This blog includes many of my writings with youtube links.
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Acupressure massage has been a part of my adult life. I was attracted to taking acupressure massage classes because of my chronic pain and stiffness. During a massage class you give and receive. And I like both. It changed my life. I was not good at conversation but I was good with my hands.
I always massaged family and friends. At work I found that massage smoothed the wheels of progress. I have many stories. I’ll be telling some in the months ahead.
During the ’70s I worked in electronic product design and in the evenings studied massage and practiced on family and friends.
In electronics I developed a reputation for being able to solve the most difficult problems. One time I saved a company from bankruptcy because I designed a product that they had signed a contract with a huge penalty. I got an offer from the chief engineer. Name Your Price.
I started taking massage classes in 1970. After a decade of treating family and friends as well as trading massages with other professionals. I quit my job in 1980
During the 80s I practiced and taught massage. In 1980 I was making $60 an hour for acupressure massage and had a waiting list, within months of starting my massage practice. That was a lot of money.
I had been teaching classes for 3 years and was known as Mr Shiatsu in San Diego County. What happened to convince me to go to Acupuncture school and get a license?
The news that an “Elderly Healer accused of “Massage Murder” http://www.runrg.com
I told the school administrator I was not interested in doing acupuncture. I wanted a license to practice acupressure massage.
During the 90s I taught and wrote a book about acupressure. In 1992 Joined a professional organization, California State Oriental Medical Association (CSOMA)
To begin the millennium I published a book, wrote professional articles, and got into politics.
In 2001 I published Pain’s Healing Secret, which boosts my teaching career. From 2002-2006 I wrote five articles for the California Journal of Oriental Medicine (CJOM) published by CSOMA. From 2002 to 2004 I join the CSOMA’s Board of Directors.
After fifteen years of using acupuncture assistants (AA’s), some of my assistants had asked me if they could study with me in a tutorial program. They wanted to study with me so that they could become acupuncturist without going to school.
I called up the California Acupuncture Board (CAB) and asking about a tutorial program.
The director asked me about my assistants. I explained what they were doing: moxa, massage, and taking out the needles. The director said “you can’t do that” and I said “What? Why?” I said, “People have been doing that in my profession ever since I was licensed.” You get busy, you hire an assistant. I said I even have nurses who work for me and they’re all trained. They said “no” you can’t do that. They sent me a “cease and desist order” in the mail.
From 2002 to 2004 I joined the Little Hoover Commission (LHC) to make a case for an acupuncture tutorial program.
During the 10s I started this blog and wrote articles for the Lotus Guide, a local alternative newspaper.
So far it is the boring 20’s.
Michael Turk 