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Note: this is an automatic translation from the Italian language, we apologize for the poor language quality.

Another Seed of Denis has popped up

Finally!! On January 24, 1998, the Swiss Shiatsu Namikoshi Association was born.

The important steps to achieve this can be summarized as follows:

1. On 19 June 1995, the Institute of Naturalistic Therapies, Director Annemarie Bonetti Frey, receives permission from the European Shiatsu Academy to organise basic courses for therapists. This is also thanks to Roberto Taverna who will become his master.
2. At the same time Denis Binks and Annemarie Bonetti-Frey began to plan to organize the Second European Shiatsu Meeting in Switzerland.
3. On 3 and 4 February 1996 Denis Binks is present in Locarno for the first session of the basic course exams (15 students).
4. On 13 and 14 April 1996, the Second European Shiatsu Meeting takes place in Ascona, as part of the Jubilee for the 20 years of activity of the Institute of Naturalistic Therapies. Countries are: Japan, Holand, Italy, Spain, Switzerland. In addition to the various seminars held over the two days, there will also be the delivery of diplomas to the first Swiss Therapists by Mrs. Matsuko Namikoshi.
5. During the Third European Shiatsu Meeting in Hilversum, Holland, Denis Binks proposes to appoint a representative for Switzerland as a member of the European Directive of the E.S.A. thus giving a further impetus to the establishment of our Association.
6. In June 1998, the European Shiatsu Academy gave Annemarie Bonetti-Frey permission to create the Shiatsu Namikoshi Institute, The Swiss Section of the European Shiatsu Academy.

In these three years, meanwhile, the basic courses were held on a regular basis, graduating about forty therapists. New graduates want to know when there are new seminars, they feel the need for a reference point to meet their needs and difficulties, they want to know how it works with the various national institutions, they want to be aware of what is happening in Japan and Europe, learn about the activities of the European Shiatsu Academy, E. S.A., of the APIS, want to be able to find themselves to verify their work and so on. In short, there is a real need to have an association that can cope with all these issues. The seed planted three years ago begins to sprout. But who are those who planted this seed and looked after it?
Certainly Annemarie Bonetti-Frey, who under the enthusiasm that Denis Binks knew how to instill, brought the Shiatsu Namikoshi to Switzerland and began to make it known through various events. Definitely Roberto Taverna. His constant presence in Switzerland to teach Shiatsu, the high quality of his lessons both from a theoretical-practical and human point of view, his willingness to pupils, his advice on how to organize us, his mediation with the E. S.A., they helped create that climate that was right for the seed to sprout. But the enthusiasm of some therapists who took all the courses taught by the European Shiatsu Academy in both Baarn and Rome, who kept themselves constantly informed of what was happening outside Switzerland was of great importance. First of all, they gave a signal to the E.S.A. that something was moving from us too. Secondly, they have helped to cement relations with other associations through their presence in the various seminaries and have brought to Switzerland that position of enthusiasm always present in the various courses passing it on to other therapists. In practice, they were tasked with watering the soil where the seed had been planted. And how to forget Denis; Grandmaster Denis. The great knowledge he had in the professional field, his desire to make you participate in the "secrets" of Shiatsu, his great openness to the "new", his ability to explain difficult things to you with an incredible simplicity, his charisma that took all, the charm of his lessons, his cheerfulness. We therapists expected June just to go to Baarn and come back yes, with more knowledge, but also to bring home some of his enthusiasm and his charge. His was the seed; brought from Japan along with others some thirty years ago, gift of Tokushiro Namikoshi. Someone's already grown, it's already paid off. Ours is a sprout and, although we are proud of it, it saddens us that Denis could not see it popping and is not here with us to raise it.
To mark his birth, the Association organized, on February 14 and 15, 1998, two days on the Shiatsu Namikoshi, in collaboration with the Institute of Shiatsu Namikoshi.
In the presence of an interested audience, the day of the 14th begins with a speech by Mr. Peter Traber, Director of the Centre for Health and Hotel Esplanade (where the event and the seminar was held), which illustrates the history of this center from its born until the recent renovation (1997), recalling how already in 1911 the Hotel Esplanade was a Center of Health.
Annemarie Bonetti-Frey, President of the Association, speaks instead of her many years of experience in naturopathy gained in collaboration with her mother, Mrs. Anny Frey. She then recounts how, from the International Meeting of Shiatsu Namikoshi (in which Mrs. Matsuko Namikoshi represented Japan), she organized, she developed the idea of creating a structure suitable for the complete training of the Shiatsu-Therapist method Namikoshi coming after two years of meetings with the competent European bodies to the creation of the Institute and the Association.
Third speaker is Mr Maurizio Spedicato, member of the Directive of the Italian Professional Association of Shiatsu (APIS), who after bringing the greetings of their President entertains the public talking about the Volunteer Group that was formed in Italy and that works with para/tetra/hemiplegic groups with the Shiatsu Namikoshi method obtaining valid results.
After the report of the Vice-President of the Swiss Association, Mr Franco Maccanelli, in which he drew broadly the history of Shiatsu Namikoshi and how it developed in Europe, and what are the aims of the newly established Association, takes the Paul Van Monfort, instructor of the Duch Shiatsu School and present at this day as the official representative of the European Shiatsu Association. His is a report, with practical examples, of how Shiatsu can have beneficial effects in sport both competitively and in the pop world.
A refreshment offered to everyone present follows.
On Sunday, February 15th, a seminar was held organized in collaboration with the European Shiatsu Association and held by instructor Peter Van Monfort on two important pathologies to which Shiatsu has excellent answers: sciatalgia and periartrite omeral bachelor. 18 therapists took part in this course.
There are many ideas for the future and the Committee is working hard to prepare a programme of activities. There are two priorities for the moment: 1. to make contact with the various institutions (Authorities and Sick Boxes) in order to be able to recognize the Shiatsu Method Namikoshi as valid Therapy in Switzerland. 2. Having continuity in teaching for Members in order to ensure the quality of our therapists.