Introduction

Acupuncture’s true origins date back to the Stone Age, approximately 10,000 years ago.  People were skillful even during that time and used stone to make sharp needles with which they could treat the sick. 
 

During China’s Tang Dynasty (618 to 907 A.D.), the teaching and practice of acupuncture reached its height, partly because it had the support and protection of the ruling dynasty.  There was even a famous medical school called The Supreme Medical Institute which established acupuncture as a specialty course, and various positions and titles designated the proficiency level of both students and teachers:

• the head acupuncture doctor who acted as the teacher of other doctors rather than a physician
• the acupuncture assistant professor
• ten acupuncturists
• twenty acupuncture workers
• twenty acupuncture students (equivalent to post-doctoral students)

In those times acupuncture was highly regarded in the culture and was able to evolve unhindered as a sophisticated healing art.

By the time of the Ching Dynasty (18^th century), however, acupuncture became relegated to the position of folk medicine and was even banned by the government.

In modern times, acupuncture regained its vitality in the People’s Republic of China around 1949.  After President Richard Nixon visited China in 1973 western countries learned more about acupuncture.  Now many Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) schools have been established in the U.S.A., especially in California.   As people become more familiar with its benefits, an increasing number of insurance companies and HMO’s have begun to offer acupuncture coverage.  

But there was a time when acupuncture was not legal in California, and it was during that time that I began treating people.  I practiced without a license as one of the many doctors belonging to the lineage of the “Underground Needleman.”  I was subject to be arrested any month, any day, and at any moment.  Those years were difficult, and as a result many skilled doctors were forced to change their professions.  Some became chefs, some became clerks, some entered the computer industry or started a business. 

In 1976, the first group of Chinese doctors was granted acupuncture licenses by the Acupuncture Advisory Committee under the Consumer Affairs Department.  Since I was not among them I was required to take an examination. As I prepared to take my examination I reviewed what I had learned in another part of the globe.  I remember how awfully difficult it was for me because knowing how to do something does not mean you can remember the technical language which enables you to answer questions correctly.  I got up early in the morning and studied hard until midnight, often going to Golden Gate Park close to where I lived.

Unfortunately, I failed to pass the examination the first time.  I was asked questions in an area I thought was important but not essential, and therefore I had not prepared adequately; I would say that I failed at least eight questions in the same area.  I was very upset that day because I had not been working for almost one year in order to prepare for the examination.  Money was really a problem during that time, and I learned first hand why some doctors just gave up their practice.

I was told that I could take another examination in at least six months, but later on, I received a notice saying I could retake the examination in two to three months.  Because of lack of money, I flew standby to Los Angeles where the examination was being held.   In order to save more money I walked to the examination hall instead of taking a taxi.  After walking so far, I felt really exhausted and began to blame myself, but what could I do in such tough times?  Luckily I passed the examination this time and received my California Acupuncture License in 1977. In the 1970’s acupuncture was still at low tide in the United States.  Even though a doctor was a certified acupuncturist, he could not treat patients without a referral letter from a medical doctor, dentist or chiropractor.  Treating without a referral letter meant you were subject to arrest or you could have your license revoked.

In 1979, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill which ended the need for the referral letter, and in 1980 I began to serve in a free clinic in which thousands of people, especially the poor, were helped through acupuncture and herbs.  Because I served the public, studied hard, and practiced with care, several established practitioners recommended me to be one of five acupuncturists who would establish “Acupuncture Associates” in 1981.  There was also an M.D. who worked in the clinic. 

At that time Dr. Harry Tam, President of United Acupuncturists of California, the largest and most influential acupuncture association in the country, honored me with a request to help the association’s activities by working in his clinic.  I was moved by his sincerity and his generous donation of energy to the profession and accepted his invitation.  In that way, I met many doctors with both M.D. and TCM backgrounds and was able to broaden my knowledge.

A number of us wanted to further our education so we attended the University at Los Angeles.  I earned my doctorate degree in Chinese herbal medicine and Acupuncture in 1984.  While I was studying I served two terms as a California Acupuncture Examiner between 1981 and 1983.  I took over Acupuncture Associates in 1986, and it became successful because of its good service to patients, its combination of apothecary and clinic, and its location at the border of China Town and North Beach, a true east-meets-west neighborhood.

During my years in the clinic, many people visited including old doctors from China who were not only experts in Chinese medicine and acupuncture but who also worked in hospitals in China.  These doctors had a wealth of experience in the integration of ancient and modern medical science.  About two hundred U.S. medical doctors, medical students and medical personnel came to see the clinic and a television station from out of state came to interview me.  With this kind of exposure my clinical skills continued to improve, and I reached a point where I could treat my patients easily and with confidence.  

Many acupuncturists were strangers when they first arrived in the Bay Area and they were referred to me for help in establishing themselves.  I wanted to help others as I had been helped, even if it required money, and my efforts were rewarded by making the acquaintance of one doctor who had learned from four supreme quality TCM Doctors.  I asked him if he would like to share the essence of his knowledge with me, and he gladly promised.  We spent 17 months together, and this association deepened my diagnosis skills. In 1997 I became a consultant to the state and nation’s largest HMO for acupuncture and I provide clinical advice on a regular basis. 

Since TCM is so profound, it is not so easy to learn the genuine knowledge and use it.  It is an ancient science and cannot be applied mechanically as is done in so much of modern science. I have a dream to share my experiences with medical personnel or even create a school of TCM to teach many people who are interested in its far-reaching benefits.

By writing this book I am taking seriously the recommend-ations of my patients who want other people to benefit as they do, especially those patients who have suffered a great deal and have unbearable pain.  Therefore, the number one goal of writing this book is to introduce TCM and its benefits to the American people.  We can foresee more and more people benefiting from TCM, but the ultimate benefit can only be obtained from those doctors who can apply the genuine TCM skills on their patients.