Samurai Arts in Arizona

At the Arizona Hombu dojo on the border of Chandler, Gilbert and Mesa, two samurai train weekly in this unique traditional martial arts school. Sensei Paula Borea, a Hall-of-Fame Shorin-Ryu karate practitioner, was born in Japan and has trained in martial arts for a good part of her life. Her ancestry indicates she is a samurai descendant - so samurai arts are in her blood. Then there is Soke Hausel, awarded JKI Samurai in 1996 after earning six black belts in martial arts.

Thus at the Hombu dojo, samurai arts are part of the life of the school and the instructors. The samurai arts are taught along with traditional Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate, Kobudo and self-defense.

Some samurai arts taught at the dojo include: (1) iaido and kenjutsu - both classical samurai arts of the katana (samurai sword); (2) sojutsu - the art of the yari (samurai spear;) (3) naginata-jutsu or the art of the naginata known as pole arm; (4) hojojutsu or art of restraining; (5) hanbojutsu, the art of the half bo; (6) bojutsu, or the art of the Samurai 6-foot stick; (7) tanto or samurai knife; (8) traditional jujutsu or throwing arts; (9) tsune, the cane or walking stick; (10) kuboton, or hand stick; and (11) manrikigusari or weighted chain or rope.