I BEGAN MY CAREER AS A PROFESSIONAL DANCER. Since I couldn’t sing and was too short for Broadway, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue work. As I transitioned from dancer to Pilates instructor, there was an interim when I was doing both. I remember being at my studio, Bodyline, teaching clients in the early morning before going to dance rehearsals for the Oscars. As Bodyline grew, I started studying tae kwon do to keep my body in dancer shape. It provided the flexibility and cardio training that I needed, plus there was a dojo five minutes away. I have held a blackbelt now for more than 20 years and learned some profound lessons along the way. Martial arts has influenced not only what I teach, but more importantly, how I teach. It has also given me the confidence to kick and punch, which are crucial to self-defense.
There is no better training for self-defense than sparring; it’s the part of martial arts that I am the worst at. I still feel my heart quicken every time I square off with an opponent. Sparring puts you into fight-or-flight mode. Moment to moment, you’re choosing whether to strike or step out of the way. Joseph Pilates was a boxer and a pioneer in teaching self-defense. There are many exercises, from punching on the Trap Table to Sword on the Reformer, that reflect his martial arts background.
Denne historien er fra September - October 2020-utgaven av Pilates Style.
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Denne historien er fra September - October 2020-utgaven av Pilates Style.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Finding New Momentum
Overcoming obstacles caused by the pandemic, the virtual version of this popular festival still achieved its goals.
Carola Trier's Extraordinary Journey
In his authoritative biography of the first woman to open a studio, Reiner Grootenhuis delved into her personal papers to tell the harrowing story of her time in a prison camp during World War II.
Racism in the Pilates Industry
Incidents of police brutality and the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests have shed a bright light on systemic racism in the U.S., including in the Pilates industry. Here, Black instructors share their experiences.
For Self-defense
Moves of the Month
Comfort Food Made Healthy
This fall, cozy up to tantalizing comfort food that’s also healthy. A new cookbook from Kristin Cavallari shows you how.
Pilates Postcard
A Pilates teacher shares how the method is making waves abroad.
The Ultimate Gift
One year ago, Kahley Schiller’s life was completely upended by an extreme health crisis. But thanks to her 20-year Pilates practice, the 40-year-old was able to recover quickly.
Revelations
For Sarita Allen, a star of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and a protégée of Kathleen Stanford Grant, Pilates was key to her decades-long career.
Meaning WITHIN THE Movement
The Five Elements of Chinese Medicine help you go deeper into your practice, promising plenty of play along the way.
PILATES IN THE HOOD
Though she’s trained many top stars, Kim Carruthers says she’s most proud of her work as the founder and director of a nonprofit bringing the method to underserved communities.
