This void was filled by Keith Keen, who was awarded his diplomate in 2001 and took up the teaching mantle and worked tirelessly on providing the basics to hundreds of willing students single handedly for the next six years. Eric Pierotti in 2007 passed the exams and together with Susan Walker a couple of years later began to teach the basic course. Together, the three formed the so-called “Three Musketeers” teaching team. This was the first time in Australia that the basic course was taught using the very same manuals, PowerPoints, and teaching aids and providing the exact same information so that if a student missed a session they could do a catch up at another time in another city. This has set a precedent for the rest of the world to follow. The trio is still working together sharing the load of basic courses all over Australia 10 years later. Trevor Chetcuti, Stephen Sassinis Shashan, and Tracey Ladermann who look after Melbourne and Michael Hooker who now teaches in his homeland, New Zealand, have now more recently joined them.
Robert Peacock served three terms as president and was succeeded by Keith Maitland in 1991 and served to 1992.
Eric Pierotti was elected president in 1993 and held that position up to and including 2000 when Australasia became only the second chapter to host an international meeting outside of the US, after Munich in 1997.
He was succeeded by Richard Cheyne from New Zealand, Keith Keen, and then Donald McDowall, who all served multiple terms with distinction and brought their own unique expertise and style to steer the board.
The current president (2018) is Mary Papatheocharous who has held the position for two terms now and has brought a new freshness and direction to the board after serving as a committee member for some time.
The current board (2018) also includes Eric Pierotti, Vice President/International Representative; Ara Amai, Registrar; Leesa Payne, Treasurer; Catherine Langford, Secretary; Andrew Powell, Newsletter Editor; Trevor Chetcuti, Graham Taylor, committee members.
The association now boasts 10 diplomates (after the tragic passing of Robert Peacock, after a long illness), eight of whom are certified teachers and are held in very high regard by the AK community.
Australian AK diplomates have always been actively involved in international affairs with Keith Keen and Donald McDowall working with the IBE for many years. Eric Pierotti has served on the IC since 1989 and was chairman for nine years from 1999-2000, and 19 years and counting as Australasian international representative, IBE procedures chair, vice chair of the IEC, and chair of the Dispute Resolutions Committee. Trevor Chetcuti took over as chair of the IBORs in 2016 and is highly regarded for his work with research. Australia has had the privilege of hosting two international meetings, the first in Sydney 2000, which is still considered a benchmark and a model for how an international meeting should be staged. The second in Cairns in 2013 was also a great success, and ICAK-A is proudly hosted their third in Brisbane March 20-24, 2019.
Today, under the guidance of some new and enthusiastic young bulls and a few of the experienced old stagers that refuse to ride off into the sunset, the association has over 214 active members in a variety of categories, and include members from Japan, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. They boast a healthy bank account and are providing the highest quality seminars with home-grown talent as well as hosting renowned international speakers biannually.
Academic interest in AK became “official” for the first time internationally in 1977 when the ICC included AK in its research and post-graduate programs. This interest may have resulted in a publication by Lines et al on neurolymphatic reflex treatment.26 In 2006 the post-graduate section of the chiropractic division of the health sciences section of RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, accepted the ICAK’s International Board of Examiner’s diplomate as a suitable entry requirement for its musculoskeletal management (applied kinesiology) degree. This program was launched at the annual conference of the ICAK in Vienna, Austria, on May 28, 2006. The RMIT University sees a strong future in supporting the direction that applied kinesiology is moving toward, while recognizing the work of the ICAK as it teaches and examines new diplomates. The positive outcomes for this program include the first support of a chiropractic specialty system in the chiropractic division of a government-sponsored university in the world.27
At one time AK methods had been taken up by approximately half of chiropractors in Australia.27
Applied Kinesiology in Japan
The Chukyo College of Chiropractic in Nagoya, Japan, held the first International Post-Graduate Seminar in Japanese history, with Drs. Goodheart and Walther as lecturers. In 1982 the Chukyo College began technique courses between the college and Drs. Goodheart and Walther, and both were installed as Professors Emeritus.2 Numerous teaching trips to Japan, Europe, Australia, Canada, and all over the United States were a part of Dr. Goodheart’s and Walther’s applied kinesiology peripatetic life for decades.
Victor Portelli and other AK diplomates have travelled from Australia and Europe to teach the Japanese AK community over several years establishing an enthusiastic AK community in Japan.
Applied Kinesiology in South Korea
In early 1990, some chiropractors were invited to teach seminars for the medical physicians in Korea. Two of them were Rene Espy and Nancy McBride, who were applied kinesiologists who demonstrated manual muscle testing diagnosis and treatment, including joint manipulation. Mr. Hongmo Yang, who was a promoter of chiropractic and tried to legislate it in Korea, invited them to Korea a second time. Two of attendees of those seminars decided to enter Parker College of Chiropractic in the United States in 1994.
One of them was Dr. Seung-Won Lee, an orthopedic surgeon, and the other was Dr. Seung-Il Youn, an Oriental Medical Doctor. While at the Parker College, they attended a 100-hour applied kinesiology course in Dallas, Texas, in 1995, taught by Dr. Tom Rogowskey, a diplomate of AK. They also attended the seminars of chiropractic neurology by Dr. Ted Carrick.
