Alternatives to massaging fresh kale?
If you put batches of cut kale into a ricer like the Oxo one shown below, and give it a good hard squeeze until a little of the kale juice comes out, it will make easier work of the massaging process.  You should see the kale come out broken down as much as when massaged by hand.  If not, squeeze again.

I do it over the salad bowl to capture the juices as well as any dropped leaves.  It seemed to work more easily with lacinato (dinosaur) kale than curly leaf.