Before a competition, judges usually receive training, often online, about the specific elements and standards that will be most important at that particular event. Massage competitions can be very different from one another. Some focus primarily on technical knowledge and therapeutic skills, while others place greater emphasis on visual presentation and performance.

Could you introduce yourself to our readers. Who is Tomoko Sekiguchi, and what has your over 20-year journey as a therapist meant to you? I am Tomoko Sekiguchi, a therapist from Japan, and I am also devoted to training therapists. I began this work in 2000, and over the past 26 years I have met more than 5,000 therapists as an instructor, both in Japan and abroad. These two decades and more have been far more than a career to me. Immersing myself in the warm, gentle world of

There is a ritual born from the meeting of two seas. On one side, the Caribbean Sea, holding the roots of the woman who created it. On the other, the Mediterranean Sea, which welcomed her and taught her a new vision of wellness. It's called the Caribbean Ritual, created by Yalidi Candelario, founder of SHIMAI Professional Holistic Studio, recently awarded winner in the Wellness category at the Open Bulgarian Championship 2026. Yalidi was born in the Dominican Republic, a lan

today grows into an editorial collaboration between Italian Massage Contest and Italy's leading professional beauty magazine.

Who is Jeppe? You are widely regarded within the massage community as its "good father" the figure who has guided and supported this world for years. Looking back, what first led you to found the International Massage Association? I founded the International Massage Association (IMA) with the vision of creating a global platform for knowledge sharing within the massage profession through competitions, articles, podcasts, and masterclasses. In your own words, what is the mis