International Medical Advisory Board

Dr. Jaikirty Rawal

I am a junior doctor in a district general hospital along the south coast of England. Currently I have finished my surgical rotation compromising a year of orthopaedics and trauma, a year of vascular surgery, urology, colorectal surgery and accident and emergency medicine. This followed the house officer year (pre registration or intern in the U.S.) spent at university college hospital London, and Norfolk and Norwich university hospital. I qualified from both Selwyn college Cambridge University and University College London. I was first introduced to Choi Kwang Do by a good friend of mine who coached classes in the local area. After long discussions on exercise, physiology and the general state of population health I was impressed by the goals and drive that Choi Kwang Do aims to achieve. And the passion with which its members deliver their messages.

Exercise and physiology are keen interests of mine. The furthering of ones physical abilities and health in conjunction with mental well-being are under emphasised activities in modern sedentary society. Thus, it is a natural development to participate in Choi Kwang Do. In so doing I have improved my own flexibility, coordination and strength. These are just physical elements. I have found my energy and concentration levels are now higher, particularly useful in a job requiring full attention and concentration for the entire working day.

The central features of this art are focused upon improving the body, mind and spirit. Improving ones health by developing strength, flexibility and agility is essential and this is achieved with Choi Kwang Do. It cleverly encourages the non-dominant side of the body to engage in coordinated activity, an act that initially feels awkward and forced. But in so doing it develops new neural pathways and overall improved coordination.

In a clinical setting I am often faced by patients whose sedentary inactive lifestyle directly contributes to their disease process, whether that is circulatory, musculoskeletal or cardio respiratory. I believe strongly that a structured exercise programme such as that from an art such as Choi Kwang Do would greatly benefit these client groups.

Thus to conclude, I have found Choi Kwang Do to be a stimulating physiologically based martial art which has benefited me greatly whilst it continues to provide research in health and exercise.

Dr. John Tanner MSc MBBS FFSEM Dip Sports, Med. Dip.Musc.Skel.Med.

Dr John Tanner has worked in sports and musculoskeletal medicine for over 25 years in the UK and abroad. He became interested in musculoskeletal disorders as soon as he realized that nearly a quarter of the patients had problems that he was not well trained to manage. Taking courses by Dr James Cyriax and osteopathic training he began to realize the potential of manipulative therapy. He also took the courses by the then British Association of Sports Medicine (now Sports and Exercise Medicine) as a keen sportsman and advocate of activity and fitness for health. After building up a successful sports injury and osteopathic clinic in Milton Keynes he left for Bermuda for a few years where he ran a very busy sports and musculoskeletal practice.

On return to the UK he took over from the retiring medical osteopath Dr Alan Stoddard in Chichester and began working in the NHS in Odstock Rehabilitation Hospital, Salisbury, in Rheumatology and Pain Management. Over a 10year period he acquired a wealth of experience in both interventional and psychological methods of pain management.

He has organized symposia for the Canadian based Physical Medicine Research Foundation and has chaired the education committees for the Federation International Medicine Manuelle and for the British Institute for Musculoskeletal Medicine.

Over the last 5 years he has been working with the BUPA Wellness team of sports physicians in London and running the course for GPs and Specialist Registrars in musculoskeletal medicine. He also instructs on European courses on spinal injection techniques ( ISIS) and examines for the Diploma of Musculoskeletal Medicine and MSc in sports and exercise medicine at QMC London.

John Tanner has written two books on back pain and has cooperated on a manual for musculoskeletal management. He has recently been awarded fellowship of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine both in England and in Ireland.

Dr. Sharmilla Butcher

My name is Dr Sharmilla Butcher and I have been practicing paediatric medicine for ten years now. I currently work at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton and have spent time training and practicing medicine in over 20 hospitals in the UK. Medicine has always been what I knew what I would learn, even as a small child I knew that it was the only thing I really wanted to be good at. I have been driven to becoming a doctor by my need to know that I can make a difference to others, particularly children, and also by the role of being responsible for the well being of children. I love all aspects of my job from the contact with children and their guardians and the challenge of gaining their trust, to the challenge of piecing pieces of diagnostic puzzles together in order to give the best treatment advice.

By the basics I refer to adequate hydration, healthy nutrition, and most relevant to Choi Kwang Do, healthy state of mind and optimum exercise. In my regular dealings with patients in hospital I will always keep the focus on these basics, sometimes thus creating some conflict with parents who may be searching for a quick fix medical solution whilst ignoring the real causes of their childs problems.

I’m proud to be involved in the Choi Kwang Do organization the most forward thinking, extensively researched martial art movement today. Together with my husband Eugene we are teaching an art form which is for everyone and we know benefits everyone.

Petra Tanner MCDP SRP

Petra Tanner began her career as a physiotherapist in her home country of Holland, in Amsterdam. She started as physiotherapist for the women’s first basketball team Black Velvet. After moving to England in order to experience the functioning of the NHS and pursuing her ambition to become a paediatric physiotherapist, she ended up working in Milton Keynes full time in paediatrics and evenings in a sports injury clinic and going climbing every weekend. When meeting her future husband she decided to change her plan to go to Australia and followed him to Bermuda instead. Having always been very sports oriented, Petra started a clinic in Bermuda for Sports and Exercise related injuries.

On returning to this country she continued in the same line and decided that paediatrics would have to be discontinued as having a family, running a musculoskeletal clinic and keeping fit herself was enough to keep her busy. Petra started the new manual therapy MSC but found the time commitment too heavy and stopped after two years.

She has however continued her training on a yearly basis (average 80 hrs /yr) and has trained in a variety of techniques such as manipulation, muscle energy techniques, Alexander technique, muscle balance work, neuromuscular techniques, sacrocranial techniques and much more.

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