Issue #415 – Wednesday, November 15, 2023
A Pilates History Lesson
Pilates-Sandow-Muller
by Jonathan Grubb
Eugen Sandow, Jørgen Müller, and Joseph Pilates were all physical culturists and had similar views on exercise and healthy living. They also tended towards a minimalist approach to their workout gear!
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I have shared with you previously through Pilates Intel how Sandow was a global superstar and Müller was also well-respected in his day throughout Europe and beyond. As mentioned in those articles, Joseph Pilates must have known this, and it is understandable that towards the end of his life, he was very disappointed by the lack of global appeal for his Contrology method. In fact it was not until the early 1970s (over 50 years after Joseph left the Isle of Man) that Contrology (or “Pilates” as it had become known by then) returned to the British Isles when Alan Herdman opened the first Pilates studio in London.
It is interesting that today most of us have probably never heard of Sandow or Müller and are highly unlikely to have practised their systems of exercise, but Pilates’ method is currently known and practised throughout the world by millions of people. It is more popular now than the Sandow or Müller systems ever were in their day or since.
Pilates elder Lolita San Miguel has stated that she started practising Pilates with Carola Trier in 1958 and only discovered that Joseph Pilates was still alive and teaching several blocks away several years later; further confirming that even in New York, Joseph Pilates’ name was not widely known during his lifetime. In the July 2020 interview on the podcast ALL THINGS PILATES with Darien Gold, Mary Bowen, another Pilates elder, stated that “he [Joseph Pilates] was not known. He was on the fringe.”
Why is this? No one can be entirely sure, but we can guess at some of the potentially contributing factors.
Eugen Sandow was a showman in a day when television and the internet did not exist. He and his bodybuilder’s physique were the commodities that he sold; people bought into them, aspiring to develop themselves physically using the methods developed and demonstrated by Sandow. Jørgen Müller had a slimmer, athletic physique and did not engage in bodybuilding. He was knowledgeable and wrote books and lectured around Europe; people listened to his point of view which made his system popular. Both men had significant influential contacts including (in the case of Sandow) King Edward VII and King George V while Müller was knighted by the King of Denmark.
My understanding is that Joseph Pilates was not the best verbal communicator. Perhaps this was due to English not being his first language; it might also be linked to his personality and preferred teaching style. He had a physique somewhere in between Sandow’s bulked muscle and Müller’s slimmer well-built athleticism. While Joseph seems to have had a strong character, an enthusiastic belief in his method and in sharing it, and a very direct approach in his teaching style and verbal communication, it appears to me that he did not sell himself so much as he sold his method. “The whole country, the whole world, should be doing my exercises. They would be happier.” For good reason, Joseph had utter faith in his method and wanted everyone to experience its benefits.
Ultimately, the long-term success of Pilates lies in the method. It works. It is not a fad that may come and go like so many others. Unlike some other exercise techniques, the effectiveness of the method and its attraction is not dependent on the personality of the teacher or practitioner. The genius of the method can only be accredited to Joseph Pilates. He did not pull his method out of thin air. He observed, listened, tested, and developed the method we have access to today. Taking his knowledge, influences and experiences, he developed a method that “uniformly develops the body” – not just a magic series of exercises but a technique which benefits the body and mind of any practitioner. Now, long after the inventor of the Pilates method has passed away, the world fully acknowledges its benefits.
Joseph’s words continue to resonate today: “Truth will prevail. That is why I know my teachings will reach the masses and finally be adopted as universal.”
Jonathan Grubb was born in England in 1962 and has lived on the Isle of Man since he was two years old. His great grandfather Jakob Grub was interned on the Isle of Man until 28 August 1919 in the same camp as Joseph Pilates.
In his younger days Jonathan was a keen amateur sportsman and particularly excelled at football (soccer), representing the Isle of Man in international games on numerous occasions. An anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained towards the end of his playing days led him to discover Pilates and he has been a passionate practitioner ever since. He has traveled to various countries to attend conferences and courses and been fortunate to be mentored by very experienced local teachers.
Having previously been an advanced instructor for several years in the Wu family style of tai chi chuan, Jonathan is currently studying to become a Pilates teacher with MKPilates and his teaching has been enthusiastically welcomed in classes throughout the island already. More on the story of Knockaloe Internment Camp can be found at knockaloe.imCheckout Jonathon’s Facebook page Joseph’s Legacy – Pilates 100 +!