My name is Andrew and I am a 4th year acupuncture intern/student at the Jung Tao School for Classical Chinese medicine. In October 2022, I visited the Kakikofu clinic in Tokyo and spent valuable time with Hiroshi Yamamoto (Yamamoto Sensei), learning about Traditional Sino-Japanese medical methods like hari (acupuncture), okyu (moxibustion), seitai (body correction), and a unique method of practitioner cultivation called Goshiki baika, a style of kiko (qigong). We spent a brief period on each method allowing me to learn, practice, and most importantly observe.
Deep and sincere gratitude and appreciation to the patients who allowed me to observe their treatment.
Since this training, I was able to put these lessons into practice immediately during my final year of clinical internship. The results have been nothing short of amazing. The Dashino (guide tube hammer) methods, direct okyu, and seitai methods have worked especially well. It was as if these additional tools in the toolbox selected themselves whenever a specific patient case required it. There is much to see and many more subtleties to perceive when training with Sensei. I feel immensely lucky to have observed. Patients can also feel said subtleties in treatment.
Hiroshi Sensei is a great teacher and a very effective clinician focusing on the acumoxa treatments while Kaori Sensei teaches and dispenses kampo (Sino-Japanese herbal medicine). They are both really nice and welcoming people. Hiroshi Sensei has also stayed in contact and continuously shared information with me since the training concluded.
It was a deeply enriching experience. I impatiently await my return to Kakikofu to continue my training!
Andrew Anders