Chaz Armstrong, USA

Latest participant at the World Championship in Massage is Chaz Armstrong from USA. IMA has asked him to tell about himself.

I started massage therapy training at a local college when I was 17, just two days after graduating high school. After working as a professional massage therapist for 19 years, and traveling around the world to develop and perfect different techniques, my work has evolved. 

I am bringing to the competition this year, an unparalleled method I call, “Ninja Massage Therapy.”  It’s based on the concept of using your whole body for your main source of power and using continuous sporadic joint movements, while having a constant awareness of your Center of Gravity (COG) and the clients’ relaxation state.

To the untrained eye it may look like I’m just dancing or hopping around with fancy kicking moves, but I’m actually creating centripetal force between strokes to create a consistent pressure throughout transitions. When I’m sticking my tongue out like a reptile, it’s mostly not for fun. I’m opening my airway larger to be able to inhale airflow quickly and quietly to avoid disturbing my client’s relaxed state.

I choose to compete in the IMA’s 2019 World Championship in Copenhagen, Denmark because for years I knew that this industry needed to bring professionals from around the world to compete and show their skills, just like most other professionals. By coming together, we can all learn from each other, improve our skills and help promote the massage profession. I see IMA expanding into a larger venue for spectators and eventually becoming a televised media broadcasting event. 

What I hope to leave with the competition is the impression of someone bringing the fun and professionalism back to the massage industry which has been overlooked for so many years in the health field. I want to demonstrate and prove to the world that we heal too. 

The International Massage Association look forward watching Chaz Armstrong’s skills at the World Championship in Copenhagen 2019.