Traditional Eastern Medicine
The Tradition of Eastern Medicine
The traditional martial arts draw from all branches of knowledge, including Philosophy, Astrology, Feng Shui, the Art of War, Traditional Eastern Medicine, and much more. The Shaolin Wing Chun Nam Anh Kung Fu School has offered traditional medical training for over twenty years, and is affiliated with the Association of Anmanatherapists of Québec.
Anmanatherapy represents the first level of Traditional Eastern Medicine. Its teaching is conducted under the direct authority of Grand Master Nam Anh, in accordance with the heritage of the ancestors. The training program is structured as follows: 72 hours of classroom instruction (covering history, theory, and the study of treatment techniques), one year of practical training (under the guidance of the school’s instructors), and finally, having treated a minimum of ten patients over an extended period of one year. Upon completion, the practitioner may obtain the diploma of Anmanatherapist.
Traditional Eastern Medicine is organized into five levels. The first level is Anmanatherapy — a system of manual treatment techniques whose name is derived from three syllables: An (pressing), Ma (rubbing), and Na (pinching). The second level is Chinese Physiology, encompassing the application of poultices and the manipulation of joints. The third level is Moxibustion — treatment using heat therapy. The fourth level is Acupuncture — a form of treatment using needles. Finally, the fifth level is Phytotherapy — healing with the aid of herbal decoctions.
A Philosophy Applied to Life
The origins of Eastern Medicine extend back as far as 5,000 years. The earliest known text on the subject is the Classic of the Yellow Emperor, dating to 2,600 BCE. Eastern Medicine is an energy-based science — as opposed to the surgery-based medicine of Western society — and has been shaped by the principles of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. It was built upon the study of cosmic correlations and correspondences between the universe, the elements of nature, and the fundamental laws of humanity. Traditional Eastern Medicine rests upon a holistic conception of the human being and the cosmos, refined over many centuries: from 600 BCE with the concepts of Yin and Yang energies — opposing yet complementary forces — to 500–300 BCE with the Theory of the Five Elements, a vast system of classification and correspondence.
“Humanity and the universe are one. Within the human being, historical reality merges with Mother Nature, and one cannot separate oneself from this bond in order to live independently.”
— Laozi
The Theory of Energy
Energy is considered universal and singular, yet it is constituted by two opposing poles: the Yin polarity, which tends toward absolute stillness, and the Yang polarity, which tends toward extreme movement. The meeting of these two forces gives rise to vibration — which gives rise to the cosmos — which in turn gives rise to life.
Vital energy is the life force born of the union of Yin and Yang. When these opposing forces fall out of balance, illness appears. The Yin-Yang theory reveals the essential principles of the art of healing and disease prevention, through a holistic understanding of five embodied symptoms of imbalance: internal/external, cold/hot, damp/dry, full/empty, energy/blood.
Three natures of energy are distinguished: human energy, cosmic energy, and the energy of the earth. Cosmic energy and earth energy unite with human energy through the meridians — privileged pathways that “resonate” with the principal functions of the living organism. There are twelve main meridians distributed around the central axis (governed by the conception vessel); they are divided symmetrically into six Yin meridians and six Yang meridians. These principal meridians — pathways through which vital energy flows continuously throughout the entire body — connect the muscles, internal organs, and corresponding areas of the skin. Along the surface trajectory of the meridians are scattered “energy points,” more commonly known as “acupuncture points” or huyệt. These specific points play an active role in the surface or deep regulation of functional disorders.
The Techniques of Anmanatherapy
Anmanatherapy is a method of massage applied directly to the patient, acting upon blood circulation, the flow of energy through the meridians and their strategic points, as well as the internal organs corresponding to those points. This therapy produces numerous effects on the human being and operates at various levels. The massage acts upon the breathing of the skin, the renewal of tissue, and influences the nervous system — as all types of injury will manifest on the skin, and vice versa. Anmanatherapy also acts upon the muscles, joints, fluid systems, and internal secretions connected to the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the cerebral cortex — regulating the three principal agents of the human body.
Each Anmanatherapy treatment applies a variety of techniques to achieve diverse results on the body. There are eight primary forms: pressure, friction, compression, pushing, bending, percussion, kneading, and rolling. An accurate diagnosis is required before treatment is administered to the patient — covering the back, the face, the neck, the ears, the chest, the legs, the feet, the arms, and the mental-physical state — in order to apply the appropriate techniques and restore the proper balance. The diagnosis may involve taking the patient’s pulse using traditional methods, studying the correlations between each internal organ and its corresponding meridian, as well as the daily cycle of energy and blood circulation. This process is completed through careful observation of the patient and a thorough inquiry into their lifestyle and habits. Traditional Chinese Medicine is a living medicine that takes into account the reality of each individual human being — treating each patient as a unique person. That is what makes it an independent and rare practice.