Sensei Tony Wurtz
USA Oyama Kyokushin Karate Petersburg, VA 1988-1991. Kyuokishin, Japanese for “The Search for Ultimate Truth” is an extremely effective and vigorous martial art combining equal parts upper and lower body attack and defense. A very linear method of Karate, Kyuokushin is beautiful in its simplicity and remarkable in its training of endurance and potency. I left Sensei Wurtz’s dojo to attend the College of Music at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Tom Bisio, M.S. L.Ac
I was a patient at Tom Bisio’s clinic in late 2001 in Manhattan. A year later I entered the graduate program at Tri-State College of Acupuncture. Although I had been to other acupuncturists before and after Tom, he was the major influence on my vision of how to practice Chinese medicine, and even how to run a clinic. At 5th Street Acupuncture, patients are treated using Tui Na, acupuncture, external and internal herbs, given Qi Gong exercises specific to their injuries or conditions, as well as dietary guidance. As a student of Vince Black, Tom adheres to the old Chinese method of teaching: demonstration and oral tradition play major roles in educating the many interns he has trained there, some of whom have been with him for more than ten years and also study martial arts with him. I was fortunate enough to assist him from 2003-2004.

Jan Vanderlinden, M.S. L.Ac
I studied Gao Yi Sheng Bagua Zhang with Jan from 2003-2004 on the advice of Tom Bisio, who trained Jan in martial arts as well as in Chinese medicine. Studying in class and privately with Jan, I learned the effects of specific movements in the martial arts and Qi Gong on the meridians and body. She showed me the indispensable nature of understanding the movement of Qi in the body for those who study acupuncture and Chinese medicine. By her nature, she also showed me the inherent strength of a gentle spirit. Jan has returned to her home state of Colorado, where she runs a busy acupuncture practice in Boulder.

Steve Arboleda, LMT
I began studying Xing-Yi Quan with Steve in 2004 in an effort to learn good body mechanics and fighting skill. There are three Chinese internal martial arts: Xing-Yi Chuan, the oldest, Taiji Chuan, and Bagua Zhang. It is often said that Bagua is the college of martial arts, Taiji is the graduate school, and Xing-Yi is the bridge between internal and external styles. Steve Arboleda has studied all three with Tom Bisio, as well as aikijitsu and a variety of other fighting arts. He is possibly the most ferocious martial artist I have trained with, and a teacher of abundant patience and wisdom. He is currently completing his Master’s Degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at Touro in Manhattan.

Nigel Dawes, M.A. L.Ac.
Nigel Dawes received his training in Zen Shiatsu, followed by acupuncture and herbology in Japan, and completed further herbal studies in China. Nigel once called Shiatsu his first love, and his love for teaching Zen Shiatsu shows in this. Shiatsu was the beginning of my education at Tri-State. After completing the course with Nigel, I practiced for a year with friends religiously, then was allowed to assist Nigel in his classes at Tri-State, after which I studied privately with Nigel for six months. He runs a post-graduate Kanpo program (Japanese herbology), and has a busy practice in Soho where he treats internal conditions of a wide variety.

Mark Seem M.S., L.Ac., Ph.D.
Mark Seem founded Tri-State College Acupuncture. We were all exposed to his method, Acupuncture Physical Medicine. APM grew out of classical meridian acupuncture, but it is also at the vanguard of American acupuncture styles. After his training in meridian acupuncture, Mark’s inquisitive and open nature led him to focus on the relationship between the movement of Qi in the body and myofascial constriction. After studying the work of Dr. Janet Travell and her research on myofascial trigger points, Mark perfected his needle technique specifically to release trigger points in muscle and soft tissue. He developed APM as a means to view the patient’s pattern of disharmony and help practitioners more effectively organize treatment protocols. Mark taught us to be respectful and inquisitive about all styles of acupuncture, and has woven this open spirit into the very fabric of APM, as well as his school.

Frank Butler M.S. L.Ac.
Frank Butler learned Xing-Yi Quan, acupuncture, and Chinese medicine during years of study with Sifu Kenny Gong in Manhattan. Like his teacher, Frank trains people in martial arts as well as Chinese medicine. He has made numerous trips to China to study all spheres of Chinese medicine including Tui Na and herbology. He co-teaches the Zheng Gu Tui Na classes with Tom Bisio, a four-part course which I completed in 2004. Frank’s clinic near Wall Street, Soho Herbs and Acupuncture, is very busy. He treats a wide range of conditions, from internal diseases to acute trauma and sports injury. I am fortunate to be an intern at his clinic where he also trains several other licensed acupuncturists, including Abbey Fromkin.