Meet Your Guide

Alex Schenker

• Licensed Shiatsu Therapist

• Mobility Specialist

• Natural Movement Trainer

Diplomas & Certifications

• Shiatsu Therapy Diploma (Including Sotai Movement Therapy)

• Functional Range Conditioning mobility specialist Certification

• Agatsu Steel Club & Mace Training Certification

• MovNat Natural Movement Level 3, Combatives, & Aquatics Certification

• Kinseiryuhou Koshiki Kenbiki (Tendon Alignment Therapy) Basic Level Certification
  

  
  

Introduction

My journey in movement, healing, and martial arts has been a lifelong exploration of what it means to be strong yet sensitive, adaptable yet patient, and resilient yet relaxed. Rooted in childhood experiences with energy work and meditation, refined through martial arts training, and expanded by natural movement practice, my work bridges these disciplines to help people move better, feel better, and live with confidence. Through hands-on therapeutic treatment, self-care techniques, and movement skill training, my mission is to empower others with practical tools for vibrant health, youthful longevity, and freedom of movement.

Healing Arts

I was raised in a health-conscious household where meditation, yoga, and energy healing were everyday experiences. My mother’s studies in reflexology, Reiki, Yoga, and somatic movement gave me an early introduction to the healing arts, even if I didn’t fully appreciate it at the time. My own path led me to a two-year diploma program for Zen Shiatsu in 2005, where I studied bodywork, meridian stretching, and Sotai movement therapy. This training shaped my approach to hands-on healing, emphasizing both therapeutic techniques and a strong focus on personal development and self-care.

Since then, I have continued to expand my knowledge, from integrating elements of Kenbiki tendon alignment therapy, to training as a Forest Therapy Guide (Shinrin Yoku), to becoming a Buteyko Breathing Instructor. My philosophy for maintaining health and balance revolves around simple but essential elements: how we move, breathe, eat, think, and connect with our (natural and social) environment. I believe reconnecting with nature is one of the most overlooked aspects of well-being, and I always consider this understanding in my therapeutic practice.

Martial Arts

My father’s dedication to strength training and physical activity provided the yang counterpart to my mother’s influence. Martial arts became a lifelong passion, and after experimenting with various styles throughout my youth, I discovered Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu in 2004... and for the first time, I kept going, while also exploring internal martial arts such as Aikido, Tai Chi Chuan, and Ba Gua Zhang along the way.

In 2017, I traveled to Japan to train with the headmaster of the Bujinkan, Masaaki Hatsumi Soke. During this trip, I earned my Godan (5th-degree black belt) and becoming a Shidoshi, or independent instructor. Most notable in my experience was meeting and training under the Soke of Gyokko Ryu (one of the ryuha of the Bujinkan), Ishizuka Tetsuji Sensei. This experience deepened my understanding of continuous movement and flow, structural alignment in motion, and retaining a calm sensitivity in a chaotic environment.

More recently, I have discovered and devoted my practice to studying Hyoho Taisha Ryu Kenjutsu, a traditional samurai swordsmanship school that was founded over 450 years. My teachers are the chief instructor of the school, Yamamoto Takahiro Shihan and Uehara Eriko Soke, Headmaster. In 2023, I was officially inducted as a full member of the Ryuha.

Now, my focus in my exploration of unarmed martial arts is with self-defense, I do not teach people how to win fights, I teach people how to escape from dangerous encounters. Using the most simple effective Taijutsu techniques and principles, the scope of what I teach is focused on breaking free from restraint, and creating the necessary conditions to escape from the situation.

Natural Movement Training

While martial arts and healing arts shaped my foundation, natural movement training connected everything. Through Budo Taijutsu, Sotai therapy, and explorations in parkour, I had already been practicing elements of natural movement long before I discovered MovNat in 2015. Becoming a MovNat instructor, leading certification courses, and eventually working with MovNat HQ expanded my perspective on movement education.

In 2024, I stepped away from MovNat due to misaligned values with the organization’s direction. Many of my fellow instructors have also moved on, committed to preserving and evolving the essence of what first drew us to natural movement. I now collaborate with a former MovNat colleague, Bernd Reicheneder, assisting in the development of the Human Movement Academy. I have also trained and been certified in Steel Mace and Club training, and Functional Range Conditioning.

Through my own approach, I make fundamental movement skills, including Ukemi (falling and recovery), balance, natural strength, and functional flexibility, accessible to anyone. My teaching emphasizes injury prevention, longevity, and resilience, going beyond conventional fitness, rather focusing on preparing our bodies for the real world.

How it all comes together

My work integrates healing arts, martial arts, and natural movement into a complete system for restoring and enhancing the body’s natural balance. Through bodywork, I help people resolve pain, tension, and dysfunction. Through movement training, I build practical foundations for strength, coordination, and injury prevention. Ukemi, the art of falling and recovery, is at the heart of this approach—teaching not just how to avoid injury, but how to move through life with adaptability and confidence.

I offer online courses, workshops, and retreats designed to empower people with these foundational skills. Whether you are seeking to improve your mobility, balance, and functional strength; support in recovering from an injury or chronic issue; developing natural skills; and/or cultivating a deeper connection between your body and it's true nature, I look forward to working with you.