In 1998 Martin began studying Chinese Medicine with Qi Gong on the recommendation of a friend: “It’s about health, energy, and weird stuff – you like those”. Apparently, he did. A year later he was teaching it.
Qi Gong sparked an interest in Oriental Medicine which lead to studying Shiatsu, and then onto Tui Na. Life changed. After Tui Na studies he entered an old-fashioned apprenticeship with Ivan for the next 8 months and started working hands-on with any job he could, and then went on to complete his formal qualifications in massage. Things got busy.
Martin then moved to Queensland to further his studies with Acupuncture. At this time he was occasionally venturing back to South Australia to assist Ivan with teaching the Diploma.
During his Acupuncture studies he went abroad to Sri Lanka and China to gain other perspectives. Not all of them were good, but all were useful with the passage of time.
Upon completing his Acupuncture degree Martin starting teaching at the Australian College of Natural Therapies, now Endeavour College of Natural Health, taking classes in Chinese Exercise Therapy for the Oriental Department, Dry Needling for the Remedial Faculty, and was later asked to teach the Tui Na component of the Acupuncture Degree. So far, things have worked out.
In an effort to gain a better appreciation of the mystical “balance” people discuss he took up skydiving, fulfilling a childhood dream of flying while never losing the fear of heights. This branched out into tunnel flying, skydiving’s potentially more expensive cousin. Both are high maintenance activities when it comes to time, money, or both. So far, tunnel is winning the race.
He currently struggles to get a book finished, teaches, works in a clinic, has found an amazing lady which has helped with the “balance thing”, and wishes he had more time to read, pat his cat and watch movies.
In a former life, he was an arts student and a questionable music student. Music still constantly preoccupies a large chunk of his brain.