Divisions · Freestyle Western
Freestyle Western
Build the best possible single session for the person in front of you, drawing freely on Western manual techniques. Nothing is prescribed. What you chose, and why, is the question.
- Dates
- 2027-05-26 – 2027-05-27
- Venue
- Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Second Gymnasium
What judges look for
Because the format is open, your reasoning is what earns points.
- Understanding the recipient's requests — what you drew out in consultation, and what you prioritised
- Why this technique here — can a judge see the reason in the work itself
- Allocation of time — enough of it on the recipient's requests, rather than an even sweep of the whole body
- Consistency — does the plan hold from start to finish
- Repeatability — could you deliver this session again for the same presentation
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 who have studied several methods and recombine them for each client. Deep tissue, sports massage, lymphatic work, myofascial and trigger point approaches all sit 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.
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 →Turkey
Hammam (Turkish and Moroccan Bath Massage)
ハマム（トルコ式・モロッコ式浴場マッサージ）حمّام / Hamam
The hammam is the steam bath-house that developed in the Islamic world from the Roman and Byzantine public baths, and the sequence of body care performed there. In the Turkish form, the tellak (bath attendant) scrubs the skin with a coarse kese mitt and kneads the whole body in foam (köpük) on a heated marble platform (göbek taşı). The Moroccan form uses black soap (savon beldi), a kessa glove, ghassoul clay and argan oil. It carries both the religious meaning of purification and the role of a social gathering place.
Steam · Water · Heat · Tool
Traditional massageSpa treatmentView →Sweden
Swedish Massage
スウェディッシュマッサージKlassisk massage
Swedish, or classic, massage was systematised in Europe and spread through varied educational and spa settings. Terms such as effleurage and pétrissage describe gliding, kneading and friction. This vocabulary is not a universal framework for describing or judging every massage tradition.
Oil · Pressure · Percussion
Modern bodyworkClinical massageView →France
Aromatherapy Massage
アロマテラピーマッサージMassage aromathérapique
Massage combining manual techniques with preparations such as appropriately diluted essential oils. Training includes effleurage (gliding) and petrissage (kneading). Techniques and scent choices vary, with the recipient’s preferences respected.
Oil · Herbal · Lymph
Spa treatmentModern bodyworkView →Finland
Sports Massage
スポーツマッサージSports massage
An umbrella term for manual work in sport and activity settings. Touch and timing are discussed around training, events and the person’s preferences. The label does not guarantee better performance, injury prevention or faster recovery.
Pressure · Stretch · Fascia
Sports massageView →United States
Esalen Massage
エサレンマッサージEsalen® Massage
Esalen massage is a style of bodywork that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s at the Esalen Institute, founded in 1962 at Big Sur, California. On a foundation of Swedish strokes it emphasises long, slow strokes that treat the body as one whole, rocking, passive joint movement, and the practitioner's presence and synchrony with the receiver's breath. Shaped by the human potential movement, Gestalt therapy and Sensory Awareness, it aims at relaxation and a deepening of self-awareness.
Oil · Breath
Modern bodyworkSpa treatmentView →United States
Deep Tissue Massage
ディープティシューマッサージDeep tissue massage
A name for manual work that attends to muscle and fascia through slow movements and sustained contact. Explanations vary by school and practitioner. Deep does not mean a contest of strength or that enduring pain is desirable.
Pressure · Fascia · Elbow
Modern bodyworkClinical massageView →United States
Myofascial Release and Trigger Point Therapy
筋膜リリースとトリガーポイント療法Myofascial release / Trigger point therapy
Myofascial release is a name for approaches using sustained contact or stretching with attention to fascia. Trigger-point therapy is a related but distinct explanatory system. School-specific theories and practices should not be equated with established tissue changes or benefits for symptoms.
Fascia · Pressure · Stretch
Clinical massageModern bodyworkView →United States
Hot Stone Massage
ホットストーンマッサージStone therapy
A format using warmed smooth stones, held or placed during a session. Local traditions involving heated stones should be distinguished from modern spa systems. Temperature, skin condition and the recipient’s ability to sense heat require careful attention.
Stone · Heat · Oil
Spa treatmentView →
Past winners
Therapists who placed in this division at previous championships.
Results for this division are not published yet.
Frequently asked questions
- May I mix in Eastern techniques?
- As long as the spine of the session is Western. Choose the division that matches where your session is centred; ask us if you are unsure.
- Can I use oil?
- Yes, and you may also work clothed and dry. Decide by what the session needs.
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 Wednesday 31 March 2027.
Enter the championship