The practice of using massage as a way to heal injuries, relieve pain, and reduce stress has been around for millennia, and has taken many forms -- from Swedish massage to Japanese Shiatsu to the touch therapy of Ayurveda in India. From 770 BC to 476 BC in China, knife massage was used by Buddhist monks when traditional medicine failed. And in Taiwan today, it’s seeing a resurgence, as more than 180 dao liao centers have reintroduced the use of heavy, dull cleavers in massage to “remove negative energy” from the body.
Relax, it's only a knife:
- The steel cleavers look like those typically found in kitchens, except that they have a blunt edge. It’s thought that the blade can reach deeper than fingers alone.
- Using two knives, therapists concentrate on pressure points throughout the body, using a series of firm, chopping motions.
- “It’s not about how hard you are being hit,” says one knife masseur. “It's also about the transfer of energy, the transfer of chi."