True Acupuncture
If you Google “True Acupuncture” you will no doubt get responses for “sham
acupuncture vs. true acupuncture,” however, that is not the “True Acupuncture”
we speak of, but rather a lower level of acupuncture. George Soulié de Morant first described “True Acupuncture” in his
book Chinese Acupuncture when he described the three levels of
acupuncture:
“There are many kinds
of acupuncture. One is simplistic and primitive. It consists of puncturing the
place of pain without considering any other knowledge. Except for conditions of
recent, acute pain, such treatment gives only partial, short-term relief.
Another method,
somewhat better, uses points in memorized formulae. Problems are treated with
little attention given to the patient or the action of the needles; i.e., in
order to tonify or disperse such and such an organ, such and such a point is
used; for this particular symptom, that particular point is used. This method
allows moderate regulation of the organs, but does not treat the underlying
cause of the problem, nor control the vital energy.
The truest form of
acupuncture, which we describe here, enables the practitioner to evaluate
imbalances of the vital energy, the basis of all functional illness. This is
achieved above all through the study of the pulses. True acupuncture is founded
on the relationship between the organs, based on the circulation of energy, a
system which often differs from the Western anatomical physiological model. The
method demands that we locate the exact center of each point, where its action
is at a maximum. Although there are failures, these are rare. . .”
From Morant's statement we learn that there are clearly
three “levels” of acupuncture, although he did not speak directly on the
subject of different "styles" of acupuncture. Morant also clearly
states in his text that a practitioner of True Acupuncture may utilize the lower two levels of acupuncture, but only
when necessary and usually after applying the highest level of True Acupuncture
first.
“The first method,
which could be called local acupuncture or even primitive acupuncture, is
rather simplistic and consists of puncturing the center of the pain indicated
by the patient. It is used by people who do not know the location of the
points, their effects, the pulses, or the circulation of energy. It does not
require any study. This method is used for pains, swellings, or local
inflammation, without taking into consideration that in Chinese medicine pain
is recognized as a sign of dysfunction of a neighboring meridian or of the
associated organ. True acupuncture occasionally uses this method after treating
the root problem to remove what is called "the branch," the symptom.
Even without using this method, the branch disappears some time after the
underlying problem is resolved by true acupuncture.”
This is a very important
consideration. It is unfortunate that in our current era the first two levels
of acupuncture are solely practiced with few practitioners performing True
Acupuncture. George
Soulié de Morant even noted that
the Chinese had never put into writing True Acupuncture theory:
“To fight off disease
successfully by manipulating the energy of the body, one must fully understand
the differences between the three methods grouped under the name of
acupuncture. The Chinese cite only two, but in reality there are three.”
Though the Chinese did
not explicitly describe True Acupuncture in written text, it was known by true
masters of acupuncture and the basic ideas are presented in the “classical
texts” of Chinese medicine.
It is the study and
practice of True Acupuncture that the practitioners listed on this web site adhere to. Owing
to our studies and research into this form, we have come to know the true
benefits that True Acupuncture offers over any other form (level or style) of
acupuncture.
True Acupuncture Theory
In reality, the theory for True Acupuncture is
rather simple in many ways. The great difficulty in applying this modality lies
in point
location and radial pulse diagnosis. The theory is just different from what you may
have previously been exposed to. Morant's theories make a great deal of sense when
applied to acupuncture as opposed to herbal therapy. Unlike other styles of
acupuncture that are heavily based on herbal theory, True Acupuncture keeps the
theory relative to acupuncture only. We do not mix herbal theories with
acupuncture theories. It just doesn't work that way. Acupuncture utilizes an
"energetic" system to get its effect while herbs suppress or
stimulate functions. Through the energetic system acupuncture balances functions.
This is a significant difference.
When acupuncture is
applied it must "take" from another area. This is the natural
re-establishment of yin and yang. Herbs do not work in the same way and
therefore, to mix the theories together destroys the effectiveness of each.
Classical True
Acupuncture
You will often see us use the term
"Classical True Acupuncture" interchangeably with "True
Acupuncture." We have chosen to use the term “Classical” as a prefix for
the simple reason that this level is truly the ancient understanding of this
profound art. Although other styles may appropriately claim the term
“Classical,” because they are literally based on the classical texts of Chinese
Medicine, we believe that True Acupuncture contains a deeper understanding that
is required to practice at this higher level.
While this site currently does not have a ton of
information the reality is, Morant's text on acupuncture contains everything
you need to learn True Acupuncture. With patience and hard work you can learn
this level of acupuncture. . . the information is there.
The best resource is Morant's own work, thank
you.
Defining
Acupuncture
First,
let's start with the Traditional Chinese Medicine terminology. "Zhen
jiu" is traditionally used to refer to acupuncture in China. Zhen translates as
"needle" and Jiu is "burn or cauterize with moxa or the act of
moxibustion," thus we have "to needle and burn/cauterize with moxa or
perform moxibustion." Now that doesn't sound fun.
However, when the West decided to
translate zhen jiu, they didn't keep the terms together as in China.
"Zhen" became acupuncture and "jiu," moxibustion. Jiu
stayed close to its original meaning, but the meaning of zhen was modified and
clarified because "to needle" just wasn't good enough as a name for a
medical modality, now was it?
OK, before we go on we need to address the
actual medical term for acupuncture, stylostixis, which is defined as, "treatment of
pain or disease by inserting the tips of needles at specific points on the
skin." (Please note that the FDA states that only a pharmaceutical substance
can treat or cure a disease, thus all alternative medicine does nothing
according to them, nice. . . but we can perform alternative healing because
that isn't treating or curing, . . . whatever).
What we need to note about stylostixis is the part about "specific points on
the skin." This is a very important aspect, otherwise anyone sticking
needles randomly into the epidermis is performing stylostixis and we all know that isn't true, right? We
also need to note that it is the "inserting" of needles otherwise
it's acupressure and we are acupuncturists not acupressurists.
A
simple definition of acupuncture
Now we
can turn our attention to the common word used, acupuncture. It is defined as "a Chinese medical practice or procedure
that treats illness or provides local anesthesia by the insertion of needles at
specified sites of the body." Again we have "specified sites,"
in other words, acu-points.
If we take the parts of the word, "acu" and "puncture" we
can see that the word is a very specific translation of a very specific act.
"Acu" refers to the acupuncture points, not just any old place on the dermis. "Puncture,"
obviously, means the act or process of puncturing (puncturation) and not just
touching the point with a needle or applying pressure to the point or burning the
point, got it? OK. Therefore, we have a literal translation that says what
acupuncture is. It is the act of puncturing (with a needle = puncturation) an acu-point (an acupuncture point = a specific area on
the body and not just any old place) = acupuncturation for a more literal
translation.
See, isn't that simple? You may be
wondering why we are making a big deal about this. Well, there are
practitioners and very famous ones at that, who insist that sticking a needle
anywhere in the skin is acupuncture because every spot is covered by an
acu-point and the meridians run everywhere. . . yada yada yada. This tells us
one clear thing about the people who say such things. They know nothing of True Acupuncture. Acu-points are very specific spots on the body. . .
very specific areas. They simply are not anywhere and everywhere on the body.
If a person wishes to put this to the test they only need to read Morant's
qualifications for a True Acupuncture Point (see Chinese Acupuncture by Morant).
True
Acupuncture is very focused not only with needling the center of an acu-point,
and yes they are very real, but hitting the exact center of a true acu-point.
Suffice it to say, there are "levels" of acu-points along each meridian and all are not
created equal. To find the center of a true point is the art and is one of the
most difficult things to do, thus if you are slapping in needles without
spending significant time locating the center of the points, then it is highly
unlikely that you have ever experienced what an acupoint can do.
Stylostixis
If you
read the article, "Defining Acupuncture," then you already know the
definition ofstylostixis. The question I want to raise here is, do we do a disservice to our
profession by not using a medical term as our title? When we think of medical
therapies, what usually comes to most peoples' minds are, allopathic, homeopathics,
naturopathic, chiropractic, and osteopathic. Then we have acupuncturists?!
By using a more generic or common term to
classify our modality, do we not declassify ourselves from what is perceived by
the public as an "authentic medical modality?" Just by the names we
use, we put our medical practice in the class of alternative medicine in the
public's eyes. We use such terms as Oriental Medicine, Traditional Chinese
Medicine, or just Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, or a whole host of other less
than medical sounding terms. Why?
As a class of health care practitioners,
are we insistent on keeping ourselves from being seen by the public as a true
standard of "authentic" medical practice? Or is it the case that as a
whole, the acupuncture community easily resigned itself to the position of woo
woo medical practitioners?
I for one, have found True Acupuncture to be more scientific than any of the
"-pathic" medical modalities mentioned above. It is for this reason
that I wish our community, as a whole, would strive harder to prove the
scientific basis of stylostixis and adhere to more rigid terminology.
Manfred Porkert has attempted to use
medical terminology in his writings of Classical
Acupuncture, however,
most acupuncturist will never look at his books because he used Latin and Greek
terminology. It would behoove us all to realize that using medical terminology
to clarify and define acupuncture (stylostixis) theories would be a great benefit to all
acupuncturists and acupuncture as a whole. It would give all countries a solid
and universal foundational terminology on which to discuss this ancient form of
medicine.
I like the term stylostixis, although I'm not sure it would be the
correct term for our profession. After all there is no "-pathic" on
the end of it, and would we say, "I'm a stylostixis medical practitioner" or "I
practice stylopathic medicine?" I'm not really sure myself, but do you
think it would add credence to our profession in the public's eyes? We all know
how people instantly give credibility to those who have an unpronounceable term
next to their name.
Acupuncture
Points (Acupoints or Acu-points)
One of
the most important things in True
Acupuncture is point location. Even if you are able to correctly diagnose the
patient the treatment will fail or give only short term results if proper
acupoint location isn't done. This may seem obvious to you however, if you went
to a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) school then you may have picked up the
idea that point location is easy. My impressions as a new student were always
that the acupoints were
about one centimeter in size and you can fish your way to acquire Qi. . . well,
that is not accurate. The reality is, there are several levels of acupoints with True Acupoints giving the strongest and longest lasting
effects. Other points (secondary acupoints)
often give little to no effect even when needled dead center.
Modern Chinese Medicine does not put a
strong emphasis on point location. If you watch a modern TCM practitioner from
China needle you will often witness a blur of needle insertion. I was always
amazed at how quickly 20 needles could be placed into a person, literally
within 60 seconds. The problem here is, acupoints are 1-2 millimeters in diameter. Being
more than a couple millimeters away from the center of an acupuncture point
will often result in minimal effect, and if any effect takes place it is
usually of short duration. There simply is no possible way to locate the center
of a true acupoint within seconds. . . well, unless you are enlightened, maybe.
This explains why most patients have some
relief from the treatment but within a few days the symptoms have returned.
This has raised the belief in acupuncturists around the world that more
frequent visits to the acupuncturist are required. If the truth be told, less
visits are needed with proper point location. A patient treated properly with a
True Acupoint needled dead center rarely will need to be treated within a week
and usually two plus weeks or more should be taken. It is often the case that
the effects of such a point only begin showing maximal impression one week
after treatment.
What
are True Acupoints?
What is noticed
when a True Acupuncture Point is needled dead on is something very different
than the typical response patients have to treatment — decreased effect
immediately following the treatment, instead what is seen is, increased
physiologic response over time. In other words, the patient continues to get
better and better as time increased from the point of treatment. This is
verified via the radial pulses. What is seen in the pulses is an increased
movement toward the direction of the treatment as time from the treatment
increases. This will often continue for two or more weeks.
This is a unique phenomenon to needling a
True Acupoint. No other acupuncture body points respond with this type of
physiological change. Having now outlined their uniqueness I hope that you will
take it to heart just how important it is to properly differentiate primary
from secondary and other acupoints.
This is THE most important topic in True Acupuncture and it is very very important that you
become aware that 99.99% of the time you needle you are not hitting the center
of a True Acupoint. Being more than 2 mm off greatly reduces the effects and
only major points have influence that ranges to a centimeter in size and that
influence is minimal compared to the center. Furthermore, many of these points
are not located where Traditional Chinese Medicine currently locates them.
For more information and to study true acupoints please read George
Soulié de Morant's book
on acupuncture, "Chinese
Acupuncture."
Are
there Secret Acupuncture Points?
Location
of acupuncture points in the "classical texts"
The location of acupuncture points in the “classical texts” of Chinese
Medicine have always been vague. This has caused great misunderstanding and
often infighting in the acupuncture
communities. Regardless of the
descriptive locations given, a practitioner must learn to distinguish true
points from points that have little effect and from reflex areas that have only
neurological effects. This can only be done through an understanding of the
radial pulses and the sensations aTrue Acupuncture point gives when needled properly.
A practitioner cannot accurately needle
the center of any acupuncture point if they do not fully understand the
energetic responses of the points that are reflected in the radial pulses, and
know what to look for. This is the secret to acupuncture regardless of culture, lineage, or years
of experience. Without understanding this secret fully, one cannot hope to
practice True
Acupuncture, but instead,
simply and haphazardly “slap” in several needles with little consideration to
the location and the responses in the radial pulses and the overall benefit to
the patient. Subsequently, a patient turns into a “pin cushion” with little, if
any, benefit.
Comprehending acupuncture and the nature of a true acupoint is the
key, as it is with anything in life, rote memorization can only take a
practitioner so far, and regardless of lineage or years of clinical practice,
if the practitioner does not understand the nature of the true points and
relies on protocols and descriptive locations, then only a book has been
mastered, but not acupunctureit self, and no “secret” can help.
This is why we, here at the True Acupuncture site, are so very insistent on the correct
understanding of the responses of acupuncture
points in
the radial pulses and the proper location of these points. Without this
stringency and ability an acupuncturist ends up utilizing only lower systems that have
significantly less effect.
What
are the different styles of acupuncture?
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of
“styles” of acupuncture: Japanese Meridian acupuncture, Worsley
5-Element acupuncture, Japanese Hari and Toyo Hari acupuncture, Traditional
Chinese Medicine, Master Tong’s acupuncture, Richard Tan’s Balancing system,
I-Ching acupuncture, “Classical” acupuncture, etc. . . yet, the “style”
practiced is of no consequence if the practitioner does not fully understand
the true basis of acupuncture.
This causes great contention amongst
practitioners, for each “style” believes that they hold all the secrets and,
therefore, are the best or only “true” form of acupuncture. What is necessary
to be a True
Acupuncture practitioner, however, is not some arcane theory, lineage,
culture, or anything else for that matter. What is required is the clear
understanding of pulse diagnosis, how true acupuncture points reflect in the radial pulses, and the
understanding of the clinical reality of the relationships of the different
systems and parts of the human body — this is all 100% verifiable by all and
therefore theory is moot. As a result and regardless of the style a
practitioner practices, if they do not know how to locate and needle a true acupoint and verify it via the radial pulses, then
they practice only theoretical acupuncture and nothing related to true clinical
acupuncture.
How
does acupuncture really work?
Effects produced by Acupuncture
What is certain is
that there are true physiological effects produced when True Acupuncture is applied correctly. This is consistently
verifiable via the radial pulses according to Morant's radial pulse diagnosis.
The response in the radial pulses is unmistakable when a true acupoint is needles verses a
non-acupuncture point area; however, all explanations as to how and why
these effects take place during and after needling remain purely theoretical
and belong outside of the clinic. We can discuss many possible theories as to
why the effects take place — neural responses, "energetic" pathways,
mind-body integration mechanisms, etc. . . however, the clinical reality with
True Acupuncture is that it is verifiable via the instant physiological changes
that take place and reflect in the radial pulses. With years of clinical
evidence behind such observations, the validity of True Acupuncture has
consistently been experienced.
Radial
Pulse Diagnosis
Understanding
the radial pulses is very important in True
Acupuncture. Without the
proper use of pulse diagnosis we have NO immediate physiological
feedback system. We are then left to evaluate our treatment through subjective
findings only. No health care modality can rely totally on subjective feedback
and claim to be scientific and to NOT work by placebo alone.
Placebo has shown effects in every area of
health. This is easily understood by those who understand the nature of the
mind. For this reason we must have a tool that gives us direct and immediate
feedback. The radial pulses do exactly that! The more accurate we are in
diagnosis with the radial pulses the more precise we can be in understanding
the nature of acupuncture. We can never hope to truly understand
acupuncture via pulse qualities
and symptomatology only. We must have and must use something that
shows clearly the immediate effects of the treatment. The only thing we know of
currently that does that are the radial pulses.
Yes, other pulses throughout the body also
respond to treatment however, the radial pulses give the clearest and easiest
to read findings. We cannot however, prove beyond any shadow of doubt that a
given area of the radial pulses reflects in only one system and to name that
system. We have this information passed down to us and Morant researched it in-depth however, it seems
an impossibility to conclude that the lung pulse position is that of the lungs
and only the lungs. What we can say is that, the lung pulse position responds
in specific ways to certain acupuncture points throughout the body but to say, it
reflects the lungs specifically and only the lungs is a very large assumption
based on subjective findings that cannot be proven with 100% reliability and
consistency.
Therefore, when we look at the pulses we
will always be looking at them in relation to all other pulses and will not
conclude that a pulse position absolutely reflects a specific system, rather
that the imbalances in the pulses lead us to certain treatments that respond in
bringing a homeostatic re-balancing to the pulses. In other words, we resort
the balance of yin and yang through the observations of the radial pulses. Then
based on clinical experience we can make certain assumptions however, we will
not state these assumptions to be fact. They are theories that may never be
provable but may consistently reflect in clinical reality. This is the nature
of medicine in general. No medical modality can prove everything about it's
theories however, acupuncture can prove that it consistently responds
physiologically 100% of the time via the radial pulses.
It is only through proper pulse diagnosis that we can find the true root to
pathology and treat the root via acupuncture. This CANNOT be done with symptomatology
and pulse qualities. It can only be done through an in-depth understanding of
the energetic relationships of the systems and how they reflect in the pulses
and how those pulses are modified via acupuncture points. If you do not understand all of this you cannot and will not be
able to treat the root of anything. You will blindly needle your patients
hoping for change. In other words, you will rely on placebo as your treatment
modality and not acupuncture.
George
Soulié de Morant
"George
Soulié de Morant was born in Paris on December 2, 1879.
His father, Leon, an engineer who participated in the Mexican War, had met his
mother, a French emigrée, while in New Orleans. When still a child, George
became acquainted with Judith Gautier, daughter of poet Theóphile Gautier, and learned Mandarin from a highly
educated Chinese whom Gautier had invited into his intellectual circle. He
completed his early education with the Jesuits, intending to study medicine.
However, his father's premature death at sea prevented him from fulfilling this
ambition.
Unable to pursue a medical career, but
already completely fluent in Chinese, George
Soulié de Morant found a position with the Banque
Lehideux, which sent him to China at the turn of the century. His almost native
proficiency in the Chinese language, his appreciation of Chinese culture and
his rapid adaptation to Chinese society soon led to his engagement by the
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was appointed French Consul for Shanghai
and sent to Yunnan Prefecture. While at this post, he witnessed a cholera
epidemic during which acupuncture yielded better results than the Western
medicines of the time. It was thus, while still in his early twenties, that George
Soulié de Morant first encountered what was to be his
life's work.
Although acupuncture was to be his central life interest, Soulié de
Morant was not content to study it in
isolation; he immersed himself in every aspect of Chinese culture. He became
well accepted by the Chinese people, and gained entrance to the highest circles
of Chinese society. Between 1901 and 1911, he witnessed the end of the Chinese
empire. When he wrote the biographies of the last Empress, Ci Xi, and the revolutionary, Sun Yat-sen, it was as their contemporary. His
literary output was voluminous and covered every aspect of Chinese life.
Significant works on Chinese art, music, history and literature are among his
more than sixty books and articles.
George
Soulié de Morant remained in China until 1917, eventually
becoming a judge in the French Concession in Shanghai. During his almost two
decades in China, he continued to study acupuncture with the most noted practitioners of the
time, eventually receiving the highest civilian award, the Coral Globe, for his
achievements. He was considered a Chinese doctor by the Chinese themselves, an
unheard-of accomplishment for a foreigner, then or now.
His term in China finished, Soulié de
Morant returned to France, where he began
actively promoting acupuncture among the medical profession. Initially
confronted with skepticism and derision that was rooted in the failure of
earlier attempts to introduce acupuncture through inaccurate information, he
decided to publish articles based on translations of Chinese medical texts. He
chose those he thought would be of interest to physicians. He also wrote a
series of essays, and then a longer article on acupuncture that was published in Science Médical
Pratique in 1931. These works attracted the attention of two French physicians,
Dr. Flandin and Martiny, who invited Soulié de
Morant to work with them in their departments
at the Bichat and Leopold Bellan Hospitals. While exact records of their
studies have not survived, they obtained remarkable clinical results, and
continued to experiment as Soulié de
Morant pursued
further study and translation.
In 1933, Mercure de France published a
short article of his on Chinese pulse diagnosis, and in 1934 the same company
published his first book on acupuncture, Précis de la vrai acuponcture Chinoise
(Summary of the true Chinese Acupuncture). The first two volumes of the present
text, l'Acuponcture Chinoise(Chinese Acupuncture)
were published during 1939-1941. These texts present the culmination of Soulié de
Morant's
"theory of energy" and its therapeutic manipulation by acupuncture. They stimulated a period of remarkable
progress for acupuncture in France, and were the basis for their
author's nomination for the Nobel Prize in 1950.
Even though l'Acuponcture Chinoise was recognized as an important text by
many French physicians, not all welcomed this new information, and some were
openly hostile. Soulié de
Morant suffered from their hostility, which is
said to have adversely affected his health, but he remained in France, refusing
a professorship that had been created for him in the United States. He suffered
a stroke in the early 1950's that left him partially paralyzed, but he learned
to write with his other hand and continued his work. He died of a heart attack
on May 10, 1955, just after completing l'Acuponcture Chinoise. This monumental
work remains today the fundamental European testament to the art and science of acupuncture."
Criticisms
Against George Soulié de Morant
I feel it necessary to address criticisms I've heard about George
Soulié de Morant and his work with acupuncture. From my personal experience with True Acupuncture and studying Morant's work, I feel that his depth of
understanding is that of a true master of acupuncture and much of his wisdom is passed over in
favor of theory. I wish to discuss here some of the general criticisms and
give, what I believe to be, some general clarifications and to point out some
misunderstandings.
The Criticisms
Poor Translations by Morant
I've
heard the argument that Morant's translations of the “classical texts”
of Chinese Medicine was poor. This argument started while he was alive, from my
understanding, and has continued to the present day. Some of the reasons for
this argument come from Westerners who studied other earlier translations and
considered those correct; however, this cannot be used as an argument. The
assumption that a prior translation is more accurate simply because it is an
earlier translation and introduced to the West earlier has no validity
whatsoever. Therefore, the criticism that started against Morant because of
other “poor” translations must be ignored as it has no ground to stand upon.
The second attack on his translations
often has to do with how he translated certain Chinese Medical terminology. It
is clear that Morant did not translate many of these terms
literally or to their “exact” Western counterpart. This is very understandable
once you understand his framework. In his writing he does not seem so concerned
with keeping with terminology as much as he is concerned with the West
understanding acupuncture in its own right. I believe thatMorant seen acupuncture as a universal idea and in order to
understand it, it must be understood in one's own “cultural” terminology.
It is my opinion that literal translations
and the continued use of Chinese terminology inacupuncture in the West has greatly slowed the true
understanding of acupuncture and continues to keep it a vague mystery
to many. I agree with Morant's translational terminology and his
attempt to bring the understanding of acupuncture into terminology the West can comprehend.
Manfred Porkert has also attempted this with little effect. It is unfortunate
that the West as a whole has not embraced the idea of a “standardized”
terminology for acupuncture. Instead we have a mix mash of, what many
of my Chinese instructors called, "Ching-lish."
Due to the continued use of Chinese terms
and literal translations that have no real understanding to them we are faced
with a deep lack of understanding when it comes to acupuncture in the West. Many arguments arise out of
this area and there is no resolution simply because each “school of thought”
insists their translational understanding is correct. What we are faced with
are “theological debates” that rest upon theoretical understanding with no
proofs. Morant's translations rested on valid and sound
proofs of acupuncture. From there he made his translations
based on the understanding of True
Acupuncture after having proved it to himself. This is where the great error
lies. Most argue their theoretical translations without valid proofs of
anything.Morant understood True Acupuncture before making the translations. He proved
it clinically and from that understanding the translations and/or terminology
followed.
Furthermore, it is my opinion that
translations are not necessary at all to understandacupuncture. If acupuncture is a valid medical modality then it must
be understandable based upon its functions; therefore, we must understand acupuncture and ignore theoretical translations. Only
by understanding how acupuncture works and proving it can we then put forth
terminology that will correctly describe it, regardless of the culture. Any
theory put forth is just that, a theory, and it has no place for debate until
it has been proven regardless if the source is a “classical Chinese Medical
text” or a modern physiological interpretation.
Having come to an understanding of True Acupuncture and validating it for myself with 100%
consistency and verifiability, I understand why Morant used much of the terminology he chose to
use; however, I do not believe that Morant ever meant for his interpretations on acupuncture to be the last word. In fact he often
states that more clarification is needed and this is the attitude we must all
take. At this current point in time the understanding of acupuncture is not fully clear, in fact it is greatly
confused, and to argue over theoretical translations because of the book they
came from or the person espousing them is ignorant. We must argue from a point
of validation and proofs.
Morant's Energetic Relationships
Morant gives very clear energetic relationships
between systems and uses phrasing that many “classical acupuncturists” have
problems with. The problem lies in their ability to first grasp Morant's definition and also to let go of their
singular understanding of a phrase. One such example of this is the Mother-Son
relationship.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine as well as
“classical
acupuncture” the only
time the Mother-Son theory is used is in relation to the 5-Elements (Wu
Xing/5-Phases). The practitioner should understand what I am speaking of and I
will not go into explaining the 5-Phases at this time. I simply wish to point
out that Morant uses the Mother-Son terminology in two
places, the 5-Elements (phases) and the ying-qi (nutritive energy) flow;
however, Morant uses this phrase consistently in the
energetic relationships predominantly to refer to the nutritive energy flow for
treatment because it is verifiable and by definition it is a “Mother-Son”
relationship. Morant gives his definition of this phrase by
saying, that which is up stream is the mother to that which is down stream.
Regardless if you think this phrase should be related only to the 5-Elements or
not is not arguable. Morant gives his definition for the phrase and by
so doing he defines the usage of it. He does not eliminate the usage of it in
relationship to the 5-Elements but he does clarify it's usage in relationship
to the nutritive energy flow. To argue over such a point is ignorance. There
simply is nothing to argue over.
The question to raise is, is Morant's mother-son nutritive energy
relationship valid and provable. It is and I have consistently proved it with
100% verifiability and also proven that the 5-Element mother-son relationship
is NOT consistently provable. Please do realize that these proofs rest upon Morant's radial pulse diagnosis however, the
proofs have shown to be 100% consistent.
Such arguments over theory only show one's
unwillingness to understand and learn and their desire to hold onto theory over
proof. This is true in all areas of life; however, as health care practitioners
we must resist this narrowing of the mind at every turn.
Morant practiced a “family style” of acupuncture
This is one of the
most often used arguments against Morant that I hear. Whenever I hear this
statement I think, either acupuncture is something that works via valid provable
“laws” or it is nothing. Call it “family style,” “classical,” “true,” or
“enlightened” does not matter in the least. Acupuncture must be provable or it is NOTHING and
works only by placebo! I have put Morant's theories to the test and thus far I
have not been able to discredit them.
Morant didn't use the “classical texts”
Morant was accused of not using "THE"
classical text of Chinese Medicine, the Nei Jing. One only needs to read Morant's text to see that he does in fact use it
with many other classical Chinese Medical texts; however, the argument is that
he did not use it enough. This is a faulty argument at best. Furthermore, Morant stated that the Nei Jing is not as
clinically useful as other texts, and finally Morant clearly states that “True
Acupuncture” was never
put into writing in China thus how could he site the source anyway? It is
culturally known that the Chinese traditionally pass on their secrets from
teacher to student. Acupuncture has been no different, and to claim a text
as the “source of acupuncture” is a great error. The Nei Jing is simply
the oldest text the Chinese have about acupuncture; however, it consistently refers to
“classical texts” and the “ancients” therefore, it cannot be considered the
source of acupuncture or even a true “classical text.” It simply is NOT the
source of acupuncture understanding.
Conclusion
We must put every
theory to the test regardless of where it came from. To accept a theory solely
based on where it came from is complete and utter ignorance, and to argue over
such a point is foolishness and benefits no one.
There are certainly more criticisms
against Morant as there always are attacks against such pioneers.
What we must realize is, there is no use in attacking the messenger or the
message. We need to hear the message, thoroughly understand it, and
then apply it to prove or disprove it and only by doing so can we hope to learn
and understand. Squabbling over terms and theories is nothing more than arguing
over ill conceived prejudices and beliefs — they are void of wisdom and
understanding.
Courtesy: True
Acupuncture & Charles.S, Colorado, U.S.A
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