Manaka Made Simple

Description

By Oran Kivity, Stephen Birch, Marian Fixler, Brenda Loew, and Paul Movsessian
Paperback book
ISBN 9781068381423
500 pages

A Step-by-Step Guide to Dr Manaka’s System of Japanese Acupuncture and Moxibustion

GLOBAL BOOK AWARDS 2026 — BRONZE WINNER
Health: Alternative Medicine

Manaka’s system, clearly presented for clinical use.

Dr. Yoshio Manaka was one of the most innovative figures in modern Japanese acupuncture, developing a refined clinical system based on the principle of maximum benefit with minimum intervention. Yet despite the profound influence of his work, there have been no new practical books devoted to this highly effective method for more than three decades. Manaka Made Simple fills that gap.

Bringing together an international team of experienced Manaka System Acupuncture teachers—Oran Kivity (Taiwan), Stephen Birch (the Netherlands), Marian Fixler (United Kingdom), Brenda Loew (United States), and Paul Movsessian (Australia)—this book presents Manaka’s Four-Step Protocol in a clear, step-by-step format that mirrors the way the authors teach it. Drawing on decades of clinical practice and direct lineage transmission, they translate Manaka’s ideas into methods that practitioners can apply confidently in the clinic.

Written in a friendly, conversational style, the book makes a sophisticated system accessible without oversimplifying it. Designed for experienced practitioners and advanced students alike, it includes:

• A clear presentation of Manaka’s Four-Step Protocol
• Practical guidance grounded in palpation and clinical reasoning
• Eighteen illustrative clinical case studies
• More than one hundred diagrams, tables, and photographs

Additional essays on the evolution of Japanese acupuncture, palpation, moxa, and theories of dosage place Manaka’s work within a broader clinical and historical context. These chapters make the book more than a technical manual: they provide a valuable resource for practitioners interested in Japanese acupuncture as a living, evolving tradition.

Readers intrigued by Chasing the Dragon’s Tail will find this an especially useful companion. Where Manaka’s original work reveals the depth and scope of his thinking, Manaka Made Simple provides a practical and approachable path into applying his system.

Praise for Manaka Made Simple

“This well-organized book will definitely make it easier for those new to the Manaka system to get a proper start … Just what is needed to breathe new life into Dr. Manaka’s work in the West.”
—Bob Quinn, North American Journal of Oriental Medicine

“A detailed, clear and highly practical introduction to Dr. Manaka’s System … with step-by-step diagnostic and treatment procedures and illustrative case histories.”
—Dr. John McDonald, PhD

“If you found Chasing the Dragon’s Tail fascinating but a little overwhelming because of its endless depth, this book provides the best beginner guide to Manaka’s work.”
—Moshe Becker