There’s a saying among Pilates teachers; a quote from the creator of the method, Joe Pilates himself. “I’m fifty years ahead of my time.” Considering Joe opened up his first studio in America in about the late 1920s, and it was in the 80s that it really started getting attention for its results, he could be considered a fitness innovator and a prophet. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve only heard of Pilates a handful of times before reading this. For whatever reason, the method found a niche among dancers and athletes, and stayed there. Fortunately for all of us, those borders have opened up like China, and we can easily find a Pilates studio nearby. Among all of the specific forms of movement I’ve talked about, Pilates is the most Western, and the most empirical. It’s origins, however, may be surprising for first timers.
First, a little history about the guy, because that’s very important in understanding the purpose for the method. By the way, the ‘method’ I speak of is Pilates. The man, however, Joe Pilates, was born in West Germany in the late 1800s. He was a sickly kid, afflicted with several ailments like asthma and rickets. However, in the mind of Joe, this was only a setback – his efforts to overcome these issues resulted in an immense knowledge and skill in various sports. He also studied forms of movement east of Germany, like yoga and martial arts (this guy is already my best friend). He was in England at the time of World War I, and was imprisoned with other Germans for, well, being German. While there, however, he began teaching the method he was developing, aiding in the rehabilitation of the injured and immobilized. When a huge flu epidemic blew through England, thousands died. Except for those who trained with Joe Pilates. That is the legend…a true legend, of course. To conclude briefly, Joe came to America in the 1920s, married, and opened a studio for a method he dubbed, according to Allan Menezes (developer of Pilates Institute of Australasia), “Contrology”. Some of his first students were dancers – the studio was literally right next to the New York Ballet! Very important names in the dance world received instruction from Joe: Martha Graham, Rudolf von Laban, George Balanchine, and Ron Fletcher (who is probably the man responsible for bringing Pilates to Hollywood). It’s safe to say that Pilates, though Western, has a holistic and not local approach to fitness. To be well is to be fit, to be fit is to be well…and this requires the entire body to be in agreement. His first group of students, war victims, and his second group of students, dancers, each possess a necessity to restore and maintain the body. So, what was Joe’s approach?
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