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Hi All,

  I'm reaching out for advise on the topic of accredited schools. I personally feel very strongly that accreditation is crucial but I see many school popping up, and have to think to myself, "how important is it really" I would love some insight from other professionals. Did you attend an accredited school, or maybe not? What experience have come about as you continue in your massage career? Please feel free to share, I think its a great topic to open up about!

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"accreditation" is precisely the right word.  For almost all regulated states establish standards for schools they will accept. If a school cannot earn accreditation, they are not acceptable in the majority of regulated states.  Otherwise, they must go through a long and expensive vetting process of their own. Cheaper and less worrisome if they rely on accreditation bureaus; state reciprocity requires that  the state require accreditation of their schools.

Gordon, you reside in and practice in an unregulated state. 

I know you to be in the top tier in skills, knowledge of the body and hands-on experience.  I'm proud to acknowledge you as my mentor.  Quite on your own you have invested thousands of dollars and hours of your spare time every year in study of scads of modalities.  No certifications to show for all that expense and hard work.  A G-D crying shame that one with your skillset can't take a trip to, say, MS, or NY, or FL, or AR, and do what you do so much better than 99.99% of licensed massage therapists. 

But it is what it is.  In the 35 regulated states, proof of book knowledge is required of anyone who wants to practice massage therapy as a profession.  Hands-on palpatory skills are attested to by modality certifications earned in as little as one weekend of seminars. And, truthfully? Most who attain the certification return to their own practices with miscellaneous factoids of the newly discovered modality swimming like exotic fish in their cluttered minds. 

Gordon, like you I believe that individual initiative trumps formal schooling every time.  But how many possess your drive...your determination to become the very best at what you do? Not many, unfortunately.  Tens years of classroom and ten thousand massages given can't make a great massage therapist out of someone who just goes through the motions while "treating" clients. 

http://m.youtube.com/results?q=evan%20pantazi%20kyusho&sm=1

Yea, Im studying this guys soft tissue techniques now.  No CEUs are involved.  Anyone got the hiccups?  I can make them go away.

Watching martial arts will help with massage therapy???

Gordon J. Wallis said:

http://m.youtube.com/results?q=evan%20pantazi%20kyusho&sm=1

Yea, Im studying this guys soft tissue techniques now.  No CEUs are involved.  Anyone got the hiccups?  I can make them go away.

actually, yes, it can.  The Masters are showing the location of pressure points.  Pressure points...where nerve lies very close to the skin...pressure points that, when the covering muscle is hypertense or trigger-pointed, can cause cascading dysfunction there, or in other parts of the body.  So, yeah, I watched the videos-- I knew most of the locations already, because so many coincide with the locations of TPs.  but confirmations and reminders are always good.

i've never thought of it like that! thank you.

Gary W Addis, LMT said:

actually, yes, it can.  The Masters are showing the location of pressure points.  Pressure points...where nerve lies very close to the skin...pressure points that, when the covering muscle is hypertense or trigger-pointed, can cause cascading dysfunction there, or in other parts of the body.  So, yeah, I watched the videos-- I knew most of the locations already, because so many coincide with the locations of TPs.  but confirmations and reminders are always good.

Its his revival techniques that Im watching. An example. He strikes someone, and as a result, they get a headache. Then he uses soft tissue techniques to relieve the headache. So someone comes in for a massage and they have a headache. You can use the same techniques to relieve or eliminate their headache. Anyway, he has a whole DVD devoted to soft tissue techniques. Now I have a unique set of techniques in my massage tool kit. It gives me a better chance of helping people.

Go to that link I gave above and scrole down to Kyusho first aide.  Watch that video.  Thats the one that applies to our work.

Nice. I'm sure the pressure points he is using to show as demos are also used to relieve pain in massage too, correct? As far as I can tell (I'm looking at multiple videos on martial arts) they're working along the meridian lines.

You want to watch the Kyusho first aide video.  You have to scrole down a bit to find it.  You cant really learn from that clip because its just advertising for his DVD.  

Epiphany Hawkins said:

Nice. I'm sure the pressure points he is using to show as demos are also used to relieve pain in massage too, correct? As far as I can tell (I'm looking at multiple videos on martial arts) they're working along the meridian lines.

Gordon, I've found it. Watching it now. Thanks!

I'd love to watch the entire video.

Gordon J. Wallis said:

You want to watch the Kyusho first aide video.  You have to scrole down a bit to find it.  You cant really learn from that clip because its just advertising for his DVD.  

Epiphany Hawkins said:

Nice. I'm sure the pressure points he is using to show as demos are also used to relieve pain in massage too, correct? As far as I can tell (I'm looking at multiple videos on martial arts) they're working along the meridian lines.

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