Online course for acupuncturists
RICHTERSMART ACUPUNCTUREDiagnose. Needle. Retest.Personalize every treatment with the birth chart and the pulse
Stems and Branches Acupuncture · The Complete System, video course
This course teaches you to treat the whole person by reading a birth chart on four levels. The pulse confirms which level needs work today, and each level has its own points. The patient leaves with one recommendation for daily life.
A date of birth shows you where a patient tends to lose balance, the pulse tells you what to treat today, and the patient goes home knowing what to practice.
500+ practitioners trained in 17 countries·77 lessons, 10.7 hours
- Read
- A date of birth gives you four levels of the chart: the great movement, the stem, the branch and the division. You learn each one on worked charts.
- Treat
- The pulse tells you which level to work on today, and you choose the points for that level.
- Advise
- For every element, stem and branch, you hear what I tell the patient, so they leave with one thing to practice.
One payment, lifetime access, all taxes included. Translated and dubbed into English, with English subtitles.
Optional at checkout: the six-volume ebook series, 526 pages in PDF and EPUB, for $99. Each module follows one volume.
Watch three lessons before you buy
Three lessons from the course, exactly as they are inside. Recorded with a live group of practitioners. Translated and dubbed into English, with English subtitles.
Three patients from my workshop: the full sessions
Three complete readings from a workshop in Poland, 9 to 12 minutes each: the complaint, the birth chart on four levels, the pulse, the decision with the points and the reasons for them, the re-check, and what I tell the patient to do at home. A case report, not a promise: not every patient responds like this. English narration is an AI version of my voice; the patients speak Polish, with English subtitles.
One branch, one stem: what I tell the patient
Two excerpts from modules 3 and 4. For the Mao branch and the Wu stem I describe how the energy shows up in a person, and then what I tell the patient to practice. Every stem and every branch in the course is taught the same way.
How I choose the points, and why
An excerpt from modules 3 and 4. First the pulse: which of the twelve positions are deficient. Then the birth chart: which of those deficient meridians fit it. Choosing the meridian is the main decision. The point on it is the fine-tuning: by element at the stem level, by deep energy or by region at the branch level.
Six modules, one level at a time
The modules follow the six volumes of the ebook series, so you can read a chapter and watch the lesson that goes with it. You can take the whole course at once or buy it one module at a time.
Module 1: The Energy Cloud
How the system looks at a person: the energy cloud, the four emanations, and the vertical axis that every treatment works toward.
In the treatment room: You read the energy cloud on the pulse before you look at the symptoms, and you use the two tools of the method, the needle and the recommendation, toward one goal: balance on all four levels.
8 lessons · 69 min
Module 2: The Great Movements
The year element and the life challenge from a date of birth, the revenge element, the five elements on the pulse, and five clinical portraits.
In the treatment room: From a date of birth you know which element the patient was born into and what challenge it brings. You check the Great Movement on the pulse, choose points at that level, and give one recommendation for that element. The five clinical portraits help you recognize the pattern when the patient walks in.
21 lessons · 158 min
Module 3: The Ten Heavenly Stems
Your birth stem and the stem you learn, each of the ten stems with its recommendation, and treating at the stem level.
In the treatment room: You find the patient's birth stem, check on the pulse whether the stem level is out of balance, and choose the channel and points for that stem. Each of the ten stems comes with a recommendation you give the patient after the needles are out.
11 lessons · 104 min
Module 4: The Twelve Earthly Branches
The birth branch from the year, the twelve branch stories and their recommendations, the tidal hexagrams, and choosing points at the branch level.
In the treatment room: You work out the birth branch from the year, see which channel it points to, and choose points at the branch level when the pulse confirms it. The twelve branch recommendations give you words for how the patient deals with the world around them.
18 lessons · 149 min
Module 5: The Six Divisions
The atmosphere a person lives in: how to find the division from the birth branch, the yang and yin divisions, and how to treat them.
In the treatment room: You find the patient's division from the birth branch and treat the yang or yin division the pulse shows. This is the level that describes the atmosphere a person lives in.
6 lessons · 53 min
Module 6: The Whole Chart and Treatment Strategy
The four possibilities on the pulse, the signs of a balanced treatment, and six birth charts drawn and read from start to finish.
In the treatment room: You put the four levels together into one treatment plan: write out the four possibilities, read them on the pulse, decide where to start, and recognize the signs of a balanced treatment. Six birth charts show the whole process, from drawing the chart to choosing the points.
13 lessons · 108 min
Started with a module? Everything you paid for modules counts toward the full course, and you get 10% off the rest. The link comes by email after your purchase.
The six modules bought separately cost $834. The full course is $720.
What is inside
- 77 video lessons, 10.7 hoursEach lesson covers one topic, from a few minutes up to a quarter of an hour, so you can watch one between patients.
- Six birth charts read start to finish1957, 1963, 1974, 1980, 1985 and 1992: drawn on the board level by level, treatment included.
- The ebook series, if you want itSix volumes, 526 pages in PDF and EPUB, with a cheat sheet for each volume. Add them at checkout for $99.
- English subtitles in every lessonPause, read the term, rewind. The slides are in English too.
What practitioners said about the course
These opinions come from participants in the Polish edition of this course: the same recordings in the original language, published on the Akademia Shifen platform. Translated from Polish.
“I had already taken the Stems and Branches course in person, and for me it was revolutionary. A year later I bought the online course to test my knowledge and put everything in order. [...] The material was presented differently, with interesting slides and useful examples from his own practice, so [...] I learned a great deal. [...] There is just one catch: after this course, acupuncture will never be the same again.”Sylwia D.
“I recommend it to anyone who wants to go deeper. The training takes you to a higher level. The system Michal teaches is clear and logical. [...] Thanks to this course, everything I knew finally came together.”Bartosz S.
“This course is truly valuable and worth recommending. Michal teaches in an engaging way and backs up the theory with many examples. I really like the recommendations for patients, which support the acupuncture. Another big plus: the tips on how to work out the great movement, the stem, the branch and the layer without using a table.”Arleta K.
“A coherent, well-prepared course. The material forms a logical whole. [...] A wealth of practical knowledge. [...] This course is a strong inspiration to put what you learn into practice and to keep developing.”Ireneusz Ł.
“Excellent! This was my first encounter with Stems and Branches. Michal presented it in a clear and very logical way.”Terapie.k
Who teaches
I am Michal Richter, MD. For 25 years I have practiced only acupuncture, 20 to 30 patients a day, in a busy clinic in Poland. I have taught practitioners since 2009, and I teach only what I use on my own patients. More than 500 practitioners from 17 countries have trained with me.
I have worked with Stems and Branches for fifteen years. This is the full course I teach to practitioners, recorded with a live group, with their questions left in.
The complete system, on video
- Optional at checkout: the six-volume ebook series for $99
- 77 video lessons in six modules, 10.7 hours, English subtitles
- Six birth charts read from start to finish
- Lifetime access, on any device
One payment, all taxes included.
Already have the ebook series? Your upgrade price comes by email.
Questions practitioners ask
Do I need to know Stems and Branches already?
No. Module 1 starts from how the system looks at a person, and each module builds on the one before. You need the clinical basics: the meridians and the pulse.
Do I need the ebooks as well?
They are optional. You can add the six volumes at checkout for $99. The modules follow the volumes, so you can read a chapter and then watch it explained on the board.
Can I buy one module at a time?
Yes. Each of the six modules is sold on its own, from $59 to $199. Modules 2 to 6 build on Module 1, so start there if the system is new to you. If you start with a module, everything you paid counts toward the full course later, and you get 10% off the rest: the link comes by email after your purchase. The six modules bought separately cost $834; the full course is $720. See the six modules.
Whose voice is it?
The course was recorded in Polish with a live group. It has been translated and dubbed into English, and every lesson has English subtitles.
Isn't a birth chart just astrology?
The chart decides nothing on its own. It narrows down where to look, and the pulse confirms it. Every chart in the course is read together with the pulse.
How long do I have access?
For life. Watch at your own pace, on a computer, tablet or phone.