ancient chinese secret

while i'm talking about acupuncture, pt, and other alt health stuff (and while i'm pissing people off), let me make a comment about "proprietary secrets." there are a lot of people (acupuncturists, massage therapists, whatever) who, when you ask them, what sort of acupuncture/bodywork/etc. that they do, will quote something really obscure. like maybe me, who says, "kiiko matsumoto style acupuncture." and then people are like "whoa, that sounds pretty heavy..." if you persist in asking questions, like, well, what does that mean, or what's the foundation for what you do, etc. the practitioner will usually end up answering something like:

"i learned it from my teacher who was a master, and was third in the lineage of this ancient teaching... and the first master, the originator of the style, he learned it after he traveled to the summit of one of the kun lun mountains and meditated for 30 weeks, yes, 30 weeks, eating nothing but the farts of clouds and pine cones."

(this, by the way, is also how martial artists respond when you ask them about THEIR style.)

"ancient chinese secret."

pshaw.

honestly, i think it's counter-productive to pretend you know something you don't. i don't profess to be an expert at anything. but if you ask me what style i practice, i will tell you. and if you ask me something i don't know, i'll tell you, i don't know, or i haven't really experienced that. and if you ask me why i do something, i'll say, "it's done in this style," or "tcm theory says so," or even "i don't know."

but what i will NOT say is: "ancient chinese secret."

and, at acupuncture school, i'm more than happy to teach people what little i know (my perspective). it's what i've learned in my few years of treating people. maybe it will give others a "jump start" or something. or maybe students will think i'm an idiot, and do their own thing.

point is: don't pretend you've got a secret.

i know a lot of practitioners claim they're "in the know" just to protect themselves... they don't want people to know how afraid they are, or they don't want students to become better than they are. some of those fears are valid. but why hide? nothing changes (you don't get any better by it), and besides, people can TELL. just do your thing, you've got nothing to be ashamed of, and if you do it well, even if you teach people, it's not like they're going to be able to do it as well as you on the first shot. and even if they do, well, it's like you're investing in your profession for the future.

"ancient chinese secret."

whatever.