About Us

Kaori entered the field of health and fitness in 1985 as a group fitness instructor and has since been extremely active developing her abilities and sharing advances in the field from the USA with Japan.

In the early 1990's she became a certified Health-Fitness Specialist by the American College of Sports Medicine and began shifting her focus towards one-on-one personalized conditioning. This afforded her the ability to address her clients individual needs in order to reach their goals more safely and efficiently.

Kaori added manual therapy to her skill set in 2003 with her graduation from the Rolf Institute, and currently holds the certifications of Rolfer® and Rolf Movement® Practitioner. Her extensive training was further enhanced with the successful completion of the 2010 Gray Institute for Functional Transformation (GIFT) program–a world renowned 10 month course of advanced study in human movement with applications for rehabilitation, injury prevention and performance. She is the first Japanese national to earn the title of Fellow of Applied Functional Science (FAFS) from the Gray Institute; her and her partner, Travis Johnson, were the first FAFS working in Asia.

Kaori is widely recognized in Japan as an educator on the topics of human movement, functional anatomy, soft tissue work and structural integration. Her command of English and Japanese language with respect to human health and fitness is unparalleled, making her highly respected and sought after for translation and coordination services for international training courses.

Travis began coaching individuals in 1994 when he secured employment at the prestigious Minakami Karate Dojo (Hayashi-ha Shitoryu-kai) in Seattle, USA.

The position afforded him the opportunity to teach and interact with many skilled national and international competitors, plus acquire valuable experience in the managerial operations of training facilities.

Travis took a hiatus from coaching and relocated to Japan in 2000 for graduate study at the University of Tokyo to explore interests in biological sciences and continue his personal martial arts practice. However, chronic injury forced Travis to minimize his athletic endeavors.

His prolonged recovery made him seriously question the validity of accepted traditional rehabilitation and conditioning protocols, propelling him into thorough study of human movement science and a return to the field of health-athletic-fitness consulting.

He has studied directly with some of the brightest individuals in the world, and his extensive applicable knowledge base covers the conditioning spectrum from rehabilitation to injury prevention to performance:

• Fellow of Applied Functional Science (FAFS) - Gray Institute
• Functional Manual Reaction (FMR) - Gray Institute
• Exercise Coach - C.H.E.K Institute
• Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES) - National Academy of Sports Medicine (USA)
• Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) - National Academy of Sports Medicine (USA)
• Certified Metabolic Typing Advisor Level 1 - HealthExcel

Travis' highly individualized approach and undeniable results have garnered him praise from both clients and colleagues alike.

Known for his open mindedness and continuous desire to improve, Travis is a vocal proponent of looking beyond specific modalities to appreciate the unifying principles that govern the health and function of human beings.

He is rapidly gaining popularity in Japan as an educator on the topics of holistic health, functional anatomy and conditioning–encouraging and empowering students to think independently and believe in their abilities.