Excellent Tuina Schools
Tuina, or known as Chinese medical massage enjoys long history in TCM, dated back over 2500
years ago. There are many famous schools developed and many of them are famous in recent
history. It is the first time to disclose the specific schools with historic photos and record in
English introduction. Schools are selected as the lineages I followed for accuracy.
Yizhizen – One thumb Meditation school of Tuina
Yizhizen is the Chinese name for One thumb pushing meditation
school of Tuina. The name is taken from the
Buddhist zen school meditation, indicating
the importance of integrate manipulation
with mind meditation during Tuina practice.
Tuina was dated back from the era of
Yellow Emperor, though the classic text was lost and left only the book
title of Yellow Emperor Anmo Classic ( Anmo is another name of Tuina
in Chinese). Another explanation of
Yizhizen is that its practitioner has to practice energy exercise
first, so that the internal energy could be carried to the tip of
thumb in treatment. This requirement is still strictly followed by
authentic practitioners today.
The first master in Yizhizen school is Master Li Jianchen, lived
around early 19th century of Qing Dynasty. He was a Shaolin
martial art master and developed two specific manipulations
upon the existing ten manipulations in Yizhizen Tuina. Since then, Yizhizen
school has twelve famous manipulations, including An, Mo, Tui, Na, Cuo, Chao,
Gun, Nian, Chan, Rou, Yao and Dou, though the one thumb pushing known by
most people. Master Li treated Mr. Ding Fengshan (1843-1916 ), who later
became his student and hence started the unique school of Yizhizen.
Master Ding was also good at martial art, and specialized in treating external disease at his home
town in Jiangsu Province. He moved his practice to Shanghai in 1912 and taught many students,
so that this school was well known in South China. In 1916, he was died on his way for a house
visit by accident and left his masterpiece book <One Thumb Meditation>.
This photo was taken
in Shanghai 1913 with
Master Ding’s students
seated around him.
Many of the students
continued the
development of this
school around China.
Master Wang Songshan (1873-1962) was one of the major student of Master
Ding. He set up Tuina Association in Shanhai, 1920. When the Shanghai
School of TCM( later became Shanghai TCM University) opened, he used to
teach Tuina there and worked for Shanghai Tuina School and Tuina Clinic of
Shanghai. In 1958, he donated the only hand copy of Master Ding’s <One
Thumb Meditation> and all his sons followed him to practice his Tuina skills.
Master Qian Fu Qing (1883-1967) had followed Master Ding Fengshan
over 11 years and started his practice in Shanghai in 1911. Since the
1950s, he had been teaching in Shanghai Tuina school and many of his
students became main team to promote Tuina teaching in China. His
techniques are specialized in speedy pushing (over 200 times pushing per
minute) and apply manipulations of “chan, gun, chao and tan” as most
frequent application. In the photo below we could see the traditional
exercise of Yizhizen on a rice bag by Master Qian in
Shanghai.
Master Ding Shushan (1886-1931)
Master Ding is the nephew of Master
Ding Fengshan and he is the father of
Master Ding Jifeng. He opened the Tuina practice in Shanghai around 1920s.
His students are famous in Chinese Tuina history. Master Zhu Chunting was the
President of Shanghai Tuina school and Director of Tuina Department of Shanghai Huadong
Hospital. His son, Ding Jifeng was the founder of Gun Fa Tuina ( Rolling school).
Master Ding Jifeng (1914-1998) learned Yizhizen from his cousin Ding
Heshan. During 1936 – 1952, he opened his clinic in JingAn District of
Shanghai and founded “Ding’s Rolling” manipulation. He worked at
Shanghai Tuina Clinic and Shanghai Tuina school since 1958. During
1976-1985, he had been the Director of Tuina Department of the famous
Shanghai Yueyang Hospital. He was awarded as professor for post
graduate tutorship in Shanghai and editor of Tuina-Chinese Medical
Encyclopedia and Tuina Master Works.
Master Wang Jisong (1902-1990) is the son of Master Wang Songshan and
learned Yizhizen from his father. He opened practice at age of 22 and co-
founded the Tuina doctor training program in Shanghai. He worked at the
Tuina Clinic of Shanghai TCM Collage and Tuina school during 1958-1975.
He was specialized in manipulations of “chao, muo, shu and gou”.
Master Zhu Chunting (1906-1990) was the student of Master Ding
Shushan during 1923-1925. He was born in a TCM doctor’s family
and started his learning of TCM with his father at age of 15. In 1956,
Master Zhu set up the first TCM Tuina Clinic in Shanghai Huadong
Hospital and TCM Tuina training program. He was the President of
Shanghai Tuina school in 1958. He integrated TCM theory with
Yizhizen Tuina and made “ying, wei, Qi and blood” as the working
system in Yizhizen. His experience was published in 2006 for his 100
years anniversary celebration in Shanghai.
Dr.Wang Chunyan was among the first graduated students from Shanghai Tuina School and
worked in Qingdao TCM Hospital. She was the Director of Tuina Department of the hospital and
promoted Yizhizen school in northern China. When China national Tuina textbook was edited in
early 1980s, Yizhizen masters from Shanghai were among the chief authors and spread the
knowledge all over Chinese TCM colleges. In late 1990s when the first national standard Tuina
qualification published, Yizhizen technique was included in typical manipulations.
Three Verse classic Tuina School
Shandong Province is famous for TCM and Tuina specialists in history. In 1877, during the
Emperor Guangxue of Qing Dynasty, Master Xu Qianguangt from Dengzhou, Shandong
published his work of Three verse Classic Tuina, thus established this unique school of Tuina. The
text is recorded in verse form with three words per sentence, hence the name came from. His
Tuina therapy works on both adult and infant. When Master Li Dexiu (1893-1972) learned from
this classic, pediatric application became the most famous in peers. In 1920, he set up clinic in
Qingdao and moved his practice into Qingdao TCM Hospital in 1955. Master Li specialized in
diagnosis by outlook examination and applied few points on left palm and arm in treatment, which
made pediatric practice more convenient. His clinical experience was taught to students working
at the Pediatric Tuina department of Qingdao TCM Hospital. Master Li
Dexiu”s Pediatric Tuina was published as textbook for his teaching inside
the hospital. Professor Zhao Jianqiu learned from Master Li and served as
the Director of Pediatric Tuina Department in Qingdao TCM Hospital. She
later integrated another Tuina technique from Zangfu Acupressure school
into pediatrics and extend the Tuina application to more effective treatments
of hundreds of symptoms. She continues her teaching and publishing of
clinical experiences after retirement, making this school better known to Tuina practitioners in
China.
Zangfu Acupressure School
This school of Tuina is very legendary and the only historic record was left with oral transmission
from Master Wang Wen (1840s-1930) who suffered TB in middle age, then healed by just one
treatment of acupressure from a monk traveled in Hebei province. That monk left a Tuina book –
Classics of Tuian, which was published in Southern China during late Qing Dynasty. That book
contains many special theory and techniques in Tuina, including some extinct manipulations in
internal medicine and osteopathy. One of the techniques known
as from Dr. Qian Yi in Song Dynasty, who could move the
existing pain to different part of the body for emergency
treatment. Master Wang Wen learned and applied the extinct
secret in his treatment, but
unfortunately his only student Dr.
Wang Ruya didn’t get the know
how and the original book was
lost. Dr. Wang Yaru was born from a TCM family practice
acupuncture. He suffered a serious disease in 1910 and was saved
by Master Wang Wen, thus dedicated to learn from him the unique
Tuina therapy. He followed Master Wang Wen over ten years till he
passed away at age of 87. Dr. Wang Ruya practiced in Beijing and
became famous with his skills. In 1962, he published Zangfu
Acupressure ( as in photo) as a conclusion of his learning from
Master Wang Wen and hoped readers may help to discover the lost Classics of Tuian. That book
helped doctors who learned from Dr.Wang to keep the school lineage when Dr.Wang did an
internal exchange program among TCM specialists in 1960s. During Cultural Revolution in 1966,
Dr.Wang’s books became almost extinct and just very few copies left in hands of some of his
students. Pro. Zhao Jianqiu kept the teaching in her pediatric practice in Qingdao TCM hospital,
while Dr. Wang Chunyan undertook the technique in Tuina for adult, especially for post surgery
intestine disorders. This school uses specific manipulations on extra meridians and focus on the
balance of internal organ system (Zangfu in TCM). It requires the practitioners practice internal
energy exercise to guild and correct the flow of qi. This school follows the principle from Yellow
Emeror Internal Classics and Taoist experience in Tuina. Even till today, it has been limited
transmitted among few practitioners in China as its profound theory and manipulation need more
tutorship.
Mt. Laoshan Martial Pointing Therapy
This school includes two masters from Mt.Laoshan,
a famous Taoist resort in Qingdao, Shandong
Province. Master Jia Lihui published his works on
Mt.Laoshan Martical Pointing Therapy in 1980s and
accepted students from all over China to learn the
technique. He is a martial art practitioner and applies
specific acupressure for clinical practice. A local
Acupressure Hospital was set up in 1987 after his
school and famous for slip disc disorder treatment
spinal care. The manipulation is forceful with the
martial art style which could relieve the pain and
tension in short term treatment. Practitioners need to
learn the accurate location of acupoints and
meridians in action and take energy exercise in order
to practice effectively.
Master Li Zangshan (1880-1992) was born in a village around Mt. Laoshan, his family possessed
a secret teaching of acupressure from Buddhist meditation school for hundreds years. His family
all enjoy longevity and good wellness. Master Li was famous when he opened his technique in
Beijing at his age of 106 in 1986. He spent the
rest of his life in clinical treatment and
teaching till 1992 when he passed away in
Beijing. His school of Tuina could help the
treatment of tumor and cyst, which normally
not the application of common Tuina. Actually
the energy exercise he introduced for wellness
and self Tuina for longevity are more attractive
as his own longevity proved.