Chasing the Dragon's Tail

Yoshio Manaka was a poet, artist, scholar, physician, and healer. He lived for and was inspired by ideas and invention. At the pinnacle of his life he reached a level of healing skill that only those who have invested many years of practice, research, and study can achieve. Yet he sought not accolades, but hopeless and puzzling modeling cases. He was not content with fame but sought bright young idealists to challenge and inspire. His transformation of East Asian traditional medical theory into a rational scientific model established the foundation for a new explanation of acupuncture, the X-signal system. It explains and explores both traditional and modern theories without trivializing either. He based every aspect of his model on clinical tests, observations, and years of successful clinical practice, both his own and that of a network of skillful and dedicated healers. Chasing the Dragon's Tail assembles the elements of that model, beginning with a clear exploration of the observational evidence. It organizes and presents Manaka's experimental and clinical findings, explaining each of many levels. The system of theoretical explanation and clinical practice he evolved is detailed step-by-step with illustrations and instructions. Manaka's system is proven and practical, and is based on tests and observations every practitioner may confirm for themselves. It is an invitation not only to a new and dynamic understanding of acupuncture but to new levels of clinical skill.