Throughout the course of history, there has long been a connection between martial artists and medicine.​ Traditionally, it was not uncommon to find a martial arts master who was also a physician or, at the very least, a highly-skilled healer. The reason behind this is simple being that by understanding how to control the mind and body in either role, one can also understand how the mind and body control an individual.

Probably one of the most famous martial arts masters was Huang (Wong) Feihong who "developed a reputation as a peerless fighter and skilled physician". He also "founded a clinic known as Po Chi Lam, 'Precious Iris Woods', [which was] a reference to his skill with herbal medicine". Another notably skilled martial artist and physician was Hua Tuo, who was arguably the most famous doctor to have lived during the period of the Han Dynasty in China (206 BC-220 AD). As a physician, Hua Tuo would perform surgeries using anesthetics made for herbs. Additionally, he was renowned for his development of a series of health exercises that are based on the movements of animals and the principles found in martial arts traditions (Wu Qin Xi Qi Gong or Five Animal Play Qigong). Marshal Yue Fei, a famous military leader, is another perfect example of martial artist/physician who created the famous Eight Brocades Qigong Exercise.

Like most things over time, these arts transformed into new styles adapting to the changes of society and the invention of new types of weaponry, e.g. firearms. These transformations, together with the secrecy of familial styles of martial arts, the illiteracy of legendary masters, as well as the Cultural Revolution, slowly divorced these two arts that were once seen as inseparable.

In today's society, there is a clear disconnect between martial arts and medicine in both education and in practice. I can recall learning, as part of the curriculum, Tai Chi and Qigong when I attended Oriental Medicine school. At the time, with a background of over a decade of practice in these arts, I entered the classroom with a sense of humility together with an old phrase I heard repeatedly during my training, "Any three people walking, [at least] one of them is your teacher." Needless to say, I was ready and willing to learn. Much to my surprise, upon the completion of the first set of classes, I can still recall the speed at which my jaw hit the floor. I was absolutely dumbfounded by how superficial and dissociated the information was from medicine, let alone martial arts. What happened to the knowledge that had been so powerfully transmitted through the ages of military warfare and medicinal advancement? Given this experience, I unfortunately have anything but high hopes for the remaining programs across the country. Even if the programs are strong in terms of the quality of information being disseminated, there is still an absence of knowledgeable Oriental Medicine practitioners being produced who can utilize martial arts and its principles with a medicinal approach.

All disappointment aside, I do have faith that there still exists a strong connection between both martial arts and medicine. How? Simply because when people practice, they notice positive changes in their bodies and their minds. Additionally, the two arts themselves are based in theories and principles that align perfectly together. And personally, as an acupuncturist and a seasoned martial artist, I can see a clear connection between these two and apply them accordingly in my practice.

Simply put, martial arts is an exchange between two or more people when being applied, whether fighting or "playing". It is also an exchange between one's external environment and internal environment. Medicine is the art that facilitates these exchanges by correcting them when they cannot be completed innately on their own. The natural laws of these exchanges were discovered through the observation and understanding of nature's affect on the health of living beings. Therefore, by expanding upon this knowledge and applying it, martial artists and physicians can potentially marry these two art forms once again.

​I suppose the title of this blog could also be reversed: Acupuncturists were also born to practice martial arts. For from the branches of the tree where martial arts and medicine coexist, they feed from the same root, bear the same fruit, and nourish all those who consume it. We as martial artists and Oriental Medicine practitioners are their gardeners as well as their guardians, and their survival depends solely upon us to keep them together.
​

Every time I hear the word motivation, I am taken back to my days of being a teenager when I stepped foot into my first martial arts school. It was a small school in an even smaller town in western Pennsylvania. The class had no more than 10 people, most of which were light years ahead of me in ranks.

I'll never forget the feeling I had when I first entered the room to line up with the rest of the students. Because of having the lowest rank, I was told to stand at the beginning of the line. It didn't matter if my height had me towering over most of the students, I still felt smaller than anyone else in the room. My confidence was severely lacking, and my experience was non-existent. Plus, the constant thoughts running through my head were making me dizzier than I ever had been in my life. Then, the class started.

We began our warm up, which to me at the time was worse than running a marathon. Although, I had never run one before, I imagined that this was what it would feel like, PAIN. Then we got around to practicing kicks and punches. When they brought out the striking pads and asked the higher level students to demonstrate proper technique, I recall the person holding the bag nearly toppling over onto 3 or 4 students next to him. All of us beginners chuckled, and we knew that we did not want to be behind the bag. Then, it was our turn. One by one we practiced our kicks and did our best to show proper form and deliver a powerful blow each time. 

After a few turns, I noticed an energy building up inside of me. And the person holding the bag noticed they had to hold on tighter and tighter each time I came around. Then once again, it was my turn. I stepped up to the bag; put myself in position; took a deep breath; and delivered one more kick. The next thing I new, the same person holding the bag lost their balance again and fell into a group of people just like the earlier demonstration. I was completely stunned and thrilled at the same time because I couldn't believe that I possibly kicked this person which as much power as one of the higher level students. 

My teacher saw this and immediately walked over. I assumed right away that I was in trouble for doing something I wasn't supposed to. Instead, to my surprise, he began explaining to the other beginners that I had done something RIGHT! Really? In my first class? He then asked me to be an example for the other beginners to observe. He adjusted my posture, corrected my form, and guided me with my breathing. Then he shouted powerfully, "Go!" I immediately kicked the bag as hard as I possibly could, and this time, my kick not only knocked the person off balance, it penetrated the bag and I unknowingly hurt the person's arm, but thankfully the injury was not serious. At that moment in time, I had tapped into a part of my mind and connected it with my body in the most exhilarating way possible. The only word I can use to describe that feeling is POWER.

What exactly does this have to do with motivation?

Most people believe that before you can do the things you want, you need to first have the motivation. Like getting up and going to the gym, this takes a certain amount of motivation, doesn't it? Or, reading the book that has been sitting on your coffee table for more than a month, which you keep telling yourself you will get to. Still needs motivation, right? Or perhaps even making the first move to starting a relationship by asking somebody out on a date. Motivation, right?

WRONG! ALL wrong!

Motivation is not required to take action. ACTION is required to develop MOTIVATION!

Remember the story I just told you about myself? If I hadn't discovered the feeling of inner power and strength after delivering a few hard kicks to a striking pad, do you think I would have returned to the class? If I hadn't followed the instructions of the teacher, do you think I would have had the energy to kick that hard, let alone complete the whole class? The answer is obviously no. Without developing my own motivation by taking a massive amount of effective action, I would not have become the national martial arts champion that I am today. And to this day, I am still able to create and tap into this ability by knowing it only takes one action to get me moving.

Without taking action and committing yourself fully to that action, you will never develop the ability to generate your own motivation. You will only be an adequate follower. Not an outstanding leader. 

So, let me ask you. Are you satisfied with being adequate? Or do you want to be OUTSTANDING? 

Do you want to discover and experience the highest potential of your inner power? Do you want to develop an impenetrable level of confidence and master your ability to create your own motivation? Then you HAVE to TAKE ACTION! Once you do this, your first spark of motivation will be created. Then, by repeating your action again, and again, and again, you will have a blazing fire within you that will keep you motivated from the inside out for any moment when you need it.

The bottom line is that if you have your heart and soul set on accomplishing a specific goal in your life and reaching the next level of success, you need to take action! You need to step up and kick the bag! Now get moving and start mastering your motivation!

Live passionately,​

20 years ago, I made a choice that would change my life forever. I chose to enter a world that balances itself between the polarity of Yin and Yang; rotates on an axis called the Dao; and requires of its inhabitants to willingly "eat bitter", drown ourselves in blood, sweat, and tears, and risk masochistically bruising and injuring our bodies on a daily basis. To others, it is a world that sounds more torturous than peaceful. Regardless, this world is where many thrive on the nourishment of wisdom, develop a persevering attitude, and establish lifelong brother/sisterhoods. This is the world of Martial Arts.

Prior to the 20th century, people knew the martial arts world as being one of great discipline, honor, respect, humility, and unquestionable devotion. Not only was it a way of life, it was also an employable service and a reputable form of business that brought strength, stability, and protection to local villages. Additionally, if a well-known martial artist was teaching in a specific area, it would draw attention far and wide attracting students from across the country ultimately bolstering the local economy. Consequently though, the downfall was the ensuing invitation for trouble through open challenges and "wars" between martial arts families/styles. Even to this day, the plague of open challenges is creating a rift between martial artists forcing practitioners to question its relevance, effectiveness, and overall place in today's society.

Throughout the 20th century, the martial arts world took a severe beating during specific times of global transition (for example, World Wars I & II, the Great Leap Forward, and the Cultural Revolution) forcing people to flee, go into hiding, nearly starve to death, or even be killed. However, thanks to the latter part of the 20th century, and with the help of Hollywood (and dare I say westernization), the world of martial arts continues to spin, but not at the same velocity as in the past.

Today, many martial artists attempt to run their schools in a similar manner as schools of the past by kowtowing to their teachers, passing on knowledge to those who are "worthy", and carrying forward the lineage of which they have been accepted into. I myself being "raised" in this traditional and ritualistic manner treat my Kung Fu family in a similar way. ​As described later in this article though, these practices have not always had a positive effect on the evolution of martial arts.

In all of my martial arts training, one of the most important lessons I have learned is how not to hold on both physically and mentally. Without learning this lesson, one's opponent immediately gains the advantage. So, why is it that so many martial artists cannot demonstrate an understanding of this lesson by clearly being unable to let go of the past? Why have they not accepted the fate of the martial arts world and begun the next stage of its evolution for the sake of the next generation? A disappointing truth is that our world can no longer thrive on ancient methods and traditional ways of thinking and acting. Not because they don't matter, but because much of the rest of the world is moving forward and shedding the parts that no longer serve their current direction (including certain aspects of martial arts). Why are we not doing the same? 

Martial arts was brought to life by ancient wisdom, cultural transformation, and the gifts of nature. This life will soon expire if we do not begin to take action and shed the skin that has been peeling off for the last century. Therefore, I am urging you and every other martial artist to think seriously about the future of martial arts because the unwillingness to accept one's fate is futile, guaranteed. Furthermore, many years from now, you and I will be looked upon as the ancients of martial arts, and we will either be praised or we will be criticized for doing (or not doing) what was necessary.

​So, better than history coming to an abrupt "end", how about we look at it as a "new beginning".

Here are some questions we can begin to ask ourselves regarding the fate of the martial arts world:

1. How will the world of martial arts evolve together with the modern technological movement and, more importantly, can it keep up to speed?
2. How will the world of martial arts contribute to the health of a world in which diseases are created at a far rapider pace than they are eradicated?
3. Where does the word practicality fit into the current phase of the martial arts world's evolution, and how do we filter out the elements that are no longer practical?
4. What benefits does the martial arts world offer that others will be inclined to acknowledge, accept, and adopt ultimately assisting us in a new direction built on a refined purpose?
5. What current practices and traditions can you recognize (without judgement) as no longer serving the present state of the martial arts world, and, most importantly, can you personally let them go?

These types of scrutinous questions, as painful as they might be to answer, have the potential to help us design a new landscape for the sake of adapting to the needs of modern society. Today, the average student will rarely devote time to diligently practicing the movements they are taught. Nor will they spend much time studying the wisdom intricately woven into each action. Many teachers respond to this by teaching form after form without enforcing the need for repetition that allows students to understand more than just the sequence itself. This is proof that the world of martial arts has transformed based on the needs and wants of the student, not of the teacher, nor of the traditional style being taught. Additionally, the levels of discipline, motivation, and devotion no longer resemble those of the past. And due to the unwillingness to accept this unfortunate fact, many martial arts schools' enrollment numbers have dwindled, while at the same time, membership costs surge leading to survival being the only option. Consequently, this choice of survival has caused the sacrifice of something once considered to be sacred; tradition.  Thus, the martial arts world now revolves around such things as colored belts handed out faster than Bruce Lee's one-inch punch.

So what truly is the best way to train students for the sake of the future, and who should be the target clientele from here forward?

Should we only focus on rigorously training the body? Should we limit ourselves to building a curriculum that requires only memorization skills for the forms which are taught?

What truly is the best approach?

In any stage of transition, there are always more questions than answers. Moreover, if you think you have the answers to all of the questions I have been asking, then you have not yet learned to listen.

This final section offers a brief example of an evolutionary step for the martial arts world that potentially could serve its future:

THE CORPORATE WORLD

In a world where most people express difficulty in slowing down their minds, it is our responsibility as teachers to train students to gain control of them. In order for the world of martial arts to not only survive but to thrive in a new form, we must teach in a deeper and more combined fashion. What I mean is that we must meld together the body and mind through the wisdom of martial arts (mind) and the actions through with they are expressed (body). Therefore, the message of any martial arts school and instructor should be to exemplify the importance of training the mind FIRST for learning tactics applicable to interactions in life, critical thinking skills, effective communication, and mental well-being. This may seem counterintuituve to the traditional training approach, but remember, we are no longer teaching people with a traditional lifestyle.

Take the following as an example:

You have made a decision to target and propose to a local company your own personally designed workplace training program using the training methods of martial arts. Your pitch to them is that through this program this company would benefit (secondarily) from reduced healthcare costs and healthier employees, which is nothing new to them. The main part of your pitch though is to instead highlight the potential for their employees to achieve a range of distinct attributes applicable to their work ultimately in favor of the future of their company. As a matter of fact, this is the core of your program, which is delivered through a unique combination of mental techniques reinforced with physical movements proven to enhance a person's well-being and productiveness. Here are a few of those distinct attributes you pitch:

• Laser-focused attention
• Multifaceted and strategic thinking
• Fine-tuned, active listening skills
• Confident and persuasive presence
• Highly-trained ability to anticipate outcomes

If you were the CEO of that particular company, wouldn't you want to hear more? Also, wouldn't this be a giant step beyond the common characteristics of martial arts, such as simply obtaining black belts, winning championships, or becoming the next undefeated fighter? By training someone to gain better control of his or her mind and use it constructively with enhanced bodily awareness, the confidence of an individual will undoubtedly skyrocket. Now, do not confuse this with a simple exercise program because exercise is of course a necessity for good health but will never become a priority in people’s lives until a consistent level of activity is developed and supersedes their ignorance towards their own body. Additionally, the future of the martial arts world has to focus on much more than just exercising the human body, hence the need to focus on the mind first. The potential attributes listed above are only scratching the surface of what the mental preparation of a martial artist can bring to the table, especially in the workplace.

Towering trophies, engraved medals, and beautifully-woven belts or sashes are short-term reminders of one's great accomplishments and provide much more meaning for children than adults. Beyond this, they provide nothing other than a grand collection of dust. Now, let me be clear. The time for celebration and acknowledgement of our accomplishments is important and necessary. However, we must equally acknowledge that they are temporary. For it is how one moves forward from these accomplishments that will reveal one's true potential.

The same is true for the world of martial arts. How we move forward in this world, after first acknowledging all that has been accomplished, will reveal the true potential of the next phase of our journey and the quality of life we produce for the next stage of its evolution. Therefore, I am challenging you, and all inhabitants of the martial arts world, to be open to every possibility that comes your way and, above all,  to think outside of the box. It may appear to some that we are losing our footing in today's society, but let us alter this perception and make it known that the martial arts world is about to spin in a whole new direction.


​Peacefully,

Justin Flinner is a forward-thinker and non-conformist in the areas of healthcare and martial arts. Licensed as a Board-Certified Acupuncturist and being the owner of My Metro Medicine as well as a national champion in martial arts, he offers an empowering environment where his patients and students can experience real change. If you wish to speak more with Justin about the thoughts and ideas in this article, please send and email to [email protected].

It’s 2016, the year of the Fire Monkey, and I have taken on the task of teaching a university course to the next generation of Oriental Medicine practitioners. The course is on the subject of Qigong; a highly researched, highly practiced, and highly misunderstood art in today’s society.

Qigong, (also known as Qi Gong, Chi Kung, and Chi Gung) is a distinguished art form aging into youthfulness leaving no material trace within its immaterial footsteps. Defined as "any training or study dealing with Qi which takes a long time and a lot of effort" (Yang, 1997), Qigong is one of the oldest healing art forms ever written about dating as far back as the discovery of written word in China. (Tang, 2013)  It has drawn from the well of wisdom filled by some of the world's most respected scholars, Lao Zi and Confucius; it has spawned the healing practices of Oriental Medicine that has now become a trustworthy and competitive form of healthcare; it has survived acts of discrimination, countless wars, and even the Cultural Revolution in China; and now, it is prescribed by medical practitioners who decades ago never dared to sit in the shadows of the Oriental Medicine healing tree. Throughout this journey, Qigong has humbly proven time and time again to be a rich and promising daily practice that can yield results you can actually feel, even if you don't understand why.

So what is holding Qigong back? Well, a few possible answers might be the following:

- (Human) Qi can be felt but not seen.
- Scientific researchers know Qigong works but are not sure how.
- There is a severe lack of training and understanding by those prescribing Qigong.

Being a licensed Oriental Medicine practitioner myself, this last point really hits the mark. Surprisingly, in the majority of Oriental Medicine schools today, students are only required to complete one course during their three to four years of study. In total, that is roughly 30 hours in a program comprised of over 3,000 hours of intense training and study. Does this sound like a program designed to bring well-rounded healers into mainstream medicine? Well, if you did the math, you will see that this is less than 1 percent devoted to an entire branch of Oriental Medicine. (Pulse Holistic Health, 2012) One that was traditionally prescribed to patients before acupuncture and herbal medicine were even considered. Furthermore, Qigong, as well as Tai Chi (more accurately know as Tai Ji), are typically taught as physical education-type courses in these medical programs with little to no focus on theory and application. On a similar note, think of how much Qigong training western medicine physicians receive during their own education; probably none, or close to it. In my opinion, this is a huge, gaping hole in the medical field which has been filled with nothing more than lost potential; especially for patients. An even bigger problem is that this is unfortunately happening across the country and, perhaps, across the globe.

It appears the research-driven approach has become the guiding principle for the creation and acceptance of acupuncture and herbal medicine programs in today's society. The intense focus on these two branches of medicine has unfortunately starved the remaining branches of this supposedly wholistic medicine tree leaving them to become bare, brittle, and malnourished.

Is it not hypocritical that we call our medicine wholistic in nature when we are in fact devoting such a large amount of time towards studying such a small part of its whole? The unfortunate truth in this dilemma is that we, wholistic medicine practitioners as we often consider ourselves, have dissected our own medicine in the same judgmental way that many wholistic practitioners discriminate against western medicine practitioners as supposedly dissecting the human body in a disgraceful manner by refusing to treat it as one whole living organism.

How is it that we have traveled so far down this rabbit hole? Are we truly following in the footsteps of our ancestors by nourishing the roots of this ancestral healing tree in this ignorant manner? Are we instead cutting down the entire forest and planting only the seeds we believe will be the most fruitful? Coincidentally, the latter seems to be the theme for Qigong as we tread through modern times.

On a more positive note, Qigong and Tai Chi have both been saviors in keeping Oriental Medicine alive. Don't believe me? Search the internet for a research study on one of these two art forms and you are guaranteed to find something. In fact, frequent studies have shown positive results comparable to that of or far-reaching general exercise benefits (Rendant, 2011). Still not convinced? Check your local hospitals and compare how many Qigong and Tai Chi instructors regularly provide services versus Acupuncturists and Herbalists. Even the First Lady was caught practicing (and plugging) Tai Chi in China during one of her visits. (Bloomberg Business, 2014) The art forms of Qigong and Tai Chi are large pieces of the foundation, as well as the history, of Oriental Medicine which many practitioners have never fully acknowledged.

Now, do not assume I am persuading you to think that Qigong is the missing piece that we all need to focus on and study more. I am not pretending to be a salesman. Rather, I am directing you to examine the fullness of yourself as either a healer or a patient, and I urge you to never stop questioning the quality of care you provide, as well as receive, and the training it took to get you there. And above all, never assume that what you are doing is the ultimate answer to all of your questions, or worse yet, all of your "problems".

There is stillmuch to be learned about the art of Qigong, including its purpose in today's society. First steps first though, we must teach it in a way that draws upon its past and builds upon its future. There are very few scholars and teachers in the field of Qigong (and Tai Chi) that are way ahead of the crowd in this regard. So, as was done for many centuries, we must seek them out and absorb their wisdom with our roots for the branches of Oriental Medicine depend on it.

​  
Study and live well,

​
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Justin is a licensed and board-certified Acupuncturist, a professor of Oriental Medicine, including Tai Chi and Qigong, as well as the owner of My Metro Medicine. He has been working in the healthcare industry for nearly 20 years. He has two beautiful children and a lovely wife to which he is forever grateful. For more information about Justin, click here.


​
Sources:
 
Bloomberg Business. "First Lady Michelle Obama Learns Tai Chi". Bloomberg video, 2:37. March 25, 2014. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/b/841afa55-b758-44ef-944e-a598d868c2f6​.

"Eight Branches of TCM", Pulse Holistic Health, last modified in 2012, http://www.pulseholistichealth.com/resources/eightbranchesoftcm/.

Rendant D, Pach D, Lüdtke R, Reisshauer A, Mietzner A, Willich SN, Witt CM. "Qigong versus exercise versus no therapy for patients with chronic neck pain: a randomized controlled trial." Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2011 Mar 15;36(6):419-27. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181d51fca. PubMed PMID: 21178832.

Tang, Didi, "China Discovers Some Of The World's Oldest Writing," Associate Press, July 10, 2013, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/10/china-oldest-writing_n_3574624.html.

​Yang, Jwing-Ming, The Root of Chinese Qigong (Wolfeboro, NH: YMAA Publication Center, 1997), 7.

Within the hustle and bustle of today's modern life, we are all searching for ways to escape. Escape the mundane routine we drag ourselves through each day, the unavoidable annoyances we encounter at work, the addictions to technology and social media that have flooded our lives and households, and the constant state of busyness we have inflicted upon ourselves. 

Is it too much to ask for just a little break? Absolutely not. For this is the purpose of Tai Chi in today’s society: an ephemeral antidote for all of the above.

Tai Chi was born as a philosophy, adopted as a martial art, and transformed into a widely-accepted and effective form of self-care and movement therapy for all. Not to mention, it is frequently prescribed as such by doctors and healthcare practitioners around the world. Don’t just take my word for it; see for yourself. In recent years, the benefits of Tai Chi have been greatly magnified through the lens of scientific research to include the following (NIH, 2015):
 

• Improved balance and stability.
• Reduced anxiety.
• Reduced back pain.
• Reduced fibromyalgia pain.
• Improved quality of life and mood.

Although many more benefits do exist beyond general physiological adaptations, the research lens becomes a bit blurry when attempting to focus in on them. For example, here are a few of my own personal benefits I have experienced over the past almost two decades:

• An increased ability to relieve minor physical symptoms with just a few minutes of practice.
• A powerful sense of calm in “stressful” situations.
• The wherewithal of what my body and mind need to thrive.
• A keener awareness of my surroundings.
• A deeper understanding of myself and my purpose.
• A strong understanding of how my health affects those around me.

Nowadays, there is more and more talk about the interference of technology in our daily lives and the constant stresses at work that lead to life-threatening conditions that have flooded emergency rooms, filled appointment schedules at health clinics, and generated monstrous wealth for pharmaceutical companies. In fact, “90 percent of visits to primary care physicians are stress-related.” Also, “over 60 percent of American workers say their jobs are a significant source of stress and it’s leading to an increase in heart disease, insomnia, obesity, hypertension, depression, and decreasing your life expectancy.” (Lippe, 2015)

Tai Chi can be beneficial in helping people with many types of health concerns. More specifically, there exists a category of diseases that could potentially be eradicated by instituting a regular Tai Chi practice in one's day. This category is referred to as non-communicable diseases (NCDs); diseases which are typically preventable by the individual who contracts them. It is known that “NCDs are the leading causes of death globally, killing more people each year than all other causes combined . . . .” (Clements, Coady, Gupta, 2012)

Think about this for a second. Diseases we inflict upon ourselves are killing more people on the planet than any other disease. Look a little further and you may also come to the realization, like I have, that as a result of these NCDs, we are the cause of packed waiting rooms, higher out-of-pocket costs, and an extraordinarily large national debt. 

So, I have one question for you. Do you wish to continue to be part of an immensely growing problem or will you choose to step out of these packed waiting rooms, save a vast amount of money, and help turn our nation’s healthcare around by taking responsibility for your own health?

I hope you will join us by answering with a resounding Yes!

If you wish to experience the life-changing benefits of Tai Chi and begin making a difference in your health and ultimately our nation’s healthcare, then join My Metro Medicine for either a private Tai Chi class or keep your eyes peeled for our new Tai Chi group to be announced on our website this week which will start in October 2015!

We look forward to helping you step into this new world of health, balance, and self-empowerment. 

Live well,

Sign up for our newsletter today!

Justin is a licensed and board-certified Acupuncturist, Tai Chi and Qigong instructor, and the owner of My Metro Medicine. He has been practicing and teaching Tai Chi and other martial arts and has been working in the healthcare industry for nearly 20 years. He is a multiple-time national champion in martial arts as well as a renowned teacher in the Washington, DC area. For more information, please see his biography here. 


Sources:

Clements, Benedict; Coady, David; and Gupta, Sanjeev, The Economics of Public Health Care Reform in Advanced and Emerging Economies (Washington, D.C.: International Monetary Fund, 2012), 5.

Lippe, Jordi, "Study says workplace stress is as bad as secondhand smoke: Tips on how to cope," Today, September 10, 2015,  
http://www.today.com/money/study-says-workplace-stress-bad-secondhand-smoke-tips-how-cope-t43156.

"5 Tips: What You Should Know About Tai Chi for Health", NIH, last modified August 21, 2015, https://nccih.nih.gov/health/tips/taichi.