Introduction.
The author is a founding
partner of the Chi-Do Association trading as The Chi Clinic and Lee Tai Chi Centre.
Tony Hardiman was born on the 31st August 1941 and has experienced the sensations of Chi Healing since the
age of 5. His martial arts training from 1958 complemented and brought to fruition
the skills of Bone Setting that he learned whilst still at school in 1954.
He trained as an engineer,
a building maintenance surveyor and was quasi director of a large property company until 1989.
He ran his own consultancy from 1989 until the opening of the Chi Clinic in 1999.
He is a former Scrivener of London, Freeman of the City of London, past Master of a London Lodge of Freemasons and
is actively involved in the tuition of lifestyle and health practices. He is
skilled in Martial arts and is the founder of a style that encompasses the very best in what he has learned over the years.
Having studied the arts of
Karate, Judo, Aikido, Tai Chi and Chi Kung he founded an art that is the root of the martial arts now taught at the Chi
Clinic, known as Chi-Do. He is seen as the Master of Chi-Do and was accorded that rank by his peers in 1999.
As soon as he started to
train with the masters in 1958, he saw that the tenets of Chinese and Japanese arts would not easily transpose to the Western
mind. The 3000 year culture was not understood and in many cases, reviled or
viewed with superstition and prejudice. There was little or no respect shown
by the public or the medical establishment and the arts remained a closed shop within the martial arts until 1985.
He then commenced an in depth
study of self tuition in Anatomy, Physiology and the causes of illness with the aid of several medical friends and acquaintances. The Chinese masters were very secretive and having fled the pogroms of the regime
in China, were not even keen to give their
names, let alone teach a white man. Only by perseverance and demonstration of
skills was Mr Hardiman able to glean the necessary guidance. He was attuned *
by two separate masters and has practised Chi Kung, Martial arts and Chinese Chi Kung remedial and lymphatic drainage
massage for 40 years.
He was examined by two masters
and admitted to the prestigious Institute for Complementary Medicine and registered on the British Register of Complementary
therapists in 2000. He is a Member of the British Complementary Medicine Association
and sits on the committee for Voluntary Self Regulation.
He is the senior therapist
and lecturer at the Chi Clinic and school and has taught over 800 students since 1995.
He has nearly 2000 case studies to draw from and over the last 50 years has treated some 6000 individuals.
In the study that follows,
regard is made that no two treatments are ever the same. Every case is different
and the same person will often have different treatment on subsequent visits. The
often dramatic recoveries are not solely due to the methods but to the application.
No one system will ever work on all persons. The highest degree of success
is in the multiplicity of skills that may be exercised by a properly trained therapist who is free to use intuition, placebo,
manual skills and the psychology of healing.
A criteria of effectiveness
that attempts to isolate a method of therapy will fail to explore the full effect of the whole treatment. It is well known to CAM practitioners that multiple therapy skills are
most effective.
We are encouraged by the
comments within the Select Committee 6th report clause 3.32, 4.37 and 4.40.
3.32 If a treatment makes people feel
better, whether that be through treatment specific effects or the placebo effect, then it could be considered as being worthwhile.
In fact, as the placebo effect is not just an imagined experience but can positively improve objective biological measures
of health, then a treatment which enhanced such an effect could even be considered worth attaining in its own right. As well
as stressing the need to prove treatment-specific effects Professor Patrick Bateson, giving evidence with Professor Tom Meade
for the Royal Society, acknowledged that sometimes the placebo effect may be worth attaining in its own right.
4.37 In terms of research funding for therapies without a scientifically plausible mechanism of action, it seems that opinion
within the world of conventional medicine is very divided. However, we recommend that if a therapy whose mechanism of action is unclear does gain sufficient evidence to support its efficacy,
then the NHS and the medical profession should ensure that the public have access to it and its potential benefits.
4.40 It is our opinion that as long
as the treatments are known to carry no, or few, adverse effects, it would be against the principle of clinical freedom[33] to prevent patients from having access to therapies which fulfil these criteria and have never been restricted. This is
especially the case if the patients believe that such therapies help them and the only argument against them is that an adequate
evidence base, derived from controlled trials, does not exist. It is also our opinion that mechanisms of action are of secondary
importance to efficacy, a view shared by NICE (Q 1833). We also believe that the principle of clinical freedom should allow
therapy with any credible evidence of efficacy the opportunity of validation by further research and the possibility of NHS
provision. Any medicine with credible, accepted evidence for efficacy should be available, whatever the controversy over its
underlying mechanisms.
Note 33 By "the principle of clinical
freedom" we mean the ability of a medical practitioner to exercise freedom
of choice in preventing, diagnosing and treating disease within the limits of his or her clinical competence, having regard
solely to the welfare and well-being of the individual, and casting all other considerations aside
11th April 2008
* To be attuned is a phenomena known to Reiki practitioners. It is a practice that has existed for thousands of years where knowledge is passed psychically through
touch.
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STUDY OF ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE WITH CASE STUDIES AND NOTES COMMENCING JANUARY
2008
In this short study, all
patients and clients taking part were asked to complete identical forms to show how each was received, their first impressions
of the Chi Clinic and what happened. Each was invited to give unreserved comments
and to have the replies endorsed by a partner or friend.
Several studies are offered
here but quite simply, there are too many to be included. Those where we have a good knowledge of the background have been
selected.
It was found that in all
cases the first impression was extremely favourable. What is most important, that they were made to feel welcome and that
the conduct of staff and the premises demonstrated a welcoming and highly professional sense of competence.
We allow an hour and a half
for a first consultation but most treatments are conducted within one hour.
We are able to offer a choice
of therapist in male or female. In practice, Mr Hardiman conducts those treatments requiring diagnosis and remedial therapy
and Ms Ahern, those who require acupuncture and / or holistic massage.
All forms are available for
inspection at The Chi Clinic as are the case file notes.
Anecdotal evidence is the
only way of deducing the effect of treatment but each case is unique. No treatment method is the same for any two people who
may exhibit the same symptoms.
All of our therapists are
multi-disciplined and able to draw from their training in several arts whilst treating a condition. Often it is found that one may treat an apparent condition only to find an underlying emotional crisis
at the root of the general malaise.
The Chi Clinic conducts about
1,000 treatments each year and has in excess of 1,800 registered patient / clients.
Our two treatment rooms are comfortably furnished and our uniform is track suit bottoms and white or blue Polo
shirt. No ‘White coats’ are ever seen here.
An all round treatment regime
is offered with rehabilitation exercises, Tai Chi, Chi Kung (Qigong) Martial arts and meditation to complement the holistic
after care and recovery.
The following extracts are
taken from the responses and edited to exclude identification factors. All have
given unconditional release of the material in this form. Each is verbatim, signed
and recorded in hard paper form. These forms are open to inspection and other letters may be found on the parent site under
‘Testimonials’.
Anecdotal and case study
examples for this site are welcomed from our students and clients and will be vetted for suitability before publishing.
Tony Hardiman MBCMA, MBRCP(Oriental Medicine) 11th April
2008
‘ A rationalist may say’ If it works, prove it. A Daoist may
say ‘If it works, why try to prove it. The evidence is there for all to
see’ Move on and help another. T
