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.