweak the techniques.

Soke Hausel has taught similar self-defense clinics and seminars to political groups, Christian and Mormon organizations, EMT, university faculty and staff, military, scouts, teachers, women’s clubs, sororities, martial arts instructors, firemen, senior citizens, etc. He was a professor of martial arts and geologist at the University of Wyoming from 1977 to 2007 prior to moving to Gilbert, Arizona. He currently teaches karate, kobudo, self-defense and samurai arts at the Arizona Hombu dojo in the East Valley, writes books, and consults on various geological projects around North America.

One of many self-defense clinics taught by Soke Hausel at the University
of Wyoming to students and faculty. Soke indicates he especially likes to
have fun with the attendees and see that they learn and also have fun while
learning how to defend.

Librarians listen to Soke Hausel as he tells them how to use their knees and elbows.

A good book can also be good weapon. Pencil sketch by Soke Hausel, Hall of 
Fame martial arts instructor at the Arizona Hombu Dojo.

SELF-DEFENSE Clinics for the GENERAL PUBLIC are Popular

Using one's palm can provide a very effective strike.

Once again, our Hall-of-Fame martial arts instructor from the University of Wyoming, who relocated to Gilbert, Arizona in 2007, is recognized for accomplishments - this time by Marquis Who's Who in the World. Soke Hausel, who is the world head of Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai was selected for inclusion in the 2012 prestigious encyclopedia as he has been in the past several years. Fred Marks, Editor-in-Chief, noted that Soke Hausel has been selected for inclusion in the 2011 (28th edition) of Who's Who in the World and is being considered for inclusion in the 2012 (29th edition) of Who's Who in the World. Soke taught martial arts at four universities including ASU, University of New Mexico, University of Utah, and the University of Wyoming. 





Soke Hausel teaching self-defense to University
of Wyoming Air Force ROTC

One of many techniques taught to advanced martial artists but not
to the general public.

How would you react when someone grabs you?

Defending yourself at Soke's clinics often involves some laughter

PRACTICAL SELF DEFENSE CLINIC FOR BEGINNERS



Professor Hausel (right) with Hanshi Finley (7th dan) at Self-Defense clinic at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

Soke Hausel enjoys interacting with his instructors & students to provide popular & pragmatic self-defense clinics for both martial artists & the general public. Soke Hausel, Hall of Fame inductee, enjoys putting on a good show by combining useful techniques with wit that brings clinic attendees back again & again.

Why do these clinics have such a great attraction and following? It's because we focus on a group of very simple self-defense applications that are easy to use and we apply these a variety of attacks such as grabs, bear hugs, headlocks, chokes, hair grabs and more. People are entertained at our clinics, because we include pragmatic self-defense with some entertaining restraints. Awarded the AAPG's President's Certificate for Public Speaking, the North American Black Belt Hall of Fame's International Instructor of the Year, Laramie Lyceum Distinguished Speaker and the University of Wyoming Distinguished Lecturer. Wit, pragmatic techniques and great stories are the right combination for a great evening of entertainment that could one day save your life. 

In the past, we've taught clinics to women's clubs, EMT groups, Air Force ROTC, sororities, church groups, law enforcement students, airline travelers, business groups, political groups and others.

In 2010, we taught a group of public self-defense clinics where attendees were taught simple, but pragmatic self-defenses against several attacks. In other clinics, we trained traditional martial artists, in advanced self-defense, katas (forms), advanced forms, combinations, kobudo (weapons), knife, rifle and hand-gun defenses. His recent clinics were taught at the University of Wyoming in Laramie and at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa.

Just imagine - how would you defend against someone pushing you against the wall and then choking you. Attendees learned to reverse this attack and run the aggressor's head into the same wall they were pushed into. According to Tracy P, "One of the more exciting techniques was against a grab or a punch, and we quickly put their arm under their crotch & grabbed their collar and just walked them around the room looking bewildered and not so bright. Then we ran them into the wall. You just have to see it to believe it. We laughed so hard, I thought I was going to split my sides".

In clinics for the lay-person, attendees start learning simple defenses against wrist grabs, lapel grabs, chokes, bear hugs, etc, and the same defense is slightly modified and used for each of these attacks as this is the most pragmatic way for beginners to learn to defend one's self. Clinic attendees learned to use their elbows, knees and body weight against an attacker. Then they learned similar defenses using their palm-hands. And straight from the Karate Kid, they are taught about 'wax on, wax off' and more. With the addition of physics and why these work, it was also very educational. 

The clinics teach one to defend against a choke. In other defenses, attendees learn to smash the attacker's head against knees, a wall, or just follow up a choke with a more sophisticated choke. And of course, groin strikes are not eliminated - so bring a friend.

Other clinics taught include advanced knife and gun defenses and Shorin-Ryu white crane forms and applications for black belts. These advanced techniques require considerable training and expertise. In other clinics, attendees are taught forms and self-defense applications for martial artists of all ranks. People travel to train under Soke's guidance at the Mesa, Arizona Dojo and Soke travels to schools around the country.

The University of Wyoming Campus Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo Club sponsored self-defense clinics for public, staff and faculty of the university and communities of Laramie, Cheyenne, Casper and Fort Collins. The clinic held on October 22nd 2010 proved to be very successful as did previous self-defense clinics in September and March which filled the Education Building and Corbett Gyms. It was a time for staff, faculty & students of the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming community to get together and learn how to defend & use pragmatic weapons at hand (such as car keys). 

The clinics were also sponsored by grants provided to the UW Campus Shorin-Ryu Karate Club by the UW Residence Halls & Dining Services & ASUW.

In Arizona, we offer similar clinics to residents in the East Valley of Phoenix. Flight Attendant Associations, College groups, Women's Groups, Church Groups should consider learning some self-defense. STOP! Think what would you do if someone right now grabbed your purse - how would you defend? Now, what would you do if someone followed you to your car and then tried to mug you? Or steal your car?

What would you do if your daughter went off to college without self-defense training? We all think of college as a safe haven - but it is one of the more dangerous environments for a female in particular. Statistics show that at least 25% of all females attending college in the US will at one time be sexually assaulted. Can you live with that? Why send your children to college without a complete education.

If you want more training to become an expert in martial arts, one can continue training at the Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Hombu in Gilbert, Arizona.

Some classical techniques taught at clinics for the lay-person include defense against a wrist grab. Here the attacker grabs a wrist to restrain the defender. The defender simply grabs her own fist and brings the opposite elbow up into the chin as she steps into the attacker. This results in either  a visit to the dentist, or laughter.



 In another technique (left), the attacker grabs the victim by the throat. This is immediately followed by a thrust of nukite (knife hand) into the juggler notch of the attacker while stepping behind with one foot to drop the attacker over the defender's leg (left).

Following Soke's demonstration on how to defend an attack that restricts the defender against the wall (right) with a forearm to the throat (left), the table is turned on the attacker who is pivoted into the wall followed by a knee to the stomach (below left) or chest. Depending on how hard of a knee strike, the attacker either collapses to the ground in pain or in laughter (left below).

It is very important to learn to defend yourself, while having fun doing so at our lay-person clinics (right).

Knife defense training (above) in some of the advanced clinics, and a popular self-defense technique taught to karate practitioners is the 'Cowboy Pole Dancing', where the attacker is placed on his own arm while directed into a nearby wall or pole (left).

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