Where Community and Movement Meets
Written By: Grant Klembara · Photography By: Doug Klembara
Hazel remembers what Oak Cliff was like back in the 80s. She first started venturing over on this side of the river around then. There wasn’t much going on in Bishop Arts, though the groundwork for revival was slowly starting to be laid. Oak Cliff was an area largely perceived as crime-ridden and unfit for business; yet it was slowly making progress by those who saw its unique character and potential.
Hazel had just relocated from Manhattan after spending years working in Acquisitions for the Hard Rock Cafe. Her boss, the owner of the Dallas Hard Rock Cafe, lived right off Winnetka.
“I used to come here to babysit. It was quite different then,” she said with a smile.
But as she was drawn to the area more and more, she eventually began looking for a place to workout. “I'm not a conventional “go to the gym and get on a machine or treadmill,” person,” she said. “I wanted something different.” She had already tried her hand at white-collar boxing. Why not try something new, like belly-dancing, next?
Her desire led her to the doors of the International Aikido Association Dojo off Jefferson Boulevard. There she met Ricardo Sosa, the sensei and Chief Instructor who operated this international headquarters–his father Bill had founded the International Aikido Association some years earlier. And it was there where she was quickly persuaded to drop belly dancing and pursue Aikido.
“What started as an idea of being feminine, doing a dance workout, and wearing a cute outfit quickly turned into me getting thrown around in a gym on a mat,” she said as she laughed.
“I’m not a conventional “go to the gym and get on a machine or treadmill,” person,”
She hadn’t exactly planned on signing up for this. But under her new sensei, Ricardo, she slowly began to gain an appreciation of this art form. She discovered the important connection between mind, body, and spirit. It takes skill and finesse, as she learned, to properly throw and be thrown by someone.
Aikido (literally meaning “harmony (ai), spirit/energy (ki) and path (do)”) is a Japanese art derived from the old Samurai techniques. The key principle of Aikido involves the redirection of an attacker’s energy. According to the founder's philosophy, the primary goal in practicing aikido is to overcome oneself–through self-discipline and control–instead of cultivating violence or aggressiveness. “It is a softer art focused on flowing with movement,” Hazel told me.
She continued to embrace this new way of training and stuck with it for many years. When she was on top of her training, she found herself more calm and controlled at work and at home. It had transformed her approach to daily life.
Tragically, however, as she showed up to train one day, she discovered that the dojo was closing. The Sosa family, who had run the dojo since the seventies, had plans to sell it. In 2017, they finally did and moved on. Students who had been training there for decades were devastated. Hazel was left without a place to train again.
“It is a softer art focused on flowing with movement.”
It was around that time when she and her partners were introduced to Monte Andersen. He had just purchased the building and was working on restoring it so that it could be useful to the community around it once again. After explaining the situation to Monte, he happily agreed to provide some space to this group of displaced students who were in serious need of a place to train.
While waiting for the construction of their space to be completed, they first began training downstairs where Jorge Samano now runs Oak Cliff Bike Synergy. At the time, renovations of Tyler Station had only just begun. “We would train in the evening when no one was here. And sure, it was dark and cold and we didn’t have our mats,” she said. “But we kept our group and training intact.”
As the group adapted and survived, they knew this would only be a temporary solution. Eventually her and her partners came together with an idea: Start a new Aikido School at Tyler Station. At first, Hazel was shocked by the thought – could they really do that? Could they afford the risk of starting a small business? More discussion and excitement followed, however, and by May 2017, Oak Cliff Aikikai had opened its doors as one of the very first tenants at Tyler Station. One month later, regular classes were happening and people were joining in from around the neighborhood.
Today, Hazel runs Movement HQ out of the very same space. In August 2021, Hazel expanded her offerings beyond martial arts. She now emphasizes groundwork training with a focus on movement, flexibility, coordination, and strength. Regardless of your age or current training habits, she wants you to get involved. And you don’t need to be currently active in a gym either to take a first step. “My philosophy,” she says, “is that if you are not able to carry your own weight, you have no business lifting dumbbells or anything like that.”
Stop by during the week and you’re bound to see a class or two in action. A group of Elmwood neighbors meet at Movement HQ three times a week, for instance. “These neighbors came to me looking for a class emphasizing flexibility over movement,” she said. “So we talked through a plan and made it happen.”
That’s how Hazel operates. She wants everyone to be included, especially those in the neighborhood. In October of last year, another neighbor named Joey was getting his haircut at Reycol Barbershop–a Tyler Station neighbor to Movement HQ. At the time, Joey and some of his friends were training at Vivero Gym in Downtown Elmwood. But things were changing for them: They lost their coaches, the gym changed, and they were left with no place to train. Sound familiar?
That’s when Joey stopped by Movement HQ. After finishing up class, Hazel connected with him. She heard his story and knew the frustration and difficulty a change like that could bring. After all, a similar thing had happened to her many years ago. So she invited Joey to return with his friends, and join her gym.
And so the community grows. Movement HQ has some very exciting plans as it continues to develop this year, with regular yoga classes coming this summer and more. You can also find intuitive massages, energy cleansings, and other partners who help make up the Movement HQ constellation. Hazel is interested in bringing people resources that can help them feel good and be in tune with themselves.
“So much of this training is a journey back to yourself,” Hazel said. “My hope is that when you leave these four walls, that the self-control, sensitivity, and even kindness and caring that you develop on the mat extends to the outside.”
