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| Soke Hausel at Grizzly Creek where he discovered a world-class gemstone deposit in 2004. |
In 1977, Sensei Hausel was hired by the Geological Survey of Wyoming on the University of Wyoming Campus in Laramie to search for base metals, precious metals, gemstones, radioactive minerals and industrial minerals along with developing publications and maps to provide information to the public, state and mining industry on these deposits. He was also charged with researching both Precambrian geology and Igneous Petrology, both which had been neglected up till 1977.
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| Teaching jujutsu at UW with assistance of Sensei Jason Gies. |
As a polymath, this was a perfect job for the geoscientist: over the years, he more than fulfilled these obligations finding hundreds of mineral anomalies, major mineral deposits and even some world-class mineral deposits - both gold and gemstones and finding new mining districts. Never in the history of the Geological Survey had one person accomplished so much.
In addition to finding mineral deposits, he published nearly 1,000 documents including books, magazine articles, professional papers, geological maps and abstracts, mapped more than 1,000 square kilometers of complex Precambrian geological terrain, and mapped kimberlite and lamproite fields, investigated mineral deposits associated with porphyry gold-copper deposits, mapped and investigated gold deposits associated with alkaline volcanics, discovered major gold deposits in Wyoming and Alaska, and presented nearly 500 talks around the country about the geology of Wyoming. He was presented many awards and inducted into two Halls-of-Fame for his work in geological sciences and public education.
At the same time, Sensei Hausel taught martial arts at the University of Wyoming for 30 years as part of University Clubs, Club Sports, Department of Physical Education, Department of Kinesiology and University of Wyoming Extended Studies. Five thousand or more students, staff, faculty and members of Wyoming community attended these martial arts classes, karate clinics and self-defense short courses. These include Karate, Jujutsu, Kobudo, Self-Defense and Samurai Arts. He also taught martial arts clinics to the public on self-defense, rape prevention, jujutsu, karate, and kobudo (martial arts weapons).
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| Another Hall-of-Fame induction for grandmaster Hausel. |
Special martial arts classes and clinics were also taught to Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Nebraska, and Montana martial artists and communities and included hanbo, hojojutsu, tonfa, nunchaku, kama, sai, manrikigusari, naginata, yari, shitai kori, bo, kuwa, eiku, tanto, kibo, katana, nitanbo, kobuton, and others. Most of the clinics were taught at the University of Wyoming, but others were taught in Afton, Alpine, Cheyenne, Casper, Gillette, Riverton and Saratoga. To further educate people in martial arts history and benefits, he spoke to many groups about traditional martial arts.
And like the geological sciences, this fit well with a polymath. Sensei Hausel was inducted into Halls-of-Fame and several Who's Who for his teaching martial arts, influence on students, and developing a hybrid traditional martial art. From 1998 to 2012, he had been inducted into 14 Halls-of-Fame recognizing his accomplishments in the martial arts and became one of the better martial arts instructors in the world. Few other karate instructors had accomplished as much.
In 1999, he was awarded the rank of kudan (9th dan) in Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo and certified as Sokeshodai of Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Renmei. In 2004, Soke Hausel was awarded the highest rank in Shorin-Ryu Karate (Judan). As a 10th dan Soke, he continued to develop his martial arts.
In 2006, Soke Hausel ran into a dilemma. He had to chose between his love of his profession at the University and continue to work at the Geological Survey, or to take early retirement because of ethical conflict of working for a corrupt director. Three people died at the Geological Survey and nearly half of the staff resigned, transferred or retired. Even though it was his original intent to stay at the Wyoming Geological Survey until they carried him out in a box, he retired and moved to Arizona in protest of treatment of employees.
Since leaving Wyoming, Soke Hausel continued his geology career as a consultant for several mining companies, VP of US Exploration for and Australian diamond company, offered several book contracts, and has even been contacted by a half-dozen companies about doing reality shows related to gemstones and diamonds. In the past, Soke Hausel found several diamond deposits and identified nearly 300 anomalies that likely include additional diamond deposits. He also found dozens of gemstone deposits and hundreds of gold anomalies.
Along with geological consulting, Hausel continues to teach martial arts in Arizona. He also operates an international martial arts association (Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai) with martial artists in more than a dozen countries and teaches several times a week at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa and Gilbert, Arizona.
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| Soke Hausel's classes were always filled at the University of Wyoming. His Beginning Karate PE Classes filled to 110 students with waiting lists. |
So, the martial arts legacy continues in Arizona, where he operates a martial arts hombu (hombu is a world martial arts center or karate school) and continues teaching adults and families about traditional martial arts, but misses the university environment.
In the past he taught not only at the University of Wyoming, but also at the University of New Mexico, University of Utah and Arizona State University (ASU). ASU could have been a good fit, but the "bureaucracy was impressive" and after a year, Soke decided to leave ASU. Hopefully, one day, ASU, Grand Canyon University, Mesa Community College or a similar school will recognize they need a traditional martial arts program and a top martial arts instructor. Martial arts are not just about breaking rocks, they are mostly about improving a person mentally and physically. If all members of our society were receiving traditional martial arts training in the public schools and universities as they do in Japan, violence related to drug drivers, drugs, etc. would almost go away.
Since leaving Wyoming, the Campus Shorin-Ryu Karate & Kobudo Club invited Grandmaster Hausel back to teach some martial art and self-defense clinics. The club has also experienced a group of different instructors and faculty advisors starting with Shihan Froidevoix (5th dan), Sensei Martin (1st dan), Shihan Larson (5th dan) and Sensei Nicole Maxwell (2nd dan). Faculty advisors included Dr. Florence Teule followed by Professor Mark Bittner (both black belts).
Soke Hausel left a legacy at UW that included 2,000 to 3,000 students who participated in the club's activities. This program was one of the top martial arts educational programs in North America for many years.
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| 30th Anniversary Clinic at Corbett Gym at the University of Wyoming. Soke Hausel kneeling (center). |
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| UW students learn self-defense at Soke Hausel's clinics |
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| Self-defense classes for women, students, faculty, ROTC, sororities, etc were always very popular with attendees filling the University of Wyoming gymnasiums. |
