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WHO IS PILATES? . Joseph Hubertus Pilates, Joe, as he came to be called, was born in the town of Monchengladbach in Germany in 1883. He was a poorly child suffering from rickets and asthma. Determined to improve his health he embarked on a life journey of exploring various health and fitness methods.By the age of 14 he had improved his physique to the point that he was asked to model for anatomical drawings. Over the years he tried martial arts, yoga, boxing, weight training, gymnastics, skiing, even joining a circus for a while. He selected the parts of each discipline which he found to be the most effective and developed a movement system which he believed to provide the perfect balance of flexibility and strength for both mind and body.
During the first World War Joe was interned in a prisoner of war camp on the Isle of Man. Apparently he had been working as a gymnast and Greek statue act in a travelling circus. During his internment he took it upon himself to help rehabilitate the wounded prisoners who arrive at the camp. And this is where he started to develop his resistance equipment using bed springs so that the soldiers could work out even if they couldn't use certain parts of their bodies. He ran a strict regime and believed strongly in fresh air on the skin. There are photos showing Joe wearing swimming shorts in the snow! After his internment he returned to Germany where he taught self defence and fitness again but this time to the German Police and Army. As a pacifist he decided, in 1926, to emigrate to America. On the boat he met his future wife Clara, a nurse and kindergarten teacher. She was suffering from arthritis and Joe worked with her during the voyage to help relieve the pain. They soon realised they shared the same ideas about fitness and decided to set up a studio in New York to teach Joe's Contrology method.
Initially many of Joe and Clara's clients to the client were male, boxers and athletes. But as he became more well recognised amongst the fitness elite more and more dancers turned to Joe and Clara, especially as they shared a building with a dance studio.Dancers found that they could still maintain their overall fitness whilst recovering from injury using many of Joes exercises and indeed then realised they could prevent injury following Joes strict method. Most of the people who went on to assist and learn to teach his method were dancers. Although he actually only certified 2 people himself, Carole Trier and Lolita San Miguel.
Joe designed and made his equipment with his brother- the Universal Reformer, Cadillac (Trapeze table), Wunda Chair, High Chair (aka the Electric Chair), the Armchair, Ped-O-pull, Ladder Barrel, Spine Corrector, Foot Corrector, Toe Gizmo, Magic Circle and more. It is all still in use today.
According to all who knew him Joe was quite a character, as are many pioneers, he was disciplined, strict and way ahead of his time. Clara would sooth ruffled wings and set people back on track if he had been too brusque. She was reputed to be a genius at getting people to move the way she wanted them to in a very kind and gentle manner. By all accounts they were a formidable team.
He published a book of his 34 mat work exercises in 1945. It is called Return to Life through Contrology. Contrology being the name that Joe gave his method.
"Contrology is complete coordination of body, mind and spirit."
"Contrology develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind and elevates the spirit."
(from Return to Life by Joseph H. Pilates)
Joseph Pilates died in 1967 but his legacy lives on. | 