Kit Laughlin Curriculum Vitae

(December 2006)

 

The following pages contain details of Kit's professional life and publications. For publications alone see Kit's Publications, for his personal story and life journey, read Kit's Story.

 

Personal details

Name: Kit Laughlin
Address: 3 Khull Crescent, Kambah, ACT, Australia
Date of Birth: 19 March, 1953
Nationality: Australian, holding Australian and E.U. passports
Office: (02) 6161 2400; mobile 0418 266 981

Education

Tertiary:
1992 Master of Letters, Science Faculty, Australian National University

Other:
1975 Producer and Director Training Scheme, Film and Television, (Australian Broadcasting Commission)

1983-1985: Shiatsu (Japanese traditional medicine); three years training as indentured student of Suzuki Sensei, Kameari, Tokyo

1984: Jikyo Jutsu (traditional Japanese exercise), Shodan (black belt) (Jikyo Jutsu Association, Tokyo)

Scholarship and awards

1968: Commonwealth Secondary Scholarship

1970: Department of Education (N.S.W.), Order of Merit, First Level English

1982: Travel grant from Australian Japan Foundation to study computers and their application to film and videotape editing.

1992: ANU Ph.D. scholarship (August 1992 to January 1993).

Australian Postgraduate Research Award (APRA) (February 1993-1996).

Higher stipend APRA (20 awarded annually by Department of Employment, Education and Training, DEET)

Membership of Professional Organisations

Australian Association of Massage Therapists (AAMT); full member.

National Association of Stretch Therapists (NAST); founding President.

Employment

1974-1982: Employed Australian Broadcasting Commission (now Corporation; A.B.C.).

1974-1976: Stagehand, then Floor Manager, Second Assistant Director, and First Assistant Director.

1975: Graduated from A.B.C.'s in-house Producer and Director Training Scheme.

1976-1982: Director of various state and national television programs. Partial chronological listing follows:

Fitness for Sport

Six O'clock Statewide (live Friday night current affairs)

This Week (similar to above; also included variety segments)

Nationwide (This program was the A.B.C.'s flagship current affairs program. Was national director for two years during its best-rating period.)

A Big Country (national documentary program, four 30 min. programs)

1980: Wrote, produced and directed The Comeback, starring Arnold Schwartzenegger, a dramatised documentary. Finalist (Jury Prize) and mentioned with merit in 1981 Sydney Film Festival. Personal project. Sold in U.S. and Europe.

1983-1986: Japan. Studied traditional Japanese medicine (shiatsu), taught Yoga, and did system design for Tokyo-based computer company. Started Interface K.K., (Pty Ltd computer software and hardware company, incorporated in Japan) with three partners.

1987-1988: Returned to Australia to formalise Japanese language ability, and to do further study/research. Registered the Shoshin Centre, and opened Oriental medicine and corrective exercise practice.

Designed and started the Posture & Flexibility and Specific Strength Acquisition Techniques (now Strength & Flexibility) exercise programs at the Sports Union. These programs are based on shiatsu study, Yoga, and Western techniques (gymnastics and dance), and the emphasis is on improving state of health and managing stress. Taught and employ fifteen teachers.

From 1988: Operated the Shoshin Centre, and included the Japanese Ambassador as regular client. Was invited to the Hyatt Hotel to treat the Japanese Prime Minister and Cabinet Members during his December 1988 visit. Continued to teach at the Sports Union. Also taught Yoga, and beginner's and intermediate Shiatsu courses at the Canberra Institute of Technology (Bruce Campus).

I have presented seminars for Coopers and Lybrand (approximately five seminars per annum). In this capacity have been guest speaker at the "Effective Women Manager," "Managing People," and other programs held 1989.

Since 1989, the Practical Stress Management Seminars have been given to IBM, the Department of Employment Education and Training (DEET) (Public Sector Management Course currently one of the core modules), Department of Defence, and are offered by Canberra Continuing Studies Centre.

Dec '91: Participated in Environmental Conflict Management Inaugural Course, run by the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies (CRES), ANU, 2-6 December (Harvard Negotiation Project, run by Canberra University on-campus at the ANU).

Feb '92: Employed as tutor in Human Ecology (ANU; ECOS 2001).

Jul '92: Submitted Master's thesis entitled "The use of scientists in environmental debate".

Aug '92: Admitted to degree of Master of Letters.

1993, 1994, 1995: tutor, semester one, Human Ecology (ANU; ECOS 2001) while researching Ph.D.; working title "Evaluation of explanations in internal and external environments".

Nov. 1995: Guest speaker at International Biennial Shiatsu Conference, University of Melbourne. Paper and two workshops.

Dec. '95-Feb. '96: Wrote, produced and directed audio and videotapes; see Publications.

1997 to 2000: Following exposure of my approach to self-diagnosis and treatment of neck and back pain on Channel 9's A Current Affair, SBS's A Second Opinion, and Channel 10's Good Morning Australia, I travelled Australia-wide presenting workshops (one-day to laypersons with neck and back problems, two-day intensives in the Posture & Flexibility approach to stretching, and three-day intensives for practitioners).

I have presented my techniques to physiotherapists, nurses, doctors, chiropractors, osteopaths, massage therapists, and a large variety of body workers from other modalities. In the eighteen-month period 1997-2000, I have presented these workshops to approximately 1,500 individuals and 500 practitioners.

The Posture & Flexibility approach is taught on-location as part of the Occupational Health and Safety initiative in the Departments of Health, Transport and Regional Services, Employment and Workplace Relations, Defence, and the Attorney General's Department. Some of these courses are subsidised by the commissioning departments. Presently, Posture & Flexibility is taught in over 50 classes per week in Canberra alone, and many classes in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and regional centres.

I have had regular spots on two radio stations: 3AK Melbourne (Robert Hicks) and ABC South-East Radio (Tim Holt).

A partial listing of speaking and presenting commitments for 1999-2004 follow:

April, 1999: Plenary session guest speaker biennial Australian Massage Therapists' Association. Lecture and two workshops.

June, 1999: FILEX conference (Fitness Industry conference). One lecture ("Hidden causes of neck and back pain"), two workshops (Posture & Flexibility).

August, 1999: Presenter two one-day workshops for Australian Traditional-Medicine Society.

October, 1999: Plenary session guest speaker at Chiropractic Osteopathic College of Australasia Conference: Soft Tissue: the next millennium. In addition to lecture, presented three workshops on stretching techniques for use in chiropractic and osteopathic clinics.

November, 1999: NETWORK conference. Lecture and workshops

March 2000: Keynote presenter and workshops for Gym UpSkill 2000, Wellington, New Zealand.

February, 2003: Two-day presentation to the Bowen Therapists of Victoria.

March, 2003: Part one of two two-day Practitioner workshops, run at the Fitzroy Pilates and P&F studio, Fttzroy, Melbourne.

March to September, 2003: presentations at ASIO, COMCARE, and Questacon, in Canberra. Subjects include Prevention of neck and back problems in the workplace, Optimal nutrition, Relaxation and meditation, and New perspectives on rehabilitation.

October, 2003: Part II Practitioner Workshop, Albury.

October-November, 2003: Posture & Flexibility Teacher Training one-week intensive workshop, at the Batcave, Montreal, Canada.

November, 2003: Overcome neck & back pain two-part practitioner workshop, West Coast Pilates Studio.

November, 2003: invited speaker at the inaugural COMCARE conference, New directions in rehabilitation, Old Parliament House, Canberra.

November, 2003: organiser and main presenter at the Posture & Flexibility National Conference, Australian National University Sports and Recreation Association, North Road, Acton.

June, 2004: presentation on health optimisation at the Golden Door Health retreat (Elysium), at the Hunter Valley location.

July, 2004: invited speaker at the AAMT ACT meeting. Presented on The Hidden Causes of Neck and Back Pain.

August, 2004: three-day workshop on Functional Flexibility presented to the Australian Defence Force Physical Training Instructors (PTIs) at HMAS Cerberus.

September, 2004: Plenary session speaker at the inaugural AAMT conference, National Convention Centre, Canberra. In addition, presented two workshops on the Overcome neck & back pain method to practitioners.

November, 2004: organisation and presentation of the four-day Posture & Flexibility National Workshop, at the Australian National University Sports and Recreation Association.

Between 1999 and 2004, I consulted to elite sporting groups and individual athletes. Examples include providing risk management strategies and specific stretching techniques to the Canberra Cannons (basketball), working one-on-one with sweep rowers, golfers, triathletes, sprinters (including Tania Van Heer) and other track and field athletes.

I was the strength and flexibility consultant to the Southern Redbacks, South Australia's Sheffield Shield team, coached by Greg Chappell, for a two-year period, 2001-2003.

October, 2003: A series of six presentations on functional flexibility to the Under 19s Cricket Squad (ACT), Manuka Oval.

I have written a third Simon & Schuster book, Stretching & Pregnancy. It is released with an accompanying video, audio tape and CD.

2004-2006: full rewrite (new test, illustrations and photographs) for Overcome neck & back pain (now includes shoulder, arm and hand pain).

2003: Wrote, shot and directed a short film (6 minutes) for the Meat and Livestock Association and the Bureau of Resource Sciences.

2005: Wrote, shot and directed a short film (12 minutes) for PrimaryLink, then a subsidiary of Infineon Technologies. This is a descriptive piece about Radio Frequency Identification Devices; in this presentation, a system for storing and managing on-farm information about farm animals.

2005: Wrote and directed a TV ad (Mother Nature's Fresh Food Market).

 

Read also Kit's Story

Read also Kit's Publications