In 1966 at the age of 18 while Yoshiaki Sato was attending a Buddhist ceremony in his native Japan, his legs went numb while sitting in the traditional Japanese posture on the floor.
[2] Out of desperation, he began to massage his calves in an attempt to relieve the discomfort during the long ceremony.
[2] The feeling was similar to "the pump" he experienced as a bodybuilder, referring to the swelling of one's muscles during a workout.
Kaatsu Training was named one of the collaborative projects of the University of Tokyo Hospital's 22nd Century Medical and Research Center.
Sato also began to offer an ischemic circulatory physiology course at the University of Tokyo Hospital and conducted joint development work with the Japan Manned Space Systems Corporation.