“Kiatsuhо̄ ” is a health regimen based on Shinshin Toitsu Aikido.
As the Japanese word “Te-a-te” suggests (literally means “to place one’s hand on [something]”), when we feel something is wrong with our body, our hand naturally goes where the discomfort is.
That alone can sometimes improve our conditions or mood.
In the same way, by placing our hand on our body while our ki is extending, pain is reduced and stiffness is softened.
Relaxation improves our blood flow and body’s resilience.
If you treat an ailment while it is still mild, you can recover quickly, but if the symptoms become more severe, it takes much longer to recover from it.
This is accomplished through “Kiatsuhо̄ ”. Kiatsuhо̄ is not reserved for special people, but anyone can do it. Kiatsuhо̄ is a great help to ourselves and our family in maintaining good health.
The way we place our hand on the body in Kiatsuhо̄ is the same as the way we hold our partner in Shinshin Toitsu Aikido.
For example, let’s say we hold our partner’s wrist. If we hold it tightly, our Ki will be stuck; if we hold it lightly, our Ki will flow. It is important to hold our partner’s wrist so that our Ki can flow through the partner’s whole body. This is called “holding with Ki”. It is not the matter of “grabbing” vs. “holding lightly”.
We just hold in a way that our partner feels comfortable. In other words, all we have to do is to hold it so that our partner’s Ki naturally comes out.
When we hold with Ki, we can guide and throw our partner in Aikido techniques. In Kiatsuhо̄ , we can help our partner’s recovery. The principle is the same.
People are prone to unconscious resistance the moment they are touched, especially when they are touched by someone whose intention is to try to move them or control them.
This unconscious resistance appears as a “bump” in Aikido techniques, and in Kiatsuhо̄, as “uncomfortableness” felt by the person receiving the Kiatsuhо̄ . It means neither works.
Kiatsuhо̄ is done for the benefit of another person, so this unconscious resistance is less likely to occur compared to during the Aikido techniques. People who tend to feel a “bump” during Aikido techniques can often improve their techniques in a short
period of time by learning Kiatsuhо̄.
In fact, many people who study Shinshin Toitsu Aikido are learning Kiatsuhо̄.
Professor Takeshi Tanigawa, M.D., at Juntendo University, who spoke at our Ki Forum, has been focusing on Kiatsuhо̄ from a public health perspective.
Starting April 2023, two instructors from our Honbu (HQs) dojo will be entering the doctoral program at Juntendo University, where they conduct research on Kiatsuhо̄ and Ki training while holding their regular jobs.
Oregon Ki Society, a branch of the Shinshin Toitsu Aikidokai in the United States, is conducting clinical research on Kiatsuho in
collaboration with medical doctors.
In 2021, their academic paper was published in a medical journal. Journals are given a rating called Impact Factor (IF), and the paper was published in a journal that is considered highly reliable with an IF of 3 or more points.
The paper is in English and can be found at:
“Beneficial Effects of Kiatsu with Ki Training on Episodic Migraine”
Migraine headaches are a neurological disease with a high rate of prevalence around the world, and drug therapies come with side effects. Existing alternative therapies also have limitations, such as high cost, and clinics who provide those therapies are
limited in number.
Kiatsuhо̄ was demonstrated to be a promising approach. It provided sustained efficacies to female subjects with migraine headaches by significantly reducing the frequency, improving QoL (Quality of Life) scores, and reducing the need for medication use.
Of particular importance, the effectiveness of Kiatsuho increases when combined with Ki training (Keep One Point, etc.).
We will continue to research and promote Kiatsuho using various approaches.
Translated by Mayumi Case
Edited by David Shaner and Matthew Attarian
Eastern Ki Federation
https://easternkifederation.org/
Original article in Japanese: 氣圧法とは (Kiatsuho)
April 1, 2023
http://www.shinichitohei.com/japanese/2023/04/post-f738d8.html