MANAKA-SYSTEM ACUPUNCTURE LEVEL 2

”Dr Manaka was fluent in ancient and modern Chinese and Japanese, French, German, and English, along with “smatterings of other languages”. Outside of his passion for medicine, he was a sculptor, a poet, and a painter. Thus, he was a true polymath, a medical Leonardo Da Vinci. Stephen Birch, one of the brightest lights in the Western acupuncture world, described Dr Manaka to me as the only genius he had ever met. Dr Manaka taught Birch and corresponded with him in a process Birch described as “mind-expanding” and “exposing oneself to a kind of knowledge and curiosity virus”. This infection of ideas and thinking led to the English publication of Chasing the Dragon’s Tail, written by Birch with Manaka’s input and guidance. It was a seminal book on acupuncture and acupuncture research.”

Oran Kivity–Moxa in Motion (2019)

Dr Manaka’s brilliance wasn’t just conceptual—it was intuitive, exploratory, and relentlessly practical. He wasn’t interested in theory for its own sake; every idea had to prove itself through clinical application. This spirit of deep inquiry and innovation shaped his four-step system—a progressive framework that integrates yin-yang polarities, structure, and biorhythms into a cohesive whole. Level 2 invites you into the next layer of that system: a space where precision meets creativity, and needles, moxa, and movement combine. Here, you’ll learn not just what to do, but why—and how to adapt these principles to the unique needs of each patient.

“Studying with Manaka was mind-expanding and like exposing myself to a kind of knowledge and curiosity virus.”
—Stephen Birch

Now it’s time to add depth and dimension to each of the four steps—building the confidence to apply them fluidly and effectively in real clinical situations.

Empowering Objectives

Once again, you’ll embark on a second transformative adventure. Level 1 opened your mind—after Level 2, you’ll wield your new skills with precision and confidence. You will be able to:

• Describe a four-channel set and test the effects of placing different polarities upstream and downstream on the channels

• Practise Manaka’s unique application of the polar channel pairs, using positive and negative polarities on the mother and child points as an alternative to the master–coupled points of the Eight Extras

• Confidently apply root and branch treatment with okyu, including Sawada’s Taiji protocol, and unlock more branch formulae from the Matsushima Kindle Single

• Calculate the open point and harness the power of Chinese biorhythms with the 24-hour, 10-day, and 60-day cycles to release pressure-pain reactions on the belly and resolve diagnostic stalemates in coexisting patterns

• Practise Manaka’s Step 4 use of phase points on the 24-hour cycle to bring relief to stubborn symptoms

• Work with Manaka’s wooden needle and hammer, and apply his remarkable concept of meridian frequencies from Step 1 to Step 4

• Perform five new Sotai exercises to adjust the body’s structure for Step 3—with and without okyu

• Learn to insert hinaishin intradermal needles, and compare the use of empishin, hinaishin, and ryu

• Apply each technique to the appropriate part of the body with confidence and clarity

• Use five channel stretches with moxa to release the neck and upper limb

This three-day course will reinforce the concepts of Level 1 and elevate your clinical skills, expanding your repertoire at every step. And with slightly extended days, there’ll be plenty of time for hands-on practice and review. We strongly advise booking soon, as places are limited to thirty participants.

LEARNING MANAKA: WHAT PEOPLE SAY

Studying Manaka style was a Eureka moment. Within weeks it had transformed my practice. It provided a logical, sequential way of treating that was flexible, inclusive and open to new information (Yamamoto New Scalp Acupuncture, Korean Hand Therapy,  auriculotherapy etc.). It made complete sense that the information received through palpation was the root of a diagnosis. Manaka has opened many doors (moxa, Sotai, ontake, Japanese acupuncture etc.) and continues to thrill me forty-three years after qualifying as an acupuncturist.

MAREK URBANOWICZ

The work of Dr. Manaka not only transforms the way you practice but also the goal of treatment and the relationship you create with your patients. The ability to have treatment protocols that are not only clinically sound and successful but also to have maximum patient comfort allowing for the healing process to be established.

PAUL MOVSESSIAN