From Fighter to Healer: How Dr. Kenneth Hoffman Began His Acupuncture Career

By 91射区 - April 30, 2018
Ken Hoffman

Dr. Kenneth Hoffman has a sign in his acupuncture office that reads, 鈥淔ight me if you wish, but remember, I鈥檓 old for a reason.鈥 It鈥檚 not meant to be intimidating or threatening; rather, it reminds his students and young staff that he has been around for a while鈥攁nd that he knows what he鈥檚 doing.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a common principle in East Asian philosophy,鈥 Hoffman explains. 鈥淚t鈥檚 called the scholar-warrior principle. When one is in youth, they learn to fight. But as they get older and they gain wisdom, they begin to follow more scholarly pursuits.鈥

It鈥檚 the trajectory Hoffman followed鈥攐ne that led a young paratrooper to earn a black belt in martial arts, then study Eastern medicine, and eventually become the founder and director of Sophia Natural Health Center as a doctor of acupuncture.

鈥淭o me, my life鈥檚 pursuit has been about the balance of yin and yang,鈥 Hoffman says. 鈥淭he ability to fight and the ability to heal…to me, it鈥檚 very natural.鈥

Early Training and Eastern Philosophy

Hoffman鈥檚 journey toward becoming a healer really began when he started training in 1991 under the tutelage of a Taoist master. The training in both martial arts and medicine was rigorous and strict鈥擧offman likens it to what you would see in a Karate Kid movie.

鈥淗e taught me three exercises,鈥 Hoffman recalls. 鈥淗e said, 鈥楴ow, I want you to practice these 100 times a day and keep a journal, and if you don鈥檛, I鈥檒l stop teaching you.鈥

鈥淲hat he taught me was that any worthy wisdom in life is going to be grasped through hard work and perseverance.鈥

Sabbatical and Advanced Studies

Hoffman鈥檚 training with the Taoist master led him to take a sabbatical to live and study Chinese healing arts in the Chi Nan Temple in Taipei, Taiwan. He took his training a step further by simultaneously enrolling in Pacific鈥檚 Master of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine and the school鈥檚 transitional doctoral program.

acupuncture-program-classes

Hoffman says the school鈥檚 blend of Western and Eastern medicine was what drew him to the acupuncture program.

鈥淚t was going to give me the language I needed to help more people and to integrate more into a Western society,鈥 he says. 鈥淔or example, instead of talking about chi and blood, I鈥檒l talk about oxygen and the transmission of nutrients through the blood. It makes more sense to people.鈥

After graduating from PCHS, Hoffman also began to study functional medicine. He now practices what he calls 鈥渋ntegrative natural medicine鈥濃攁 blend of East Asian medicine and functional, more Western medicine.

In addition to treating patients at his clinic, Hoffman is a strong advocate for his profession and is dedicated to leaving a legacy of practitioners who can continue his commitment to a holistic, integrative approach to medicine.

鈥淲e can go forward and really push this medicine forward,鈥 he says. 鈥淲hoever is willing to come to me, whoever is willing to learn the system…I鈥檓 going to give them everything I鈥檝e got.鈥

And while Hoffman is dedicated to healing, he places equal importance on his ability to fight鈥攁lthough perhaps not physically.

鈥淚t takes a warrior mentality to every day go out there and fight for what you believe in,鈥 he says, 鈥渢o battle paradigms and to battle people鈥檚 belief systems and their ignorance about what health is and how to manage their health.”

鈥淵ou have to have a warrior鈥檚 heart to make it in this medicine.”

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91射区 of Health and Science (PCHS) is a leading institution in holistic and integrative healthcare education, deeply rooted in Chinese medicine since 1986. As the largest school of Chinese medicine in the U.S., PCHS offers a wide range of innovative programs, including online and on-campus degrees in holistic nursing, massage therapy, and integrative聽medicine.

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