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Welcome to the International Massage Judge Course,

hosted by the International Massage Association.

Welcome to all of you who are here to improve your own skills.

This class is for those who are planning to judge others,

and for those who are already judging but want to learn more.

Very often, massage championships use uneducated judges.

I think that is a problem for our profession.

What do you think?

The problem is that the person may be a well-skilled massage therapist,

but that is not the same as being a good judge.

There are very few opportunities to learn how to judge massage.

It is therefore important for the International Massage Association

to create an opportunity to become a licensed professional judge.

This must be done with as high quality as possible,

so the level of championship judges rises and hereby the quality of the different championships.

It will be good for all massage therapists, championships and for our profession as well.

But first, who am I?

My name is Jeppe Tingbjerg.

I am the founder and CEO of the International Massage Association, also called IMA.

The International Massage Association organized and arranged the world championship in massage

and other tournaments, as well as the International Massage Teacher Class and other master classes.

The International Massage Association aims to develop and promote the various massage techniques

which are practiced by experienced massage therapists worldwide.

The World Championship in Massage is a competition.

But at the same time it is a great opportunity for massage therapists to find professional inspiration and networking.

By participating in the World Championship, the massage therapist will get the opportunity to strengthen and improve their skills.

This, I believe, cannot be done without great and well-educated judges.

On a daily basis I own a massage school in Denmark. We teach in many methods.

Swedish massage, sports massage, Thai massage, hot stone massage, cupping massage, bamboo

massage etc. We also educate therapists in acupuncture and reflexology.

The purpose of the IMA International Massage Judge Course is to educate the future judges

so they can be good ambassadors for the various massage championships which are held all around the world.

IMA's International Massage Judge Course is an opportunity to become professional inspiration and to expand one's network.

network.

By participating in this International Massage Judge course, you will get the opportunity

to strengthen and improve your skills.

A diploma will be issued for each judge, enabling you to brand yourself in a new way.

What does it take to become a licensed IMA judge or supervisor?

And what is the difference?

It requires well documented experience and knowledge as therapist or teacher within one

or more categories.

A positive attitude and view on championships and life in general.

Furthermore, it is a great advantage if you already have participated in an IMA approved

championship.

Massage championships Before we go further, please use a few minutes

to find a minimum of 5 reasons for attempting massage championships and write them down.

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Did you do it? I hope so, because there are many good reasons for participating.

For some it is because of work-related reasons.

For others it is because of their passion for massage and the world around it.

Some just seek new experiences.

We, as judges, must evaluate in all categories so the massage therapist

evaluate in all categories so the massage therapist can have a chance to become successful

in their business and craft.

What makes a good championship?

The holder of an IMA-approved championship license is required to create

A sense of community.

A tight organization.

A guarantee of fairness in judging by using well-educated judges.

An environment where quality massage is recognized based on precise criteria.

This could be using IMA criteria sheets.

needs; - a final with finalists being credible and

highly qualified therapists; - categories which make sense and with clear

explanations what they include; - transparency on rules and regulations.

judging criteria.

The purpose of judging a massage and therapist is to create an environment in which quality

is encouraged, recognized and rewarded, thereby contributing to the improvement of therapy

quality and the massage profession.

Who is a good judge?

Think back in the past, have you ever been judged?

Who was a good judge and why do you think they were good?

What skills did they have?

Was it their personality you liked?

Was it their methods?

Use a few minutes to think about it.

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Here is what we at the IMA think a good judge is.

The good judge is self-confident.

Everything the good judge does, he or she does for the sake of the participants.

The good judge is empathic.

The good judge is skilled within his or her methods of massage and anatomy,

and is aware of his or her own strengths and weaknesses.

The good judge inspires others.

It is important for the good judge to try new things in order to develop oneself.

The good judge asks critical questions to the management, but does so in a constructive way.

The good judge is focusing on the experience the participants is having at the competition,

and not on their own.

The good judge reflects on one's own practice.

How does the good judge work in order to be successful?

I have made a list. I will show you here.

Structure.

There must be a structure in the judging that is clear to both judges and

participants.

Start the round by welcoming everyone and instruct the participants on what to

expect.

Preframe the participants.

Use of time.

Judging should begin and end on time. It has a positive effect when the judge is ready when the round begins.

Minimize wasting time, which often occurs especially at the beginning and the end of the round.

Motivate your therapists.

Create an open-minded environment and culture in the room where the participants are free

to ask questions and motivated to participate.

It is very important for the judge to be open-minded and encourage the participants to a positive

offensive communication. Consider how you react if a participant bursts out an improper

or offensive statement. Do you react with the same aggressiveness, or do you keep your

focus, explain the situation and move on?

Take individual consideration.

Drop the idea of the fictional average participant.

Different people work in different ways and in different paces.

Therefore they must be met with different expectations in order to be judged correctly.

Physical surroundings.

The physical surroundings and aesthetics are important to the environment of the workroom.

Consider if everything is properly arranged.

If not, fix it.

Feedback.

If providing feedback, make sure this is done after the round and keep it simple, short

and positive.

Treatment evaluation.

Before we as judges and supervisors evaluate participants and their physical treatments,

We should evaluate how they receive their clients.

We should evaluate the setup of their workspace, their uniform, their hygiene and their general

information about their treatments and what to expect from them, as well as their overall

service during the treatment.

We also need to evaluate if the participant is following the general rules of massage.

Does the participant gradually build up the massage?

Do they palpate properly?

Palpation by touching an organ or part of the body, usually for a diagnostic purpose,

this is performed by all manual body workers.

therapist, acupuncture therapist and reflexologist.

It is a specialized skill consisting of locating a structure, recognize the problem, evaluate

the condition and quality of the body so the therapist is able to determine which method

to use.

The first two aspects of palpation, to locate and be observant to the structures of the

body, requires an in-depth knowledge of functional anatomy and experience by a well-thought-out

exercise.

Palpation includes all senses and requires sensitive hands, fingers, visual and audio

attention, controlled breathing and a calm mind.

The therapist must constantly pay attention to be able to examine the body in this way.

Does the massage therapist know the three principles of palpation?

1. Proceed at a slow pace.

2. Avoid unnecessary pressure, you gain more from less.

3. Focus your attention on what you feel, in other words, be present.

Does the participant massage the whole muscle or the entire muscle group?

Does the participant consider the duration of the warm-up?

Does the participant avoid inducing pain from deep pressure?

You now have to read up on the category, content and descriptions.

IMA judges will evaluate participants by using the IMA point system, submitting points in

the following areas.

Techniques.

Here it is important to know the purpose for the massage.

Is it injury treatment or is it wellness?

The judge must have this in mind when they evaluate the used techniques.

techniques, the variation of these, and the combination and whether the combination is

relevant.

Techniques represents how the participant applies the techniques in the context of the

category they are participating, the diversity of the techniques applied in the category

and the effect of these.

Agronomics

Regarding the right agronomic, here it is important to look at whether the participant adjusts

the massage table, how his or her bodywork, power transmission is done, the therapist's

posture correlated with the dynamics of the applied techniques and of course the client's

positioning.

In general, flow represents the rhythm and the flow of the techniques applied by the

ensuring the relaxation of the client through

slow pace with wide movements and low intensity

slow pace with wide movements and moderate intensity

low intensity and alert rhythm

In a harmonizing way, shifting between slow and alert rhythm.

Maintaining the rhythm while using tools.

Keeping the pace whilst moving from one technique to another from the same category.

Maintain a steady rhythm during the application of the stretching techniques related to the degree of mobility of the client's joints.

Innovation

Innovation is sometimes important, especially if the therapist needs to adjust his or her

own power or size to the receiver.

Does the participant come up with useful solutions in order to adapt to the client?

This can be done by development of new moves and grips or with a new style combination.

Client contact.

Before you massage the body of a client, be patient to learn their story.

Once you learn their story, you will also come to know their body.

How do we judge client contact?

How do the therapists adapt to each client?

This is perhaps the most difficult thing to judge.

Technique vs. Client It's also about choosing the right massage

method for the right purpose and learning the client's expectations and needs.

If the client is a stressed businesswoman expecting a relaxed massage and you give her

a sports massage, then you have not met her expectations.

Pressure and depth vs client.

At that thing the pressure to the receiver is a must.

Always be aware how the client reacts to the pressure during the massage and see if the

therapist adjusts.

Therapist workwear and tools can also be difficult to use in a massage treatment in order to

maintain the right pressure.

Therefore be extra aware when the therapist are using tools.

Draping is important and shows professionalism.

And it is not difficult to do, but it is important to remember.

Covering clients is about making the client feel comfortable, warm and relaxed.

An experienced massage therapist will always cover the client in a skilled and professional

way to make the client feel comfortable and safe.

Perhaps even doing so without the client noticing it.

to give feedback. I recommend you use the Berger model. Use praise and criticism. Start

with something good, then something to improve, and then good again. When doing so, remember

to be kind, to be specific, helpful and constructive.

Now I will ask of you to have a look at this 10 minutes long beautiful film from the World

Championship in massage. Try to evaluate what you are seeing. What is good? What

could have been better? What do you miss and what else comes to mind?

It is the third time we are having this World Championship in massage.

We have seen so much quality and people are happy, there are good vibes and a good atmosphere.

We are having 200 participants from 42 different countries and it's still growing.

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Massage has different purposes.

For some it is about wellness, for some it is for treatments,

for some it is for the experience.

So there are many purposes and you can see many different methods and styles here.

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So did you evaluate?

Did it make you think? I believe so.

Just task and expectations. To be well known with the general IMA guidelines

and rules. To have an excellent understanding of each

category, what it includes regarding techniques etc.

Excellent knowledge of the IMA criteria sheets and how to score.

Judges are to evaluate every participant fair and objective in regards to the IMA criteria.

When judging, judges are to keep photographing and filming to a minimum.

It is important for the participant to feel the judges' presence.

Judges are to distance themselves professionally from the participant during the competition,

to avoid biases and keeping the championship professional.

It is important that the judges avoid being too social with participants while the championship

is ongoing.

Judges are to hand over the scores to the supervisor after each round.

This to prevent score influence from other judges.

It is not possible to alter the scores when submitted to the supervisor.

If failing to comply with this, the scores of that judge are considered unsuitable for

submitting.

Judges are not to judge their own former students.

comply with any instructions given by the supervisor.

Supervisor task and expectations. To be well known with the general guidelines and rules.

To have an excellent understanding of each category, what it includes regarding techniques,

etc.

Excellent knowledge of the IMA criteria sheets and how to score.

Carefully monitor the activity of the judges on their performances.

Making sure they are being fair and impartial and in comply with the rules.

Collect the judges' scores and have these submitted.

Make sure all judges hand over their scores after each round.

Obtain all necessary information on the facilities and layout at the venue of where the championship

is taking place.

Clearly instruct the judges on what, where and when.

Start and end each round.

It is the responsibility of the supervisor to make sure the timeline of the program is

held.

Give overall feedback to the organizer on rounds, judge performance or exclusion of a judge.

This of course has to be well documented and argumented.

How to lose the judge or supervisor license?

Not being able to judge impartially, theorizing one or more participants?

Repeatedly failing to comply with the supervisor guidelines or instructions.

Negative or deconstructive comments or attitude towards participants, judges, supervisors, organizers or sponsors.

Having an overall negative public image of the profession in any way.

breaking any of the IMA rules.

You now have to read up on the category, content and descriptions.

Now you have to watch these films and evaluate them accordingly.

Now you have to pass the online test.

Good luck.

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Welcome

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Thank you to all of you wonderful therapists.

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