Online course for acupuncturists
RICHTERSMART ACUPUNCTUREDiagnose. Needle. Retest.One module, one acupuncture skill you can use with your next patient
Stems and Branches Acupuncture · video course in six modules
Each module teaches one practical skill, from reading a date of birth to choosing the points and the recommendation the patient takes home. Take all six and the birth chart, the pulse and the advice come together in one treatment. For me, that is the holy grail of acupuncture.
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 per module, lifetime access, all taxes included. English narration is an AI version of my voice, with English subtitles.
Six modules, six skills you can use
Every module ends with something you can do in the treatment room the next day. Buy the one you need now and add the others when you are ready. Modules 2 to 6 build on Module 1, so start there if the system is new to you.
Module 1: The Energy Cloud
Your skill: read the person before the symptom, and give every treatment one clear goal.
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
Your skill: from a date of birth, name the element a patient was born into, find it on the pulse and treat it.
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 skill: find the birth stem, treat at the stem level, and give the patient the recommendation for that stem.
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
Your skill: work out the birth branch, see the channel it points to, and choose points at the branch level.
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
Your skill: find the division a person lives in and treat the yang or yin division the pulse shows.
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
Your skill: turn all four levels into one treatment plan, and see when a treatment has balanced the patient.
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
Whatever you pay for modules counts. If you go on to the full course later, everything you paid for modules is deducted from the price, and you get 10% off the rest. The link comes by email after your purchase.
All six modules: the whole system
One module gives you one skill. All six give you the method I use in my clinic: the date of birth shows the tendency, the pulse shows what to treat today, the points work at that level, and the patient leaves with one recommendation to practice. After fifteen years with Stems and Branches, this is the holy grail of my practice, and it is the full course I teach to practitioners.
- All six modules: 77 video lessons, 10.7 hours, English subtitles
- Six birth charts read from start to finish
- Optional at checkout: the six-volume ebook series for $99
- Lifetime access, on any device
The six modules bought separately cost $834. One payment, all taxes included.
One branch, one stem: what I tell the patient
Two fragments 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
A fragment 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.
Watch three lessons before you buy
Three lessons from the course, exactly as they are inside. Recorded with a live group of practitioners. English narration is an AI version of my voice over the original Polish, with English subtitles.
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, with the treatment.
- 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 of the Polish edition of this course: the same recordings in the original language, published on my Polish course 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.
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. The English narration is an AI version of my own voice, translated from what I said, and every lesson has English subtitles.
Is a birth chart not 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.
Start with one skill
Pick the module that fits the patients you see most. You can add the rest at any time, and what you paid counts toward the full course.