By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, March 30: A former computer-aided design (CAD) trainer turned traditional masseur, 42-year-old Ibrahim Mahmud is now dedicated to his craft of helping people ease their body aches and muscle pain after it became more than just a hobby.
With good stamina and practicing a specialised breathing technique, Ibrahim can serve up to 10 customers a day, though it isn’t an everyday occurrence of having that many customers.
Ibrahim revealed to DayakDaily that he has been interested in traditional massage techniques since young, and in 2005 he started to treat friends who sought treatment, as his father also offered traditional massage services.
He then pursued his interest and qualified from a traditional masseur school in 2013, but it was only in 2016 that he began to practice full-time.
“I am still learning the trade and body anatomy and the skills to enhance myself from my traditional massage teacher. I am always in touch with my teacher and my fellow practitioners,” he explained.
Ibrahim said he definitely shared his late father’s interest but has taken it to the next level as his full-time job.
“I was more serious so I get myself qualified, unlike my late father who learned the trade from friends working in the logging camp where he worked,” he said.
“My late father was good at it as he learned from many friends who knew the right technique and used the right ointment to ease themselves from tired body aches and pain after a day of hard labour.
“I probably inherited his talent and I always feel satisfaction after treating and receiving praise from a customer. In my younger days, I often saw people saying how much better they felt after receiving treatment from my late father.”
Ibrahim said it was not difficult to become a qualified masseur, but one must have a passion for it, especially since you need plenty of practice to help people experiencing different kinds of aches and pains.
“It is not easy to massage someone as you have to endure a session that can last up to 45 minutes to an hour giving a massage treatment with all your strength and concentration, as it also depends on the person on the receiving end.
“Especially if they are difficult customers with health issues. You have to take all of this into account and we have to be ethical in what we do, irrespective of whether the person is male or female,” he shared.
Ibrahim said he is still learning massage techniques and now he mostly does normal traditional body massages, cupping and bone therapy.
It would also be more beneficial for someone with health issues or longstanding body aches to receive regular massages or treatment to experience better results.
“I know that some people just want to get a massage and feel good .That is fine as you could rejuvenate your body and ease the body stressed. But it would be better if they undergo multiple sessions as it helps in the long run,” he opined.
“There is also traditional herbal tea we recommended for those who have health issues.”
“Depending on the treatment and request from customers, my fees cost from between RM60 to RM150,” he disclosed.
For more information, call 014-9570806 or 011-1929 1846. — DayakDaily
