Getting to the point: a forum for master practitioners, researchers and educators

On February 15, 2003 the Tri-State College of Acupuncture hosted the first in a series of colloquia to facilitate communication and cross-fertilization among leaders in acupuncture practice, research, and education in North America. In this first meeting, the purpose was to bring needling technique and the issue of de qi into an open forum, to address the issue of needling stimulation and needling sensation. To this end, five Master Practitioners (representing different styles and traditions of acupuncture) were each invited to demonstrate and discuss their techniques to an audience of leading researchers, educators and each other. An open forum discussion of each practitioners’ methodology and underlying theory ensued. Though the initial focus was on needling technique and de qi, the organic nature of the discussion illuminated a complexity of inextricably linked themes, underscoring acupuncture as a complex interaction between practitioner and patient. What became most evident is the excitement generated by bringing together an interdisciplinary panel of experts, and that the creation of a forum to facilitate such interaction would be of great benefit to the field of acupuncture. It is our hope and expectation that developing such a forum for interaction among experts in the field of acupuncture will serve as a catalyst for ongoing interdisciplinary dialogue to inspire novel collaboration and further investigation into this complex and fascinating medicine.