Sounds freaky, doesn't it? Well, it's all the rage in
Asia right now. You see signs that proclaim
Blindman Massage all over the place nowadays. I've never actually tried this, however, from all reports it seems to be quite enjoyable. I asked a friend of mine about what the whole deal was.
Apparently, the theory goes that blind people have better senses of touch than everyone else. I didn't face this with too much skepticism, because I've seen braille. Now, Chinese massage is different from the Swedish variety, as there is no oil or anything used. They don't hammer or pound. It is purely focused on the pressure points of the body. I have tried this myself. Mine was medical, not relaxation, so it was very painful initially. The pain died down after a few times. The relaxation massage is more gentle, so it doesn't hurt.
Since the blind's tactile sense is so much better, they should be able to find these points easier and apply strength to them. Obviously, this is more expensive than regular masseuse. After a bit of talking, it wasn't anything like the "exploitation of the blind" either. The blind people liked what they do for a living. Which was cool. I might try it in the near future.