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BUSHIDO - The WAY of the WARRIOR SEIYO NO SHORIN-RYU KARATE KOBUDO KAI

March, 2012

W. Dan Hausel, Soke & Eric J. Hausel, Soke-Dai

v.9, no.3

Newsletter of The Arizona (SEIYO SHORIN-RYU) Hombu (Mesa, Arizona)

‘Would you walk into a wilderness without a map? Then why would you consider karate without kata?’ Soke Hausel

March Dojo Kun Doryoku no Seishin o Yashinau Koto – Cultivate a spirit of effort & perseverance

2012 Clinics Utah Shorin-Kai/Arizona Hombu Training (April 12th-14th). Some members from the Utah Shorin-Kai will fly from Salt Lake International to Phoenix Sky Harbor in order to train at the Hombu on Friday evening (6:30-8:30 pm) and Saturday (11 am–3 pm). All students of the Arizona Hombu are invited to train with our Utah members. In the past, we have all had a super time training together. Utah Gasshuku – August 4th, 2012, East Canyon Lodge. Annual Outdoor training for Seiyo Kai and Utah Shorin-Kai (contact Sensei Watson ([email protected]) or Sensei Stoneking ([email protected]) for information on camping and training at this clinic.

The Black Belt Many students think of the black belt as a symbol of the highest level of martial arts. It‟s not. It‟s simply another step some people reach and represents a beginning of learning – meikyo okuden – the entrance to the secrets of martial arts. For a sensei, this is a time we reward a person for their accomplishments; but at the same time, it is a time to say „goodbye‟ to most martial artists. The black belt certificate represents a quandary to the awarding sensei and to most students. What will be the path of this student in the next few days or weeks. Will we ever see him or her again? Will they give

up martial arts training? How can a person invest so much time in training and then just quit? Unfortunately shodan and nidan certificates often come with invisible “STOP” signs to signify the end of a person‟s training. But this is not what it is suppose to be, it is suppose to signify the beginning. As a 1st and 2nd degree black belt, one still has considerable martial arts to learn. Even at the 3rd and 4th degree level, you still have much to learn. When you reach the Shihan level at 5th and 6th degree, you recognize you have a lot to learn, and at higher levels you start to grasp how much you don‟t know. "There is no end to learning martial arts - only a beginning". We all know someone who was awarded a black belt. We see them for one or two more classes before they disappear forever. For those of us in Arizona, we‟ve seen examples of this, and when I ran the University of Wyoming Campus Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo Club, we had a high percentage of returning black belts, but we also had our share of those we never saw again except around campus. So where do these people go and why does this happen? It‟s such a problem that I even know of one major martial arts association that now lists expiration dates on all black belt diplomas simply because they believe that a person cannot be a black belt unless they are training and or teaching all of the time. I don‟t believe this is the answer. The answer lies within the person. Some estimates suggest handing out a black belt certificate ends the career of 50% of martial artists – it‟s like a disease. I suspect the fatality level is much higher: possibly 75%. When you set a goal to “earn a black belt” (some set even lower goals) you have added a ticking time bomb to end your martial arts career! Why is this a death sentence for a person‟s martial arts path? There are many paths to the top of Mt Fuji, but it only has one summit.

As a young boy, I was completely and totally bored in public school. So bored I accidentally stumbled upon a method of affirmation and goal setting. I stared out the classroom window from morning until the bell rang to end the day. I daydreamed about other lands, doing things and being someone. As you can imagine, I ended up on the teacher‟s naughty list with grades reflecting my lack of interest. Even so, my daydreams were like a TV series. I would place myself in imaginary roles and each day continue with the series. It was the only way I could get through the suffering of being bored. By the time I got to high school, some of my daydreams began to lead me by the hand. The Beatle‟s invaded America: I imagined playing in a popular rock n‟ roll band. Another week or another day, I was an astronomer talking about the universe. After I signed up for karate lessons I remember hurrying home from the dojo each week so I could watch Bruce Lee play Kato in the Green Hornet. Bruce Lee also starred in “Enter the Dragon” and I starred in my imaginary martial arts daydreams. I dreamed of owning my own dojo and teaching at a university. In these dreams, I was a 3rd degree black belt (this probably was because my first two instructors were sandans). After watching the summer Olympics, I was a weight lifter and could lift incredible weight. I became a prospector who explored old mines and ghost towns and wrote books about my

adventurers: I was a popular public speaker. Some people dream of being rich – money never entered my dreams, instead I was rich in experience and adventure. It was the typical dreams of many kids, but the difference - I was so bored that my dreams came back every day as an escape. My early years moved so slowly. When Albert Einstein declared time was relative, he must have been talking about me. When young and bored, time went by sooooo slow that each year seemed to take a century. Now I‟m older and have things to do, time moves by soooo fast. Each year seems like a few months and I have a very difficult time visualizing myself with gray hair. Just yesterday I had black hair and was 40. Maybe that‟s why I go crazy at the gym: I‟m still young at heart. When I was a senior in high school, my school‟s counselor called in my parents to discuss my lack of interest along with my rebellious attitude. She told them it would be a waste of money to send me to college and they should instead consider a military option. Now there was a lady who should have considered a different career. Without realizing it, by starring out the window, I had been setting lifelong goals. My daydreams were affirmations of what to do in life. They gave me a direction. Left - Sketch of my high school counselor.

A few decades later, I was listening to some tapes entitled “Investment in Excellence”. It was a self-help program on goal setting. All of a sudden, it became clear to me that what I had done throughout public school was exactly what this person was promoting as goal setting. I had set up positive affirmations of what I wanted to do and these slowly worked their way into my thoughts until they actually starting guiding me towards those goals. I had accomplished essentially everything I wanted to accomplish in life. Here are a few: (1) I played in a Rock n‟ Roll band in the „60s. My first band became the most popular band in northern Utah. We were in demand to play at concerts. But then, something happened and I realize now that some goals can be derailed by other people if they are included in your goals or dreams. At the peak of our popularity, our drummer quit one night for no apparent reason. It was a shock to the rest of our band, and next our base player gave up. I played with other bands, but it was never the same. I guess my goal was too focused on this one band. (2) In the late 1960s and early 1970s, I became an astronomer and lecturer at the Hansen Planetarium in Salt Lake City. I did this for 3 to 4 years before moving on to another dream.

(3) While at the Hansen Planetarium, I finished a BS degree in geology and started working on a MS degree. I was selected to conduct research on lunar samples. For those who are geologists, the rocks we tested turned out to be basalts, breccias, and anorthosites. One interesting mineral discovered on the moon was named after the Apollo 11 crew - Armalcolite. The name was derived from the last names of the Apollo crew - Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. Even more amazing was that this mineral was later discovered in rare rocks at Noonkabob and Ellendale, Australia and in the Leucite Hills of Wyoming. Over the next 3 decades, I accomplished many goals in geology and martial arts. (4) I was nudged into writing, another goal. I published nearly 1,000 professional papers, general interest articles, books, geological maps, and professional abstracts on geology and even a few on martial arts. I loved to write and this led to opportunities to speak to the public about my work. Dreams are good, but be careful of what you dream about because it might come true.

(6) Martial arts captured many dreams. I wanted to be like my instructors (3rd degree black belts/sensei). This is where I later discovered goal setting can also limit a person, so be careful of what you dream. By placing a goal in my head of achieving a 3rd degree black belt, this provided a stop sign that I could not get pass until I met Dr. Sacharnoski! This is the same problem that happens to the majority of people who receive 1st or 2nd degree black belts –don’t let it happen to you! After I was promoted to sandan in the late „70s, I had little reason to achieve anything else in martial arts. I was teaching martial arts at the University of Wyoming and it wasn‟t until I met Dai-Soke Sacharnoski a short time after 1990 that I discovered I had put the brake on myself. Dr. Sacharnoski gave me new goals: I was promoted to yondan and then the flood gate opened. I had a new path to follow. I moved through the ranks if JKI and in 1999, was promoted to 9th dan and given title and certification of Sokeshodai of Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Renmei. Along the way, I also received certifications in nearly 2 dozen martial arts as well as certification as shihan (5th dan) in five other martial arts. In 2004, I was promoted to 10th dan, the highest rank attainable in Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo. This all happened because Dai-Soke Sacharnoski gave me new dreams and new goals. The Investment in Excellence program was a method of goal setting I already had been following without realizing it. Still, it provided me a means to write down goals. There were roadblocks, I had no control over that forced me to re-evaluate a couple of goals, such as our band falling apart and later in life, when I worked for a full-blown psychopath at the Wyoming Geological Survey. This latter roadblock led me to find a new path and I ended up as VP of Exploration for an Australian diamond mining company until the economy collapsed in 2008 and has yet to recover. We can‟t always control our path, but we can create goals in our minds to help us find the path. You don‟t need to plan how to get to those goals, you just need to provide the point you are looking to reach and then just let your mind will find the way.

Visualize what you want to be and don‟t place limits. Write down you goals and revisit them often until your subconscious achieves them for you (it can take a year or a few years, but it will happen if you set the right positive goals). As an example, I had a problem with accepting positive reinforcement. People would congratulate me on this or that and I would thank them and follow with: “but ….” This negative self-talk became a terrible habit until it was pointed out to me by a friend, so I wrote out an affirmation – “I am a very positive person and listen to my self-talk as it is filled with many positive things to say about me”. By repeating this over and over, it only took a few weeks to accomplish this affirmation. Now I graciously accept compliments. I suspect you are getting the gist of how we lose black belts worldwide. As a martial artist, you should not set a goal to achieve a black belt. This becomes your goal and once achieved, your mind thinks you are done. Instead visualize being a master instructor (shihan, 5th dan) or higher. Write down a positive affirmation such as “I am a shihan and 5th dan black belt and operate a very successful martial arts school”. Another goal you should set for yourself is to teach martial arts whether it is at the Hombu or your own dojo. You cannot even grasp martial arts until you teach them. This is a major step in martial arts education that requires one to be able to take apart techniques and understand them. It is a time of martial arts enlightenment. When setting a goal to teach include reaching the level of shihan. In the past year or so we had two people come to our hombu indicating they were focused and looked to train until they could teach martial arts one day. Something went wrong with their goals as both quit after reaching yellow belt. Teaching Martial Arts. So how does one go about opening a martial arts school? Unless you are a wizard at business, you might look at renting time and space at a local church, school, college, or gymnasium. I taught martial arts at four universities, but also taught at several gyms. Gyms are a good place to start, but there are many uncontrollable problems with gyms. Most have little regard for martial arts programs that are considered very low priority compared to other aerobic programs. You will seldom get help from management unless the manager owns the gym. If you are at a university, check to see what requirements are necessary for a university club – much of the time they are minor and success is based on your ambition as an instructor. But no matter where you teach, it will take 3 to 5 years to build up a group of students.

Buy liability insurance (your insurer can give you release forms for your students). You can typically get liability insurance for about $450 per year. After you have a place to teach, insurance, and liability forms, start out with 1 or 2 classes per week - don‟t feel let down when no one shows up – it happens. When I started teaching, there were nights that I was the only person. But it gave me personal time to train. I also trained in the open as this was a way to advertise and resulted in potential students asking about karate. At the University of Wyoming, I was able to build up the group to more than 150 members. But this took 20 years. Offer to teach public self-defense seminars to get recognition. Look for any reason to send out a press release on your activities. There are likely many other ways to advertise, if you have any ideas, I‟m always looking for new ways to advertise. Build a website. Find other outlets, and don‟t give up. You can supplement your martial arts school with a wholesaler license from a martial arts supplies outlet. Nearly all are willing to give wholesaler discounts. Be a dreamer!

Promotions We congratulate the following members for their hard work. From the Utah Shorin-Kai, the following students were promoted. Destin Barrowes was promoted to Nikyu, Jasmina Ljubijankic to Sankyu, Brooke Christenson to Sankyu, Laura Whitney to Gokyu, Sarah Whitney to Gokyu, ELynn Barrowes to Gokyu, Angelene Barrowes to Gokyu, Taylor Hendrickson to Sichikyu, Rand Sachs to Kukyu, John Kendall to Sankyu and Abrahm Barrowes to Sankyu. From the Arizona Hombu, Ryan Harden was promoted to yonkyu and Rich Mendolia to Nikyu. Rich and Ryan at the Arizona Hombu.

Weight Training Back in the later 90s, I remember watching Soke (and please correct me if I am mistaken) do heavy partial repetition squats with around 800 lbs on the bar in the UWYO gym. After a couple of years, I remember Soke lamenting that he had to back off to around 600 lbs because his back was getting older. I thought to myself: I wish I could squat 600 lbs let alone „back off to‟ 600 lbs! Perhaps my numbers are off but nevertheless the impression it made upon me was inspiring.

Soke has always preached power in your technique such that each strike has knock-down power. With that in mind, a strong chest should equal powerful strikes because the major muscle group that controls thrusting the arms in front of your body are the pectoral muscles. We all know the benefits of any of the myriad number of variations of doing pushups and dips as well as the standard gymnasium incline, flat and decline bench presses. However, if you wish to break through a plateau and gain even more strength then here are two exercises that can help you if you have access to a gym. The first exercise is heavy partial repetitions using a squat cage. Pull a bench into the cage and lie down and push an imaginary bar up for a full rep and note where ½ the distance of that repetition is on the cage. Now lower the safety bars until they are at the ½ rep distance. For example, my full range of motion is about 20 inches and my half rep distance is about 10 inches. Thus, when the bar is resting on the safety bars it will be half the distance to a full rep. Now add your normal flat bench workout weight. It should be easier to lift because you are only using this upper range of motion. Consequently, you can add more weight and handle it safely. The extra weight provides extra stress on the muscles, tendons and ligaments that you ordinarily would not have. This is essentially the same thing Soke was doing with heavy squats. The second exercise is a flat bench 1 arm negative using the Smith machine which is a cage with a sliding bar and safety catches. The exercise is to push the weight up with both arms but let it down slowly with only one. Then up with both arms and down with the other arm. Continue for 3 or 4 repetitions on each arm. This exercise is very difficult to do with good form. So, start off first with a light weight first and progress upward. Be sure to rest for several days before doing any further chest exercises and allow yourself to recover. In fact, if you like to challenge yourself and have a goal of benching X lbs, you could start with the bar already at a ¾ rep height (range of motion is about 5 inches) with that X weight and as you get stronger lower the bar to ½ rep height and ¼ rep height and finally it will be a full rep. Using these techniques, I increased my flat bench to the 415-425 range, which isn‟t bad for a 46 yr old, and I‟m now considering entering a Maryland State Power lifting competition. These techniques are safe, do not require a spotter and work. If you have any questions, I‟ll be happy to answer as best as I can. Dr. Ernst Arnold, Shodan Hagerstown, MD For those who donot know Ernst, he was granted a sensei license and was a chemistry student at the University of Wyoming where he was a regular in our dojo until he graduated. I recently received a card from Ernst and his family and was very impressed by how much bulk he had put on through weight training –Soke.

Tameshiwara As the sun rises higher and higher, it will reach a point that it will be daylight during our evening classes. When this happens, it will be time for tameshiwara: the art of breaking!

When I started training in karate, most people in the US were of the impression this was the primary function of karate and jujutsu. In reality, it is a very minor part of karate and is only practiced to assist in development of selfconfidence. Many schools today use rebreakable boards, but being that I‟m a geologist, there are plenty rocks out there willing to assist us. So, I have a bag of rocks I picked up from the Salt River flood plain that we will attempt to break. I picked rocks of all different sizes, so this will be a fun night for all of us at the Hombu. Jessica Ricks (now a nidan) crushes rock at the University of Wyoming.

GETTING TO KNOW LUIS JUVIER (Part 2) By Luis Guerra Juvier – Shodan (Continued from the December, 2011 Newsletter) (from the Kyu/Dan March Newsletter). While masters Rizo and Chirino were in Japan they continued training with Japanese experts. Despite exclusivity, karate spread in Havana. Kung Fu and Judo had roots in a few schools, then other styles of Karate and martial arts arrived and expanded rapidly as did Tae-kwon-do. The skills achieved by the founders of the school of Karate in Cuba, was used to train military elites, called special troops, which were special agents of the Ministry, national police and ultimately civilians of whom its best exponents and members of the Communist Youth recruited to nurture these forces. Fortunately I was a civilian. The practice of Karate was usually in a courtyard cemented or asphalt at an educational center. Over the years we went from one place to another, almost always outdoors, three times a week, for at least three hours per session. The black belts could go Saturday to a local municipality of sports and where there was the Provincial Commissioner and other black belts to practice higher, technical kumite, kata and other things. It was around the year of 1979 when I began, I was about 22 years old. For beginners the first three months were a strong physical preparation, then the first static techniques, then the first Kata and the necessary techniques. For this reason, I like to practice and repeat until tired. As for a favorite Kata, TAIKYOKU SHODAN, it was the first I learned it is a Kata of precision, speed and force. In the year 1995 I managed the 1 Kyu Brown belt, as well as the course and evaluation for referee in the sports "Manuel Fajardo" of Camagüey school under the direction of the Provincial Commissioner of Karate and one of my teachers, which all called "Pepito". I Began my technical preparation for black belt, but at the same time in Cuba another difficult period economically due to the collapse of the Communists of the East, and European subsidies that were sent

to the Government of Castro; I had to stop practicing around the end of 1998. I was beginning another important stage of my life, to care for my family. I started an independent working life with a small restaurant (called in Cuba "Palate"). The practice of the Karate-do momentarily stopped, but the fire within me was continuing despite the fact that I began the biggest turn of my life, to receive political asylum in the United States of America. In 2010, I was now living in Utah; I found an ad in the local Murray, newspaper for the Utah Shorin Kai Karate. My trainers in Cuba were several, I've forgotten full names, but remember the early belts black George and Meriño, their workouts were very strict. Sergio Carmona 2nd Dan, Commissioner Provincial, Pepito, the brothers Rumbaut, Titico, Miralle, etc., all very good athletes and instructors. It remains only for me to add that upon my arrival in Utah I went to investigate many styles and martial arts schools, until I got to the gym at the Hillcrest Junior High School. Impressive was the number of children and young practitioners, but I was more impressed by the patience and the high technical preparation of the instructors as well as the reduced cost of registration for them to practice. Group photo at the Arizona Hombu (2011). Luis Juvier kneels between Sensei Bill Borea and Shihan Neal Adam.

Kobudō - I cannot say anything about because that is totally new for me. I definitely have to devote more time to develop the skills needed in its use. I really like these practices and enjoy them. With regard to the Kumite, it is not my favorite, I prefer the Kata. I have had to fight more than in my previous life. Today I understand that Shorin Ryu is about techniques that should be run completely. Training in Gojushiho kata at the Arizona hombu with Luis Juvier in the photo center.

My educational background: Primary school to University, completing 10th grade, in 1975. I enrolled in the pedagogical detachment. (Young men that were beginning a teaching career with pre-university studies). I

graduated as a teacher in July 1980. Completed university studies with a "Degree in education" from the pedagogical higher Institute "José Martí" in physics and astronomy in July 1988. Teaching physics, astronomy and electronics I labored in secondary schools and pre-university‟s for 15 years, plus 5 years as a student teacher. Almost all of my youth was dedicated to this beautiful profession by a regime based on the imported philosophical doctrine called Marxist-Leninist, under a romantic revolutionaries smokescreen that hides a vast prison that holds an entire people without freedoms or rights. Other Studies include: "Center for overcoming pedagogical information" at the Pedagogical Institute in Camagüey. – I received the title of "Professor of computer science", July 1994. August 2003, "Basic photography course", by the Cuban Association of Publications and propagandists. October 2003, Post grade “design elements and Photoshop fundamentals”, awarded by the University of Camagüey. February 2004, "Specialized course of Digital Photography", awarded by the Cuban Association of social communicators. But the most important intellectual activity that I've done, is having exercised journalism to confront the dictatorship of Fidel Castro. In 2002, we founded the Camagüeyana "El Mayor" press agency in order to disclose the abuses suffered by the Cuban people. Reports were published through a print newsletter, called "El Camagüeyano" , and through radio reports that were read by telephone to stations based in Miami, that retransmitted them toward the Cuban archipelago and internationally. This activity I did until the day I left Cuba to exile in March 2008.

News From Utah This year we are training with Soke on Friday & Saturday, April 13th & 14th. This is the second weekend in April. A group of students will be flying from Salt Lake City to Phoenix, Arizona to train with Soke Hausel at the Seiyo Shorin-Ryu Hombu Dojo. We plan to leave on Thursday evening April 12th, flying to Phoenix and to return on Saturday evening April 14th. While in Phoenix we will spend time training with Soke in both Karate and Kobudo. We also expect to get some sightseeing time in and some relaxation time. Like all training events outside of normal classes, there is some additional cost to the student. (Soke, has graciously only charged a very small free to us for the opportunity to train with him – something almost unheard of for the opportunity to train with a 10th Degree Black Belt). Any student that would like to train and has not already made arrangement to go should be speaking with Kyoshi Watson immediately. As with most of our extra training events, all students are invited but intermediate students and upper ranks are encouraged to attend. You don‟t want to miss this event.

Hombu News The Hombu changed its class schedule which is displayed on our websites. Our new Shorin-Ryu schedule follows (for the Tai Chi Academy schedule, visit our website): When I am not teaching, I will either be training by myself, or searching for gold and gemstones.

Tuesdays 6:45-7:50 pm Shorin-Ryu Karate Basics & Kata 7:50-8:20 pm Advanced Shorin-Ryu Kata & Applications

Wednesdays 3-4 pm Family Shorin-Ryu Karate & Kobudo 4-5 pm Shorin-Ryu Kids Karate (by invitation only). 6:45-7:50 pm Shorin-Ryu Self-Defense & Jujutsu. 7:50-8:20 pm Samurai Arts

Thursdays 6:45-7:50 pm Shorin-Ryu Kobudo (weapons). 7:50-8:20 pm Advanced Kobudo & Applications.

Funakoshi Let The Moose (err Cat) Out of the Bag Anku Itosu and Gichin Funakoshi already let the cat (neko) out of the bag. They told everyone about Okinawan Karate so it‟s no longer a secret. Please don’t keep us a secret either. Bring a friend, family member or co-worker to visit our Shorin-Ryu family and forward a copy of our newsletter to an associate and we also appreciate you making copies and distributing a few in your area.

Seiyo Kai Membership Dues Membership for Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai were due by February 15th (mail to Soke Hausel, Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai, 1053 W. Cantebria Dr., Gilbert, AZ 85233). Unfortunately, this will be the last newsletter sent out to several students this year. Only those who train at the Arizona Hombu or paid their Seiyo Kai membership fees will continue receiving our newsletter after this month. Even so, you are all still members of our Family (ryu). So please don‟t be strangers and send us a not periodically of where you are and how you are doing ([email protected]).

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