Divisions · Freestyle Eastern
Freestyle Eastern
Sessions built on an assessment grounded in East Asian concepts (meridians and pressure points), with technique chosen freely. How you read the points, the channels and the flow — and whether your hands match your reasoning.
- Dates
- 2027-05-26 – 2027-05-27
- Venue
- Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Second Gymnasium
What judges look for
One question: do your hands match your assessment.
- Assessment — what you gathered by looking and asking, and whether you can put it into words
- Points and channels — accuracy of location, depth and duration matched to intent
- Sequence — distal first or straight to the area of concern, and whether there is a reason for the order
- Firm and gentle — distinguishing where to work firmly from where to release
- Response — noticing changes in breath, warmth and expression during the session
How judging works, at a glance
Entry
Each person may enter up to two categories
Competition
Consultation, then a 30-minute treatment. Up to 15 at a time; fellow competitors take turns as recipients
Scoring
Judges score the 8 criteria, each out of 10
Totalling
The scores of the judges who gave the highest and the lowest are excluded; the rest are totalled and averaged
Placings
Placings are decided per category. Ties are broken in a set order
Who this division is for
Therapists whose work rests on East Asian theory. Shiatsu, anma, tui na, meridian work and Ayurvedic approaches all belong here.
Techniques competed in this division
From our world massage encyclopedia — the techniques that belong to this division. No school or lineage is prescribed; enter with the work you already do.
Thailand
Thai Massage (Nuad Thai)
タイ古式マッサージ（ヌアッドタイ）นวดไทย / นวดแผนโบราณ
Nuad Thai is the name used for traditional Thai massage. It can combine pressure over clothing and assisted stretching. Sen belongs to its traditional understanding of the body; practice varies by school and setting.
Pressure · Stretch · Herbal
Traditional healing systemTraditional massageView →Bali (Indonesia)
Balinese Massage
バリニーズマッサージPijat Bali
A name used for oil massage in Balinese spas and other settings, often combining long strokes, kneading and scent. Local everyday care and tourism-spa menus should not be treated as identical traditions.
Oil · Pressure · Herbal
Traditional massageSpa treatmentView →Philippines
Hilot (Filipino Traditional Healing)
ヒロット（フィリピン伝統療法）
A name for traditional care carried forward in the Philippines. Practices may include manual work, herbs and family care. Knowledge and explanations among practitioners known as manghihilot vary locally; spa wellness massage does not represent the whole tradition.
Oil · Herbal · Heat · Pressure
Traditional healing systemView →Japan
Shiatsu
指圧指圧（しあつ）
A practice developed in Japan using pressure with fingers, palms and other forms of contact, often over clothing. Namikoshi and Masunaga traditions illustrate differences in teaching and understandings of the body; no single intensity or benefit defines them all.
Pressure · Stretch
Traditional massageClinical massageView →China
Tui Na
推拿（すいな）推拿
Manual practices developed within Chinese traditional medicine, including pushing, grasping, kneading and rolling. They are described using concepts such as meridians and qi and blood. Introducing those concepts is separate from making medical judgements about symptoms.
Pressure · Stretch · Tool
Traditional healing systemClinical massageView →Kerala (India)
Ayurvedic Massage (Abhyanga)
アーユルヴェーダ・マッサージ（アビヤンガ）अभ्यङ्ग (Abhyaṅga)
Oil-based manual work within Ayurveda, involving the spreading of oil, stroking and kneading. Its role differs in household routines, specialist facilities and spas. Concepts such as dosha are presented as explanations within that tradition.
Oil · Herbal · Heat
Traditional healing systemView →India
Indian Head Massage
インディアンヘッドマッサージचंपी (Champi)
A name connected with head care in India and seated practices developed in Britain and elsewhere. Work may include the scalp, neck and shoulders. Household champi and taught systems such as Champissage should be explored without assuming they are identical.
Head · Pressure · Face
Traditional massageModern bodyworkView →Tibet
Ku Nye (Tibetan Massage)
クニェ（チベット伝統マッサージ）བསྐུ་མཉེ་ (bsku mnye)
Ku Nye is the manual therapy of Sowa Rigpa, Tibetan traditional medicine, in three stages: ku, anointing with warm medicated oil or butter; nye, kneading, pressure and joint movement; and chi, wiping the oil away with flour. Recorded in the Four Tantras (Gyud Zhi) compiled between the 8th and 12th centuries, it uses heated stones and herbal compresses alongside the hands, on a theory of balancing the three humours (lung, tripa, beken). It is taught today in Dharamsala, in Tibet and at schools in Europe.
Oil · Herbal · Stone · Heat
Traditional healing systemView →Hawaiʻi
Lomi Lomi (Hawaiian Massage)
ロミロミ（ハワイ伝統マッサージ）Lomilomi
A name for manual practices carried forward through families and communities in Hawaiʻi. Some use hands and forearms, with accounts emphasising aloha, place and relationships. Practice, including prayer and sequence, varies; a single spa form cannot stand for the whole tradition.
Oil · Breath · Stone · Abdomen
Traditional healing systemTraditional massageView →
Past winners
Therapists who placed in this division at previous championships.
Results for this division are not published yet.
Frequently asked questions
- May I use needles or moxibustion?
- No. Anything that pierces the skin or applies heat is outside the competition. Hands only.
- Is explaining my assessment part of the judging?
- Yes. There is a short window to explain yourself to the judges. Tell them what you saw and what you did, in your own words.
Enter this division
33,000 yen (tax included) per entry. You can enter up to two divisions; each entry is charged separately.
Entries open at 19:00 JST (10:00 UTC) on Tuesday 27 October 2026 and close at 23:59 JST (14:59 UTC) on Monday 15 March 2027.
Enter the championship