第一代長老
- Jan 31, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 6, 2023
Jay Grimes 在 60 年代中期開始跟隨 Joesph Pilates 學習，在 Joe 去世後繼續跟隨 Joe 的妻子 Clara 學習 10 年，直到她去世。Jay 開始在紐約最初的第 8 大道工作室任教，此後一直在世界各地任教。讓我們學習到由 First-generation Master teacher 解答有關 Pilates Method 中的答案. 以下問與答才是正宗普拉提的問與答.
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may/june 2008
What is the difference between Joe and Clara's studio and studios today?
The first thing that pops into my head is the pampering. With Joe and Clara you worked hard. There was very little modifying and no complaining. You shut up and did what you were told. And it was not a fashion show- hair for the ladies and no jewelry for up anyone. Workout clothes were practical and skimpy. Joe wanted to see the body. He also wanted people to be independ- ent. Starting with the first lesson, you did all of your own springs, straps, box, etc. You were learning the method, which included learning how to use the equipment correctly. Joe worked with everyone as individuals, giving them what he felt their bodies needed. There were no beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. There were women's exercises, men's exer- cises and exercises.
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Were there group mat classes?
No. The only group mat classes Joe taught that I am aware of were for the dancers at Jacob's Pillow, which is a dance camp in the Berkshires that was founded by Ted Shawn in the 30s. And it's still going strong.
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What do you think of the business of Pilates today?
I have very mixed feelings. When the name Pilates was declared generic, it opened a floodgate for people who want to get certified overnight and think they understand the work. Too many people are in it for the quick buck, looking for a gimmick to set themselves apart from the crowd. There are a lot of people out there teaching very good Pilates, but there are also a lot of people who, for whatever reason, have not taken the time and put in the effort to learn it correctly. It takes a minimum of three to five years for the best to get Pilates in their body. How can you teach some- thing you haven't fully experienced your self? Why not just be a good teacher and set yourself apart? If something is Pilates- based or Pilates-influenced, call it that. But don't call it Pilates. Don't get me wrong: I have seen some Pilates-based work that is very good. If you are getting results and not hurting people, go for it. I'm behind you 100 percent. But please call it what it is. The worst, however, are the people who are "improving" Pilates. I hear the argument that, because of advances in science, we now know things that Joe didn't. How do they know what was in Joe's mind? He often said, "I am 50 years ahead of my time." He was at least that. People who have not fully learned and experienced the method correctly don't actually know what it is that they are "improving." And the argument that Joe only worked with dancers and athletes-nonsense. He worked with a complete cross-section of people, just as we do today. **********************************
How do you feel about the When the name Pilates was physical-therapy influence?
It's wonderful that physical therapy has discovered and embraced Pilates. Beceause the work is so organic and correct, it is a valuable tool for therapists. But Pilates teachers are not physical therapists. We do not have the educa- tion that a PT does, and we should not be trying to do their work. We do not diagnose or treat or cure. We teach exercise for reasonably healthy bodies, and if someone comes in with a condi- tion that suggests a need for medical attention, we should tell them that. Nor should the work be constantly modified and dumbed down for every little com- plaint. If I've learned one thing in my 40-plus years of teaching, it is to trust the work. Joe knew what he was doing. Everything is built into the work, if you know work.
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How deep is this work?
I've been doing this over 40 years now, and I am still learning. Sometimes I'll be working with a client and all of a sudden I'll hear Joe or Clara's voice talk- ing to me. Then I'll realize what they were talking about, all these years later. That's how deep this work is.
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Can you tell us the secret of a Reformer workout?
The Reformer is one of Joe's many apparatus to help people do mat work. In that, it is a very valuable tool. Too many teachers and students place too much emphasis on the Reformer, neglecting other important aspects of the method. If there is a secret, it is probably the least-understood aspect of the Reformer, which is that the last inch of the carriage coming in is the most important part of the exercise. On Joe's Reformer, the springs com- pletely released an inch before the carriage was in, so the only way to bring it in was to use your powerhouse.
Jay Grimes (first-generation master teacher) 1
Jay Grimes (first-generation master teacher) 2
Jay Grimes (first-generation master teacher) 3
Jay Grimes (first-generation master teacher) 4
Jay Grimes (first-generation master teacher) 5
Coffee With Jay Part 2
Pilates all of the other stuff was
invented to help people do the mat
because Joe realized how difficult it
was but you have to know and understand
all of that
you cannot just be teaching beginner mat
and claim to go pilates unless you know
the entire system every single apparatus
observing and he talks in his books
about you know observing the animals and
observing
and he learned a lot from that and he
incorporated all of that into the work
so you have to be an observer too and
you have to train yourself because
nobody can do this for you
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Coffee with Jay Grimes Part 3
anything pilates now it's a wonderful
catchphrase it's a money maker
um i mean you can bounce a ball and skip
a rope and call it pilates
and there's nothing to stop you from
doing that and the unfortunate thing is
the public is very confused about what
pilates is and the medical profession is
very confused about what pilates is
because i know there are
a lot of doctors who think pilates is
another form of physical therapy
which of course it is not it's very
therapeutic exercise and it can
certainly
help relieve a lot of problems in people
but
it would be so much better if there were
standards that needed to be met in order
to use the name pilates so that the name
meant something because right now it
doesn't really mean anything and that's
the sad part
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Coffee with Jay Grimes Part 4
not put in the time and the
effort to really
learn the work right and that's where a
lot of the changes are coming from
same thing with the equipment people are
changing the equipment without really
understanding why joe did it the way he
did
and you know so
it's really it's really just going off
into and
it's not all bad not all of the changes
and
you know they're not all bad but they're
getting further and further and further
away from pilates
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