As a teacher since the 1980s, I had the honor of sharing knowledge with hundreds of students. From Kona and Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii in the 80s and 90s up until 2005, I focused on the education needed to become Hawaii-licensed in massage, with an emphasis on Sports Massage, Aromatherapy & Spa therapies, and Hawaiian Lomilomi. The basic education was always followed by 300+ hours in a “clinical setting”, meaning that students or apprentices would apply what they learned onto the athletes, friends, and/or general public. This clinical setting includes assessment, creating a tx (treatment plan), follow-up charting, and feed-back from the recipient. In this way the student practitioner learns and gathers invaluable experience and can track results (and what was or was not effective).

Thus, the classes naturally progress from firstly beginning/basics (which is also beneficial for working on family and friends), then to advanced techniques and clinical application (which requires a deeper level of responsibility, assessment and skill), and finally (for those who are accepted) into a true apprenticeship under a professor and/or kumu (source person; teacher; mentor) where students eventually master their skills and become knowledgeable and even licensed/registered massage therapists. 

Studying Human Anatomy/Physiology/Kinesiology, including palpation and the systems directly affected by massage therapy, is invaluable. These courses can often be taken remotely from your own home. Fifty hours (level one academic course in Hawaii, prior to an apprenticeship) is a minimum course about the primary body systems, and also provides an excellent review course for practitioners and those preparing for a national, regional, or USA state MBLEX licensing exam.