Isaac began his journey to Chinese medicine with a Jackie Chan movie. The athleticism and expressiveness in the movement of an obvious master inspired him to begin what would become a lifelong practice in martial arts. In 2007, while studying physics at UC Santa Cruz, Isaac attended a seminar on Chinese sports medicine by Drs. Jen Resnick and Frank Butler, both acupuncturists with significant martial arts background. In this class Isaac had a revelation: these two disciplines grow from the same foundation in anatomy, movement, and intention. From that moment Isaac knew his path lay in the study and practice of Chinese medicine. After several years of studying Chinese massage under Dr. Butler and his colleague Tom Bisio, he would enroll in the Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine. Here he learned to translate classical Chinese medical texts, and studied under illustrious teachers such as Susan Scott, Dan Bensky, and Stephen Brown. Isaac quickly excelled in the clinic, receiving commendations for his palpatory skills, acupuncture technique, herbal formula construction, and patient rapport. He received his license to practice acupuncture in California in 2020, after supplementing his education at AIMC in Berkeley.

 

Isaac is one of the only practitioners in Northern California to have completed Tom Bisio’s and Dr. Frank Butler’s Zheng Gu Tui Na program, a style of Chinese massage focused on orthopedic issues. Because of this and his extensive martial arts experience, Isaac has a particular specialty in sports medicine, injury recovery, and orthopedic medicine. He has treated professional circus performers, martial artists, strength athletes, dancers, and active people of all backgrounds. Isaac also has extensive training in classical Chinese herbalism, and has helped many patients with digestive issues, chronic pain, and gynecological problems.

 

In his off time, Isaac can be found scaling granite cliffs from Tahoe to Joshua Tree, tending to his barbecue, or walking his dog Babka in the Oakland hills.