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Length: 4 mins read (795 words)
1. Please do share about your background in a nutshell.
My informal massage training started at a young age, around 12 years old with my grandfather. He was a very proficient traditional massage therapist or ‘tukang urut’ they would call it back in those days. It is not by intention that I want to be a ‘tukang urut’ but rather to make my mother happy by giving her a massage whenever she is not feeling well. Also, my father would ask me to learn with my grandfather on a specific technique to alleviate his pain. Being an active teen, I also had few injuries from my ‘silat’ training and rugby training. So when I asked for my grandfather’s helps, he massaged me and at the same time guided me on how to treat the injuries. Vice versa, when he had muscle pulled or strained, he guided me on how to treat it. By age of 15, I ‘graduated’ from his training without me realizing that I have learned all his techniques.
However, nobody knows about it, neither did I share with anyone or practice this knowledge that I have gotten until 2017, at the age of 39.
Knowing that I have left the practice for some time, I need to refresh my memories and get myself updated again with the latest knowledge. Hence, I then decided to enroll with Wellness Art Massage School and re-learn the Thai / Swedish full body and sports injury massage technique. At the same time, I did my self-study on deep tissue massage technique and PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) stretching.
With all this knowledge and skills, I then selected and adapted the best practices and developed it to what I now known as Simpul Pulih Muscle Therapy technique.
2. Do you have a preferred massage modality? Any reason for that?
Simpul Pulih mixes soft tissue manipulation technique, massage therapy, stretching, cupping, instrument-assisted soft tissue manipulation (IASTM), joints manipulation and contrast therapy into every therapy sessions. There are few massage modalities incorporated as well i.e. traditional malay massage, deep tissue, sports injury, Swedish and Thai. It’s hard for me to choose a preferred massage modality because each one of them has its benefits.
3. What is the weirdest request you ever get from a client before, during or after a session?
It is not exactly a weird request but I don’t do batin (manhood) recovery. But at the same time, I have a lot of my male clients asking for it but until today I refuse to offer it. Having learned the 7 points for ‘batin’ technique, I am reluctant to massage 4 of the points in that modality. Also due to my personal belief that ‘batin’ issues primarily stemmed and contributed by a person’s medical condition i.e. diabetes, heart issue, or unhealthy lifestyle or phycological issue.
4. Let’s turn it the other way around, instead of client always requesting this and that from you, what would you request of your client when comes to massage? Or what is your one wish on customer if you are granted one?
I would like clients to open to new possibilities and accept the facts that their health is in their own hands. Massage therapist is not a healer but rather a facilitator to expedite their recovery process and a change agent for healthier lifestyle. The clients also need to understand the human physiological aspect and only settle for practices that align with medical science. Blaming the ‘angin’ in their veins or accusing external elements (including spirit) for their body ache and pain is not the way to go forward.
5. What is your advice or word of wisdom to aspiring massage therapist?
In each massage session that we render, I believe that we need to treat people with respect and do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Do not oversell your practice or undermine other people’s therapy practices or preferences. In this ‘complementary treatment’ industry, we need to work hand in hand to promote a healthy lifestyle to the general public.
6. Any other things you would like to share or add?
I’m still learning and open to sharing. Sharing is one of my favorite things to do because it benefits everyone involved. I believe that sharing is the highest form of understanding. The time spends on sharing what I’ve learned, in return provides me with better understanding and knowledge retention.
7. Where can one get in touch with you for your services?
My private practice is based in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan and you reach me at 010-5187304.
Here’s the link to my socmed and YouTube channel links if you want to give it a follow:
YouTube https://bit.ly/34hkGMz
Google https://bit.ly/3m7AZ4i
Ian Chow Massage Therapy 