Why talk about martial arts and shiatsu at the same time?
Oriental healing techniques developed in parallel with martial arts. One could even say that the two are the other side of the same coin. Intense training and injuries of varying degrees of severity led martial artists to immediately wonder what they could do to repair their bodies and how to care for them to stay in top shape. For this reason, the first historical branch of Shiatsu (Koho Shiatsu) is associated with the Hakko-Ryu Jujutsu school. This approach, which is now grouped under the name “Martial Shiatsu” and encompasses a number of schools, involves a lot of work on the body before and after the Shiatsu practice, but also provides access to many of the keys of this art.
During this course we will play with the body, postures and the development of physical and energetic strength to apply them in Shiatsu. On the other hand, we will look at how Shiatsu can bring a subtle body feeling into martial arts practice and everyday life, how to listen and how to strengthen the body and mind.
Ivan Bel’s teaching methods are heavily based on play and experimentation. Get ready to sweat!
About the teacher
Ivan Bel is an international teacher of French origin, founder of Ryoho Shiatsu and of the NGO Mission Shiatsu Humanitaire, which works to develop Shiatsu around the world. He has been practicing martial arts for 40 years, has studied Chinese language and civilisation and traveled around Asia. Today, he offers postgraduate training courses on subjects related to common pathologies. He is also a journalist specializing in Shiatsu and regularly publishes articles on this blog in 6 different languages.
He specializes in the issues of fertility, pregnancy and postpartum care, chronic fatigue and burnout. In 2018, he founded the Missions Shiatsu Humanitaire (MSH), whose aim is to support all initiatives for the development of Shiatsu around the world. In 2019, he created the Shiatsu Historical Research Group, which brings together more than 3,000 people from all over the world. Together with the European Shiatsu Federation, he is creating the first online library of works on Shiatsu in 15 different languages. His first book “The Spirit of Shiatsu” was published in May 2022 (the English version in January 2025).
Practical info
- TRANSLATION: in English, translated in German
- DATE: Friday, October 24th to Sunday until October 26th, 2025 (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)
- COST: 280€,- (early bird price until September 26th, 2025), thereafter 300€.-
- TARGET GROUP: no previous knowledge necessary
- ORGANIZER: International Academy for Hara Shiatsu
- ADDRESS: Josefstädter Strasse 5 / 10 – 1080 Vienna (Austria)
- CONTACT: Phone +43 1 595 4848 – Email: office@hara-shiatsu.com
We hope to see many of you at this exceptional masterclass. We look forward to meeting and talking with you.
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