The Arizona School of Traditional Karate in Mesa opened its doors in 2008 across the street from Gilbert and Chandler, Arizona. In addition to functioning as a school of martial arts instruction for residents of the Phoenix Valley, periodically members of world organization of Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai travel to Arizona to train at the Arizona School of Traditional Karate. This is because the dojo is also the world headquarters (hombu) of the world organization (Seiyo No Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai). The world organization was established in 1999 and the world head of this international Okinawan martial art lives in Gilbert, Arizona and has been teaching martial arts for 4 decades and training in martial arts for more than 45 years. In 2006, Soke Hausel, 10th dan, retired from the University of Wyoming in Laramie and relocated the Hombu from Wyoming to Arizona.