toronto,
ON
Courses at the Shiatsu Academy
of Tokyo
The Shiatsu Academy of Tokyo is one of two facilities in North America offering
accredited Shiatsu therapy Training using the methods of the founder of the
discipline, Tokujiro Namikoshi. We offer a diploma to graduates of our professional
Shiatsu Practitioner course. The curriculum includes: Shiatsu Theory; Shiatsu
History; Shiatsu Technique; Shiatsu Philosophy; Anatomy; Physiology; Pathology;
Code of Ethics; Eastern Medical Theory; Nutrition Students are now being accepted
for the fall semester 2004. Inquire now about shiatsu courses.
Website: http://www.kensensaito.com
Tel: (416) 466-8780
Events
Join the Shiatsu Academy of Tokyo in celebrating A Taste
of the Danforth Greek Festival from Friday August 6 – Sunday, August
8, 2004. There will be $10 chair demonstrations and $15 table demonstrations
outside. Shiatsu
Academy of Tokyo, 320 Danforth Avenue, 416 466-8780.
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Shiastu
Diffusion Society (SDS) News
The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) will be
a new program offered in September 2004 to SDS members
where workshops and seminars will be presented and
allow them to participate, thereby giving them a
strong foundation for Continuing Education. SDS members
will get points for attending these workshops or
seminars where the goal is to update members’ knowledge
of shiatsu in theory and practice. These workshops
and seminars will also be opened to other health
care practitioners in an effort to educate them about
the benefits of shiatsu.
The recent SDS meeting focused on the issue of shiatsu regulation in Ontario.
The two aspects of which are the Municipal and Provincial regulation. As for
the Municipal level we will be attending a group meeting with the other shiatsu
associations on Thursday July the 15th to see if we can come together on rebutting
the ideas presented by Toronto city councillors about the Holistic practitioners
license. We will present that there needs to be a minimum educational standard
for Shiatsu practitioners of graduation from a Government accredited school.
As for the provincial aspect we have started the application for a College
of Shiatsu and will be getting help from the STAO with the intermediate goal
of creating a new umbrella Shiatsu Association.
Breaking
News
On June 2nd, 2004, the Toronto Star reported “The City of Toronto wants
to crackdown on the growing number of illegal body rub parlors by hiking their
business license fees to more than $10,000. Under a proposal, approved yesterday
by the planning and transportation committee, the city would raise licensing
fees for holistic centres to the same rates as adult entertainment establishments
like strip clubs, beginning July 1.”
To impose this fee would wipe out the holistic health care field in Toronto
as we know it, since legitimate holistic practitioners won’t be able
to afford this enormous fee. The proposal is unfair to those who are providing
a legitimate essential service to the public who want to utilize shiatsu and
acupuncture that fall under the jurisdiction of the holistic practitioner’s
license.
The problem is that everyone is being put into one category without any distinction
of who is an educated therapist. In addition, the focus is on “illegal” activity.
To quote what was written in the Toronto Star, “While Milczyn concedes
hiking licensing fees from $151.56 to $10,174, with one-year renewals at $9,
809, won’t deter some body rub parlor operators, doing so will at least
generate revenues for the city to cover enforcement costs.”
Director of the Shiatsu Academy of Tokyo, Kensen Saito, went to the Ministry
of Education to explain his dilemma about the lack of distinction between body
rub parlor operators and legitimate shiatsu practitioners. Saito’s Academy
is a private school that requires shiatsu students to complete an intensive
2200 hour program which gives them training as legitimate “shiatsu professionals.” Some
of the students need to get provincial funding for this course in the amount
of $10,000. After they graduate, they have an obligation to return the money
in small portions to the government. One of the courses of this program is
a business course that informs the student how to operate a clinic and set
up a business. For example, one student who got a $10,000 loan from the provincial
government wanted to open his own business in Toronto. He found out that with
this new bylaw almost in place, he had to deliver $10,000 just to operate his
business. Since he was already paying back his debt to the provincial government,
he did not readily have the cash. How can the provincial and municipal governments
explain their reasoning to this young, promising shiatsu practitioner who wanted
to use the skills he learned in school to offer shiatsu as preventive health
care? It’s ludicrous for a shiatsu graduate and the public who benefits
from the treatments, to have this $10,000 obstacle to pay just to keep healthy.
Students come to an Ontario private school accredited by the government to
get a legitimate education, not to work as uneducated body rub operators. To
pass this bylaw makes the councillors of this municipality appear “misinformed.”
On speaking with Pam Coburn, Executive Director, Municipal Licensing and Standards,
two things became clear:
a) Massage Therapist and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioners were
not involved in this debate as they are organized ie. they already have an
official or regulating bodies. The City had no interest in these groups.
b) For Shiatsu to extricate itself form this situation of being associated
with the Sex Trade, and being subject to enforcement by the City, a single,
unified body is vital.
One decision that emerged from the SDS meeting on July 15th, was that the STAO,
SDS, STA and SSO, all shiatsu associations, would form a governing body or
Shiatsu Federation in Ontario. This agreement would establish a Committee with
a single representative from each shiatsu society to begin working on the Federation
or the Governing Body. The purpose of this Federation would be multiple: lobbying
to avoid imposed enforcement fee hikes without our consent or participation;
exerting a tight, professional control over the issue of Holistic Licenses
versus Sex worker image; creates insurance both ways; and would include an
ethics and complaints guidelines and procedures.
Two conflicts are reflected in this dilemma: firstly, it is a health issue
and secondly, it’s a training and education issue. Saito explains, “If
the municipal government charges the money and the body rub operators are the
only ones who can afford it, then they are the only ones who will remain in
business, forcing the legitimate, new and established shiatsu practitioners
out of business. Putting legitimate shiatsu practitioners and body rub operators
under the same category is not only unfair, but it is nonsense. They are not
distinguishing between who is a valid practitioner and who is not. Shiatsu
therapy is for the benefit of the public. It is not an entertainment industry.
People who use shiatsu are interested in preventive health care as a complementary
health modality. This proposal presented by the municipality reveals the confusion
of this definition.”
Changing this bylaw proposed for the Toronto area, is in sharp contrast to
the kind of respect shiatsu is being given internationally. On June 4th, Kensen
Saito, Director of the Shiatsu Academy of Tokyo in Toronto, met with Dr. Xiaorui
Zhang, supervisor of the Traditional Medicine Department of Essential Drugs
and Medicines Policy of the World Health Organization (WHO). Their discussion
involved the importance of shiatsu on an global level. A follow up meeting
was then held on June 5th with Dr. Ted Lo, President of the Friends of Alternative
and Complementary Therapies Society (FACT) and its members. Dr. Zhang informed
them at this meeting that the World Health Organization chose six therapies
to be accepted under the category of manual therapies within the traditional
medicine designation worldwide. The six manual therapies include: Chinese Tsuina;
Japanese Shiatsu; Judo therapy; Thai massage; Chiropractic; and Osteopathy.
This is an important development for shiatsu therapists worldwide, as it gives
credibility and respect to a profession that helps so many people.
calgarY, AB
Events
Grace Visconti will be participating in a Health Fair and doing a chair shiatsu
demonstration.
Where: PLANET
ORGANIC Health Fair, 10233 Elbow Drive S.W. (Corner of Southland Drive), Calgary,
Alberta
When: August
29, 2004 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Contacts: Planet
Organic - Calgary 403-252-2404 or
Grace Visconti at (403)
246-0996 or
email info@eagleheartdynamic.com
vancouver, BC
Courses
Our next the 2200 hour Shiastupractor Diploma Program is Starting September
13, 2004. Check out the Canadian College of Shiatsu Therapy website for more
information at: http://www.oyayubi.comhttp://www.oyayubi.com
Events
Canadian Shiatsu Society of BC is having a demo
at the Powell Street Festival 2004 on July
31st & August 1st in Vancouver BC. This is
Canada’s biggest traditional Japanese festival.
News
Message from the Program Coordinator, Allan Plett, Shiatsupractor® /
R.Sp Thank you for your interest in the Shiatsupractor® Diploma
Program. Please note that the Board of Directors of The Shiatsupractors'
Association of Canada has established new federal standards of 2200 hours for
Shiatsu Therapy training. To comply with these new requirements we have developed
a new curriculum for the upcoming 2004-2006 Shiatsupractor® Diploma
program. The program hours have increased, enabling more extensive training
in Shiatsu Therapy, basic sciences and other related subjects. Health care
in Canada, especially in British Columbia is gradually changing because the
public are recognizing that preventative health care is the basis of a healthy
lifestyle. People are concerned about their diet and health therefore people
are choosing to use allopathic medicine and alternative medicine interchangeably.
Shiatsu which was developed in Japan ninety years ago, can play a role of preventative
and complementary medicine. Canada and many other countries, are developing
an increasing awareness of the benefits of Shiatsu therapy. The growing awareness
will create more demands for a Shiatsupractor®. The present reality is
that there are not enough Shiatsupractor®s to serve the expanding market.
This growth in the popularity of Shiatsu will create excellent opportunities
for a Shiatsupractor®, both now and in the future. For example, we in B.C.
are to be the host to an Olympic games in the not to distant future. The 10's
of thousands of people that will pass through our area will be in need of our
services. A graduate from our program may take advantage of this opportunity
either on their own or with an established company,maybe for years to come.
New to our College is the recent acceptance of our College by the Washington
State Board of Massage. Graduates from our program are now able to apply for
a massage practitioners license in Washington, as we are now considered a State
approved Massage School. Whether career change or a new career, "Now" is
a good time so think Shiatsu and become a Shiatsupractor®. We look forward
seeing you at our college.If you have any questions, please contact Allan
Plett, Program Coordinator or Yu Bigelow, College Administrator, at (604) 904-4187 or
via http://www.oyayubi.com
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