Courses 
Amma Courses
Main teacher: Haruyoshi Fugaku Ito, has as been practicing and teaching Amma/Shiatsu for the last 40 years and is a Master instructor of Shintaido. He studied Shiatsu and Kappo first aid techniques while studying martial arts at Chuo university, Japan.
In 1982, he met David Palmer in San Francisco and began studying a complete program of Amma. H.F. Ito is a founding faculty member of the American School of Japanese Arts in Santa Rosa, and is currently a consultant/trainer at Amma France, The Amma Institute, the Touch Pro Institute and the Institute of Holistic Psychology & Education in Mie, Japan.
Amma Certificate.
Fully Booked
This course is no longer "Residential" for new applicants as advertised, but is non-residential.
Amma 1 (Back Sequence): Friday 15th to Sunday 17th October, 2010 (9.30 to 5.30 daily)
(Amma 1 can be taken as a separate workshop for £285)
Amma 2: (Front Sequence): Friday 25th to Sunday 27th March 2011 (9.30 to 5.30 daily)
(Amma 2 can be taken as a separate workshop for £285)
Amma 3: (Special Techniques): Friday evening 21st and Sun 23rd October 2011 (9.30 to 5.30 daily)
(Amma 2 can be taken as a separate workshop for £205)
Amma is often regarded as the forerunner of Shiatsu and these courses aim to
provide practical hands on experience in Amma techniques. The venue is in my
pupose built teaching space in Farnham. Farnham is an easy commute from the London area, and for those travelling from further afield a list of B and B accomodation can be provided. A lunch option of home made sushi is available for a further £5 per day.
The 8 day Certificate course consists of Amma 1, Amma 2 and
Amma 3. It is perfect for Shiatsu practitioners and students as a development of
their practice.
It gives a total of 48 hours of CPD and allows the full practitioner
level Diploma to be taken... details on request.
Certificate: £700.
Deposit for Amma Certificate £290 paid to secure the place and the balance of £410 to be paid before 1/10/2010. Students must be equipped with massage table. For those without massage table, or unable to bring one if traveling by public transport it may be possible to provide one at the venue: please ask ahead of time.
To apply for this Amma Certificate course please contact:
Jamie Hamilton MRSS(T) 01252 725868
Full Certificate Course description:
Amma 1: Back sequence
• Detailed instruction in the overall amma kata, plus
• Introduction to
positioning the client on the massage table
• Sequence: Shoulders, arms, hands, neck, back, lower back, back of thighs,
calf, ankles, bottom of feet
Amma 2: Front sequence
• Clear instruction on the fundamental overall principles of the amma form,
basic understanding of the meridians and meridian points
• Introduction to positioning the client on the massage table, and precise instructions on how to do this positioning
• Sequence: Front thighs, shin, top of feet, face, head, neck and throat, chest, abdomen
Amma 3: Special techniques
• How to combine diagnosis and treatment. Hygiene precautions. Giving advice to the client before and after the massage.
• Practical explanation and instruction based on a wide variety of theory and applications. These have been learned from the teachers' lifelong leaning from leading complementary medicine specialists around the world.
Diploma Course
The Diploma course has 3 additional units, called Tutorial 1, Tutorial 2 and Exam Tutorial.
These units allow a deepening of the skills learned on the Amma Certificate with a strong component of teacher feedback. It it allows any student to become a full practitioner of Amma, gain insurance, and charge fees professionally for the service, within the laws in the U.K. Students from outside the U.K. must check their national laws for this to see how it would work in their country.
Full cost of Diploma £1500
Tutorial 1
Tutorial 1 consists of a 4 hour personal practical tutorial with H F Ito, plus one other student, to provide detailed feedback on the material learned on Amma 1 (Back Sequence)
It takes place the day before Amma 2, on the 24th March 2011. Venue: Farnham, Surrey.
Tutorial 2
Tutorial 2 consists of two separate 4 hour personal practical tutorials with H F Ito, plus one other student, which provide feedback on the material of Amma 1 and 2.
It takes place on the two days before Amma 3 i.e: 20th and 21st of October 2011. Venue: Farnham, Surrey.
Exam Tutorial
Finally the Diploma can be awarded on the successful completion of a special 2 hour practical personal tutorial exam to be taken both with H. F. Ito and Nicole Beauvois of Amma France. It takes place on the weekend of 24th and 25th of March 2012 Venue: Farnham.
Full Diploma Schedule:
Oct. 15~17, 2010 Amma 1
March 24,
2011
Tutorial 1
March 25~27, 2011 Amma 2
October 20~21,
2011
Tutorial 2
October 22~23, 2011 Amma 3 (Special Techniques)
March 24~25,
2012
Exam Tutorial
Due to the very high teacher-student ratio the cost of the extra tutorial sections is £800 and is dependent on the registration of a minimum of 4 and maximum of 8 students to enable it to run. Therefore the full cost of the the Diploma is £1,500 with a deposit of £490 paid to secure the place and the balance of £1,010 to be paid before 1/10/2010.
The diploma course has an additional graduation requirement of a knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology exceeding a standard equivalent to approximately 22.5 hours of tuition. It may be necessary for the candidate to sit an Anatomy and Physiology theory paper prior to the exam tutorial.
The Diploma candidate must complete a total of 60 practice Amma sessions during the entire 2 year course prior to taking the final Exam tutorial.
For the Tutorial sections of the Diploma students must secure their own accommodation and food.
General Notes
There are limited places on all courses, so do book or apply as soon as you have decided you would like to come.
Longer courses require a deposit to secure your place.
All courses have a minimum student-teacher ratio of 10:1.
More about Amma and H F Ito from Amma France's website including full course description:
Amma Workshops
In-depth study of the amma form of traditional Japanese massage
A new look at timeless massage techniques that have transcended cultural borders to become truly international.
Wikipedia (in Japanese) defines amma as:
A system of hands-on techniques, including stroking, pressing, stretching, and tapping that awakens the body's natural tendency toward homeostasis and improves health.
The first syllable in the Japanese word "amma" means "to push," and the second syllable means "to stroke."
* Adapted from: Wikipedia Japan
Introduction from the instructor, Master Fugaku Ito.
Hello, everyone.
When I was a young man studying the Japanese martial art of karate, I began to learn shiatsu (Japanese pressure massage) from my teacher, Master Shigeru Egami. During my years in Rakutenkai, where Shintaido was born from Master Egami's karate, Shintaido founder Hiroyuki Aoki encouraged further study of Japanese massage techniques, including seitai (realigning the body to improve ki energy), kappo (involving the stimulation of specific acupuncture points), and foot massage (similar to reflexology).
In 1975 I came to the United States to found American Shintaido. For the first 8 years, while working to establish the basis of Shintaido there, I supported myself by working as a carpenter, by cooking, and by doing shiatsu massage.
You may have heard of the famous cowboy movie called "The Fastest Gun" -- well, in the early 1980s, the Japanese community in and around San Francisco nicknamed me "The Fastest Thumb." Shiatsu is done almost entirely with the thumbs, and they said I was the "best thumb in the West."
I was interested in the techniques of amma massage, which had been almost entirely lost in Japan. Right about that time, I heard that a school teaching amma massage had opened in Japan Town in San Francisco, and I had an opportunity to meet the director, David Palmer.
The massage school strictly followed the amma kata from David's predecessor, Takashi Nakamura. The Nakamura family had handed down the traditions of classical amma massage from generation to generation in Japan, and this school continued those traditions in San Francisco.
I began to trade lessons with David, and soon recognized the great value of the form that he was teaching. I still remember how impressed I was with his approach to massage.
1) Positioning the client precisely on the massage table
2) Adapting the form to prevent strain in the massage therapist's body
3) Making it possible for the massage therapist to maintain focus and concentration ("kokyu") from start to finish
4) Accurately locating the acupuncture points
5) Carefully regulating the flow of energy through the body, and incorporating that into care for each part of the body
6) Using the form to establishing a gentle, pleasant rhythm so that the person receiving the massage had a sensation of being rocked to sleep in a hammock
7) Effectively enabling profound relaxation and rehabilitation
I thought this accomplishment was as magnificent as a symphony performance, and I was also extremely impressed at how the kata [sequence] provided care for each part of the body, and for the body as a whole.
Amma, which had almost vanished in its country of origin, Japan, was being communicated precisely and accurately in another country. And this teaching was designed not simply to transmit classical amma, but to breathe new life into the practice by making sure that the techniques were truly effective in modern-day clients.
My thinking was in agreement with David's, so I became his student in the study of amma, and he became my student in Shintaido and included the Shintaido Kenko Taiso in his school's curriculum. David also applied his amma training to develop a 15-minute chair-based massage, the first time such a massage technique was promoted in the United States. Because chair massage could be conducted in so many different places, it provided work for numerous massage therapists, and David's contribution to the field is still highly respected in North America and Europe.
http://www.touchpro.com/about_touchpro/david_palmer.html
David's "Touch-Pro" workshops and classes characteristically began with kenko taiso.
That is the story of how I can boast of being an instructor who accurately transmits the kata of amma, even though that kata has been completely lost in modern Japan.
There is nothing more rewarding than teaching people a kata that provides a new rhythm of breathing and working, so that they are able to contribute to the happiness of the people around them.
Fugaku Ito, Profile
1942 Born in Kure City, Hiroshima, Japan.
1960 Began the study of karate with Shigeru Egami.
1965 Began working on the creation and popularization of Shintaido with
founder Hiroyuki Aoki. During this time, began the study of shiatsu under the
direction of Master Egami and the study of seitai, kappo, and foot massage
under the direction of Master Aoki.
1975 Relocated to the United States. Began the teaching of Shintaido in
America and around the world.
1982 Met David Palmer and began the study of traditional Japanese amma.
In addition to teaching Shintaido, currently offers workshops in body therapy-related techniques such as amma and sotai through the following
organizations:
Touch Pro Institute in San Francisco, CA
Seaman Medical Translation in Bellingham, WA
The Wellness Resource Center in North Dartmouth, MA
L' Attitude in Quebec, Qc, Canada
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Completed Courses
Sotai Workshop
Course fully booked.
Thursday 25th & Friday 26th March 2010, 10.00 am - 5.00 pm daily.
Venue: College of Integrated Chinese Medicine, Reading.
Sotai is a very effective and easy to apply method for releasing muscular tension. It allows the body to re-establish a physical posture that is more balanced. This course will introduce the core concept of Sotai... that by encouraging the body to move in a direction where there is less pain or effort, the “easy way”, deep tension is relieved. It will give the full sequence of Sotai movements.
For this course an accommodation list is available.
Sotai Workshop: £160.
The Sotai course needs a £70 deposit to secure your place, remainder (£90) to be paid on the first day of the course.
For more information please contact: Jamie Hamilton, 01252 725868