Meet John Chin
Learn about myself, my experience, journey, and certifications.
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My interest in bodywork therapies developed in response to effective treatment of my own muscular injuries, suffered whilst playing rugby. This was enhanced by the study of anatomy and physiology during my previous work as a fitness instructor. My philosophy and approach is rooted in ancient eastern principles of holistic healing, which focus on restoring balance and harmony to the body’s systems.
I trained at the London College of Massage, the London School of Sports Massage and the Academy of Oriental Medicine. I am certified in Therapeutic Massage, Sports Massage, Tui Na, Acupuncture & Moxibustion and Tao Yin and have over 26 years’ experience in providing massage and body therapy treatments.
In addition to working as a masseur on the Caribbean Princess Cruise Lines and having my own successful practice in Paphos, Cyprus, I have worked as a masseur at the Britain’s Strongest Man competition, the London Marathon and as a mobile bodyworker at various top London hotels.
I also spent a year at Kunyu Mountain Shaolin Martial Arts Academy in China and am a fully qualified Tai-Chi instructor.
John Chin
L.S.S.M Dip, L.C.M Dip, T.C.M. Dip
My Massage Journey
When I was 19 years old, I suffered a neck injury whilst playing rugby which led to debilitating back problem causing the arches in my feet to collapse and a very painful elbow which was unbearable to touch. I had lost most of the grip in my hands, unable to tense my thigh muscle, was in constant pain due to sciatica and unable to turn my head to the right. I had tingling and numbness in my hands and shoulder and unable to sit for long periods of time. Even the pain caused by sneezing was mind blowing! I had regular massage sessions but it would cause intense pain as my body felt so solid. I have learnt over the years that tight muscles are weak muscles. This was the point when my journey into alternative and preventative medicine began when I was having Tao-Yin, Oriental Corrective Medicine. After training as a Swedish Massage Therapist, I subsequently ventured into Sports Massage and studied Chinese Therapy for three years which I found, over time, helped me to get to where I am today; going to the gym regularly, weight training and teaching Tai Chi. It has also given me a greater understanding of how the human body works and how our bodies adapt to injuries.
My Certifications
Here you can browse my certifications. You can enlarge each certification by clicking on the relevant image.
My Thai Chi Journey
It had been a dream of mine to go to China since I was a young boy, and a few years ago, I was fortunate enough to fulfil that dream. I have a keen interest in Tai Chi, Bagua and Qi Gong, which are all Chinese Internal Arts, and found the ideal academy in Yantai; Kunyu Mountain Shaolin Martial Arts Academy, located in the northeast of the Sandong Province, surrounded by a beautiful mountain range. It was a fabulous opportunity to indulge in Chinese culture and I trained with authentic Chinese Martial Art Masters for a year. During my first few days of arriving at the Academy, I found the training to be very intense and hard on my joints, so suffered when doing flexibility work as my body didn’t have a chance to rest properly causing constantly tight and sore muscles. I went from having the ability to touch the floor with my hands, with straight legs, to barely being able to stretch below the knees. Old rugby injuries began to raise their ugly head and I was in horrific pain for 3 months whilst doing Tai Chi and Bagua. I realised that being 48 years old and weighing 17.5 stones wasn’t at all healthy and went on to lose 4 stone whilst fasting. I felt great and my flexibility and stability improved tremendously so Tai Chi subsequently became so much easier. During my final four months in China, I refined my forms and passed my grading for the 74 Chen-style Tai Chi to become a qualified Tai Chi instructor.