This is from "Shia5su, The complete guide" by Chris Jarmey and Gabriel Mojay

I think it may help you a little.




The official recognition of Shiatsu in Japan can be mainly attributed to the efforts of Tokujiro Namikoshi, who established the Shiatsu Institute of Therapy in Hokkaido in 1925 and the Japan Shiatsu Institute in1940 (subsequently renamed the Japan Shiatsu School). His success was no doubt due to a combination of his obvious tactile sensitivity and the effort he put into aligning Shiatsu with Western medicine. In this way, his method benefited from the general trend towards Westernization.

The traditional, philosophical and medical framework was reintegrated into Shiatsu by Shizuto Masunaga, who taught at the Japan Shiatsu Institute for ten years before opening his own school known as the Iokai Shiatsu Center in Tokyo. Also highly developed in tactile sensitivity, Shizto Masunaga had an interest in integrating the ancient medical model with Western physiology. His main contribution to Shiatsu before his death was to establish the full influence of the major Energy Channels over the surface of the body, and how to fully effect a person's psychological/physical balance through optimum connection with these Channels.

Consequently, in Japan today, there are two distinct methods of Shiatsu: the method developed by Tokujiro Namikoshi, and Iokai Shiatsu as developed by the late Shizuto Masunaga. Namokoshi's style is characterized by applying pressure to specific reflex points which relate to the central and autonomic nervous system, whereas Masunaga's styleis characterized by sensitivity to the Energy Channels which are the manifestation of body/mind function, from the viewpoint of Oriental Medicine. Masunaga also introduced the dimension of 'support and connection' by realizing that Shiatsu treatment is much less painful, more nurturing and energetically more effective if both hands are kept apart, yet in contact with the recipient, so that one hand is used as a 'listening' hand, while the other applies technique.

Ultimately, however, the effectiveness of Shiatsu depends more upon the attitude, proficiency and attunement of the practitioner, than upon a particular style.

Hello,

I am a Masunaga style shiatsu practitioner (from the same school as Ursula actually). I use palms, thumbs, knees, elbows, knuckles, feet, forearms. Of course, I've also studied tui na, deep tissue, and Barefoot Shiatsu, so that influences things.

I think that something to consider is that both Namikoshi, and Masunaga were innovators. Namikoshi basically invented Shiatsu as a distinct style from Amma. Amma involved many different types of hand techniques, whereas Shiatsu involved only one... press/release... hence the name "shiatsu" meaning "finger pressure". Masunaga was a student and teacher of Namikoshi's style for quite some time (ten years I think) before he started 'feeling meridians', and researcing on his own. I get the impression from Masunaga's text 'Zen Shiatsu' that part of his techniques called 'shiatsu without fingers' were an answer to injuries and soreness sustained by practicing the very yang, one tool Namikoshi style (this is just my impression though). Masunaga was also one of the first to mention the idea of Ho/Sha (tonification/sedation) therapy in Shiatsu. The section in Zen shiatsu called 'shiatsu without fingers' is right in front of a section called 'how to sedate' where more elbow techniques are shown.

In my own experience, energetically it feels like Namikoshi's style is working with a singular technique on a singular energetic level of the person - the physical... this can be seen by noting that his Theory is all western anatomically oriented.
Masunaga's Shiatsu claims (and in my experience does) work in different ways with different presentations of energy... that being the case, it needs more varied tools.

I keep in mind that shiatsu is a recent development, born from more ancient disciplines (do-in, amma, tui na, kigong), therefore it is continually evolving. Now there are variations on Masunaga's Ideas by people like Ryoku Endo, and Pauline Sasaki.

peace, light,

Christien
om shanti

Hi
To properly answer you questions.
#1 Namikoshi shiatsu is the official style of shiatsu of Japan
#2 only Namikoshi shiatsu is legalized in Japan.
#3 Namikoshi shiatsu compared to any other style or known as derived styles of shiatsu, Namikoshi shiatsu is about applying th eproper amount of pressure on contact on any part of the body.
#4 Namikoshi shiatsu is th only shiatsu style that 100% safe to do & to receive & is effective simultaneously, none of the derived style such as zen shiatsu can do this due to the use of joints and not base on proper amount of pressure on contact.
#5 Namikoshi shiatsu has only medical theory not TCM or Chakras, is this why this was the style of shiatsu legalized in Japan?

To know more about shiatsu please visit www.shiatsucenter.fi