RUSIE DUTTON

History of Thai Massage and Traditional Thai Medicine

Traditional Thai Massage, also called Thai Yoga Therapy, Nuad boran or Nuat Thai, is a therapeutic technique that dates back thousands of years. Its precise origins are unknown, but practitioners traditionally trace their lineage to Jivaka Komalaboat, also known as Shivago, who was a personal physician to the Sangha, a friend and physician to the Buddha and renowned as a healer in Buddhist tradition.

Traditional Thai medicine is a natural, holistic approach to health and well-being, developed over thousands of years, which includes proper nutrition, physical exercise, the use of medicinal herbs and therapeutic massage. Traditional Thai medicine is not only concerned with curing diseases and ailments. Its primary goal is maintaining health and well-being, as ancient Thais believed that "the absence of illness is the best blessing". The medical knowledge developed by Thai people through many generations has come to be known as the ancient wisdom of Thailand.

Diagrams inscribed on the walls at the temple of Wat Pho in Bangkok illustrate one of the fundamental principles of traditional Thai medicine, that is, that energy flows through the body along ten major channels or sen lines, closely related to the Prana Nadis of yoga. If an obstruction occurs in any of these channels, it is believed, pain or disease results. In this sense, traditional Thai medicine is similar to many other ancient healing systems, which believe that illnesses are caused by an imbalance or obstruction within the individual, or by an imbalance between an individual and his environment.

Ancient Thais treated a number of ailments by using massage to restore the flow of energy throughout the body. Traditional Thai massage is a deep, full-body treatment, which includes both stretching of the joints and muscles, and applied pressure to the sen lines. Thai people used massage not only to treat illnesses, but also to maintain health and well-being.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Call to revoke 'Rusie Dutton' yoga trademarks

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY / TOKYO FACES PROTEST

PHUSADEE ARUNMASThe Intellectual Property Department yesterday asked Tokyo to revoke trademarks on ''Rusie Dutton'' Thai traditional ''hermit'' yoga postures granted to a Japanese businessman earlier this year. The Japan Patent Office (JPO) approved the application for two trademarks on the Thai traditional exercise pattern to yoga business operator Masaki Furuya in February and March. These allow Mr Furuya to use the word ''Rusie Dutton'' and its pattern for commercial exploitation, including adverts in the media and a logo for his Thai yoga school in Japan.

Rusie Dutton'' is an ancient exercise posture, which focuses on the twisting and turning of the hands and body. Japanese patenting laws allow the public to oppose trademark registration within 60 days of the approval date.

''Monday is the deadline for a written objection to the first trademark for adverts in printed media and June 17 for the second trademark. We still have time to object to the trademark registrations,'' said Intellectual Property Department director-general Kanissorn Navanugraha.

The department submitted an official objection to the JPO yesterday and hired a Japan-based law firm to follow up on the case. Mr Kanissorn said the trademark registrations of ''Rusie Dutton'' Thai traditional exercise violated both international and Japanese intellectual property laws, which prohibit the registration of widely-recognised goods or services with no innovation.

However, if Thailand's objection bid fails, the government could still bring the case before the Japanese intellectual property rights court within five years.

Mr Kanissorn said the department had also submitted an objection to a trademark application for ''Rusie Dutton'' by another Japanese businessman, Koji Komiya, who plans to use Thai traditional exercise in his cosmetic and yoga school businesses.

Pennapa Subcharoen, deputy chief of the Department for Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, said the department had strong evidence to prove that the 108 ''hermit'' exercise postures belong to the Thai alternative medicine treatise. The evidence includes ''Rusie Dutton'' statues at Wat Po, poems, paintings and traditional medicine, containing information about the exercise.

Meanwhile, Preeda Tangtrongchit, a trainer at the Wat Po Thai Traditional Medical School, said yesterday that Mr Furuya had taken a Thai massage training course at the school.

By Bangkok Post On 27 May 2006