SOICHIRO WATANABE'S SCHOOL

◆Encounter with Thai traditional massage

From my own background, after graduating from university, I got a job at an apparel maker, started a fashion-related sales company a few years later, and had 50 to 60 staff members, and I was in good shape. bottom. It was still a good time, so I felt like I was doing a big company trip and an in-house party. The bubble was over, but it was a time when the domestic economy was still strong. I intended to run the company smoothly for more than 10 years, but suddenly the scandals of the employees became apparent and suddenly I could not survive the company. Even though it is an employee's scandal, the management is naturally held responsible for management. In the end, I myself got lost on the road because of poor management. Borrowing to a bank or compensation, I'm sorry. It doesn't start even if I complain that he made my life go crazy. If I think about it now, I think I had some autonomic imbalance. Somehow I'm feeling sick and I'm not feeling well, I don't feel motivated. Maybe it's easier to die if you're in a hurry? It continued every day like such a crock.

One day, I suddenly remembered the massage I received on my trip to Thailand. "I really felt comfortable with that massage, so I want to take it again." It was simply like that. However, I couldn't get it in Japan, so I decided to go to Thailand and relax for a while. It's already my life, so in Thailand I continued to receive massages almost every day, and I was amazed at playing. Then, I was able to gradually regain my energy. I was insomniac, but I was able to sleep after receiving a massage. The lumps on my face have disappeared and my complexion has improved. Chronic low back pain has disappeared and I have improved my communication. It was Thai traditional massage that inspired me who wanted to throw everything.

The bursting of the bubble is supposed to be in 1991, but I think it was around the mid-90s that consumers' feelings actually changed. And since it was an era when companies were forced into bankruptcy over the next 10 years, I think there were a lot of suicides. If there are many people other than me who are suffering in the same way, I would definitely like to have this massage. Something like a sense of mission springs up without permission, and if this is the case, it will be useful to people! I made a big decision and began to immerse myself in Thai traditional massage. Until then, I was only thinking about making my own money, but when it's hard, people change mysteriously.

Anyway, I tried to get a massage 2-3 times a day. Wake up in the morning, go to the massage shop, spend the day properly, and go to the massage shop again before going to bed at night. It was like that. Of course, I also went to school. However, every school was like an optional tour for foreigners after all. It's like putting dozens of students into a large classroom and letting them take lessons while watching a demo from a distance. Is it possible with this? I was very skeptical. You can see the strength and feeling, timing, the relationship with breathing and pulsation, which muscle the stretch is approaching, what it means, why you have to do it in individual order, etc. did not.

I could speak Thai in Katakoto to some extent, and when I found a good therapist, I asked "Tell me!" And switched to a one-on-one teaching method by paying personally. While communicating with the dictionary in one hand, I thoroughly solved all the questions. I spent a lot of money at this time. Have you used millions? But it took me some money and time to understand until I was satisfied.

This time, the opposite question arose. It happened that I got well with Thai traditional massage, but there may be other better massages. With that in mind, I decided to return to Japan. After that, I received all kinds of massage and healing therapies such as quick massage and manipulative treatment, Cairo and Reiki healing. If you spend so much time and money like an idiot, you will find out a lot. I couldn't be convinced if I didn't try it myself, so I became more and more addicted to the wonderfulness of Thai traditional massage.

There was no known Thai traditional massage method in Japan yet, so I wanted to introduce this wonderful massage to Japan, and the first time I went was to introduce Thai traditional massage on the homepage. bottom. I was unfamiliar with personal computers, so I created a homepage with one index finger every night. (By the way, it is still a one-finger stroke method.)

The next thing I went to was the establishment of the association. The reason I decided to set up an association was because I thought that this massage would never spread unless many therapists started their own businesses to earn a living. It is the predecessor of the current TTMA (Non-Profit Organization Japan Traditional Thai Massage Association), but it was when I was still preparing to start as a private organization. Feeling uncomfortable on my own, I went to ask various massage-related people, such as a manipulative teacher, to become members. Everyone was smiling on the spot, but after a few days, it's a funny story that everyone refused because they couldn't adventure or because the risk was too great. In the end, it was a private organization that decided to set up the association by itself, but (although it seems like a fraud), the headwinds in 2000 were beyond my imagination. "If you don't have national qualifications, you shouldn't be able to massage!" Or "Isn't it customs?" "Isn't it a new religion?" There was also an email saying "I'll kill you!"

Then I set up a school and a salon in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. The Tomigaya building, which was originally used as an office, was slightly reworked and opened. The 2nd and 3rd floors are the Thai traditional massage school "Japan Nuaboran School". The 1st basement floor and the 2nd basement floor have been opened as a salon "Healing Space Muu".

To be honest, this building was a building I bought by borrowing 100 million yen from a bank when I was still in good shape. At that time, the principal was still 88 million yen. So I was desperate. Of course, it was put up for sale via a real estate company. Is this building selling fast? Or is the school or salon getting off to a good start? It is a big game of the first generation. Luck was left to me. Some people came to see the building to inspect it. There were also Terry ○○ and Johnny's talents. At one point, an unpleasant real estate agent came into the classroom on the 3rd floor with bare feet. He was a real estate agent like Anchan who talked very badly with his bossy behavior. Unfortunately, I don't remember where the real estate company was, but it was just unpleasant. I immediately said, "I won't sell it, so go home!" I thought, "Oh, I've done it!", But it can't be helped. That's why the building wasn't sold.

Still, no one came to the salon at first. I was in a hurry every day. I didn't have the money, so I made a handwritten leaflet and posted black and white copies every day. I continued to distribute it every day, both on rainy days and on windy days. Then, customers gradually came. Whether it was midnight or dawn, I was happy that the customers came and continued to massage without refusing. I received a reservation call at 4 o'clock in the middle of the night and said, "I want to receive it for 3 hours from now!", So when I answered "Of course I will accept it!" There was also. One day, when I switched to a color copy of the leaflet, the customer laughed, "I'm glad! I have a little extra time!" It's a nostalgic memory。

◆What have you done since then?

At the Japan Nuaboran School (NBS), which opened in April 2001, we have been focusing on the "Freelance Therapist Course" with the idea of ​​increasing the number of people who open independently and making Thai traditional massage more popular. rice field. If I had only eaten, I should have done only the salon, but I thought that the wonderfulness of Thai traditional massage would not be transmitted to the world unless I trained excellent therapists at the school. It seems to be a great thing, but since I have failed in company management once, it is my life that I might have died if I did not meet Thai traditional massage, so saving my money is not the final purpose There was certainly a desire to change the world and help people in need. For me, it's no longer a business, it's a lifework.

At the school, I wanted to be able to do it anyway, so I disregarded the business with the feeling that "It's okay if the school deadline has passed, so take another class. You can't open the business as it is!" , I have been trying to train excellent therapists. As a result, many therapists fled from here and succeeded in finding employment and opening independent businesses. In the Thai traditional industry, the share of professional graduate therapists is the largest. In order to create an environment where you can play an active role as a professional, the association has created an accident compensation support and established a qualification system to create an environment where you can work with peace of mind even though you have a private qualification.

However, the students who grew up so hard also betrayed without hesitation. There were some graduates who started the school without permission using our teaching materials, and they wrote bad words on 2CH and guided them to their own school, and the salon staff stole the customer list and opened their own salon. There were many people who opened it up or made direct transactions with customers and sneaked to increase their share as much as possible. When I was hiring Thai staff, it was difficult to get rid of the money stolen and the assault. Well, there are many people. Apparently, I'm just a "friendly idiot." It seems that company management is not very suitable because it trusts people immediately. One day a yakuza boarded in and I took care of it when the staff borrowed money from the dark money, and there was also a case where the building was hijacked. (Smile)

◆What do you think of other schools?

Thai traditional massage has also become a major item. As the market grows, I think it will happen in any industry, but it will always be "cheap or bad." Now that useless schools are rampant, Thai traditional massage is simply a way to make money. For example, simply telling the order does not allow graduates to stand alone. Rather than ordering, if you can do one technique properly, you only have to connect it, but in many schools, the meaning, purpose, tips and dangers of each of the most important techniques are important. Most of the mass production methods are just superficially shaped without explaining. Of course, you can use your hands, but if you don't teach the sense of distance and step work before that, you will not be able to move smoothly throughout your body. Most of the massages are given to amateurs by taking advantage of the fact that they do not understand it easily, and give guidance on deception. We talk about sales that it is convenient to go and that it is cheap. Certainly, if the contents are the same, it is decided that it is cheap and easy to go to, but the contents are completely different, so those who chose a cheap or bad school are "like throwing money into a sewage". I think it is. A qualification that is easy to qualify will not help you in the end. Let's be cheap! The phenomenon of being bad is a phenomenon that occurs not only in Japan but also in Thailand.

◆Why did you move your base to Kamakura?

Since 2001, we have operated associations, schools, and salons as a pioneer of Thai traditional massage in Japan, but in a sense, we are proud that we have achieved some results in terms of its dissemination activities. .. The rise of the Thai traditional massage market as a whole is about to take a break, so the biggest reason is that I personally wanted to pass on the ultimate massage method to future generations.

And today, there is also the fact that Thai traditional massage has also been subdivided. Just as there are several schools of yoga, Thai traditional massage can be divided into several categories. Bangkok style centered on Wat Pho. Chiang Mai style with a focus on Chiang Mai. Thai government style centered on the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Thailand. And it is a double yoga style promoted by us TTMA.

Bangkok style, Chiang Mai style, and Thai government style are just different procedures and movements, so it may be a big difference for those who are going to learn Thai traditional massage from now on. However, by nature, massage in Thai traditional medicine is by no means a fixed procedure. These styles are just tentative steps made by someone to make it easier for inexperienced people to learn. Depending on the salon, all the procedures may be decided, but this is just a mix of these by the store owner. So these are just basic massage procedures. Thai traditional massage is famous for stretching techniques, but Bangkok style and Chiang Mai style also include only basic stretching techniques. There are infinitely few in the government style. The true meaning of the Thai government's approval is that safe and learned students will not cause an accident. So bold stretching is not included in any of them.

However, only double yoga massage is completely different from these. It contains a lot of more aggressive stretches and is highly praised by those who have experienced Thai traditional massage. Double yoga massage is a meditation that focuses on "yoga performed by two people", but it is a meditation method that is performed while moving, and the effect on the client is incomparably great. It is an elegant movement that does not flutter the water surface so that the air in the place is not disturbed while moving boldly. The therapist sharpens the nerves of the whole body and senses the depth of compression and stretching. Therefore, it is something that is not logical and can be done with just the right feeling for the recipient. By practicing repeatedly, you will be able to move your body naturally without thinking in a meditative state. Some people may call it a divine affair. If the former massage is a Thai traditional massage, double yoga massage is an evolution of Thai traditional massage.

This double yoga massage is also a calming energy work. Therefore, it was necessary to do it in a place rich in energy at a higher level than in an urban building with low vibration. This place called Kamakura Gokurakuji is a place rich in energy with very high vibration that I have been searching for for a long time.

And what many schools don't teach is the spirit of facing massage. In order to convey a massage, it is necessary to convey not only the skill but also the heart. Originally, Thai traditional massage has a history of developing with Buddhism, but in Buddhist teaching, "Massage can be done with four hearts." In it, the concept of "love" is classified into four categories and explained. The four are Metter (loving kindness), Carner (compassion), Mudita (vicarious joy), and Upeker (equanimity). There aren't many schools that explain in detail, so I will explain it in a private place. "Metter" is to open your heart and have a desire to get along. It's not about domination, master-servant, or slavery, but about compassionate friendship. This is the first step in kindness. Next, "Carner". This means that you have a desire to help those who are suffering. For those who are thirsty, try to raise water, for those who are suffering from physical pain, try to rub it, and for those who have difficulty walking, lend a shoulder. The ego is flooding in this era. There are many people who live by saying, "It's enough to be happy only for yourself. If you solve your own problems, you'll leave others alone." It's sad that there are many massage therapists who forget the kindness of wanting to get rid of their suffering and just think about making money. "Mudita" means having a broad, big heart, not a small heart that regrets, distorts, slanders, or mosses a successful person. If a young couple and their baby are having fun, smiling will make them happy. If young people are practicing dancing on the street corner, it's peaceful, do your best. That is the feeling. "Uppeker" is a feeling of cherishing not only human beings but all life. Dogs and cats are never under human control, but are considered equal in life. It's common sense that crows treat crows as bad guys because they're ruining garbage, but they're just eating. Some people make a fuss about cats pooping on their premises, but they just live normally. In this way, the common sense we think of is that the idea of ​​justifying our ego is commonplace.

◆Why is it a W yoga massage?

W yoga massage is my own system and is a procedure that can only be learned here in the world. I myself couldn't come up with a detailed theory by examining Thai traditional medicine. Therefore, I linked Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medicine that is said to have been influenced by Thai traditional medicine, with Chinese medicine. And, from the viewpoint of energy work, it is a systematic mix of theories such as Reiki healing and meditation.

Nowadays, there are many people in Japan who complain of poor physical condition. Massage doesn't mean anything if it doesn't help people. One in 40 people in Japan has a mental illness. I don't think traditional medicine needs to be fixed. In our time, I feel that we need to develop it and pass it on to future generations as useful wisdom. Therefore, as much as possible, I would like to come into direct contact with the students and provide guidance.

There are many things that cannot be expressed in text. For example, nuances, touches and feelings are very important for massage. I play the guitar, but as an artist, to move people's hearts, it's not about playing faithfully to the score, but mute, vibrato, cutting sharpness, picking nuances, and groove feeling. In other words, if you do not do it with all your heart as an expressor, you will not improve any further. Massage is the same. So the therapist must be an artist in a sense.

W yoga massage is a holistic procedure. The heart and body are connected. It is a treatment method to lead to health from an overall perspective including not only the body but also the connection including the invisible mind and spirituality and the "environment". Emotions such as joy and sadness, anger and loneliness, pain and pain make up the heart and body.

And, in the research of quantum physics, we scientifically elucidated the spiritual world that has been regarded as ugly. Everything made of elementary particles is materialized when human observation, that is, human "consciousness" is poured. On the contrary, the idea that all things are waves and immaterials when human consciousness is not involved is the most advanced physics. In conventional science, the movement of an object is made according to a certain law, and if you throw a ball, for example, you can predict the movement to some extent whether you observe it or not.
However, in the super-micro world such as quantum, the result differs depending on whether it is observed or not. All things, including humans, are nothing more than "lumps of elementary particles", and in this world, "infinite ripples" created by the interference of the energies emitted by elementary particles are spreading. It means that thought energy is transmitted, affects others, and they form a society. It's a little harder, but it means that massage is not a task. Doing it with feelings and not doing it will give you completely different impressions and results. It's so different from the moon. State-of-the-art quantum physicists are pursuing the theory that "reality is created by thinking," acknowledging that their research is inconsistent with conventional wisdom. Physics is infinitely close to philosophy.

W yoga massage uses a variety of techniques. For example, you can read it with an O-ring-like energy work, or reduce muscle stiffness just by touching it. Yes, I think it's ugly. But all the students I taught are now able to do it. This is something everyone can do with training. It's not power. It's a matter of how to use energy. Of course, I'm not a religionist either. For those who come to the free trial, if they have time, they can actually experience the pressure that they care about and the pressure that they do not care about. I think it's completely different. I want someone to be useful with a massage that is truly heartfelt, not just a form of massage. It's already over 50, so I want someone to take over this before I die. I don't know when and what humans are.。