Moshe Feldenkrais
(1904-1984) was born in Russian Poland and at age 15 emigrated
to Palestine. In 1933, he received a doctorate in Physics from
the Sorbonne and subsequently worked as a research assistant
with Frederick Curie-Joliot. He was also the first European
to earn a Black Belt in judo. Later, an old soccer injury to
his knees flared up. Rather than undergo surgery with little
chance of success, Feldenkrais resolved to teach himself to
walk again. He immersed himself in the literature of anatomy,
physiology, and anthropology of his time. Integrating these
studies with knowledge of body mechanics and his own internal
awareness led him to the discovery of a way to heal his knees.
This process of self-rehabilitation was the initial step in
the development of movement education. He continued to refine
and teach his new technique to thousands of students throughout
the world for the next 30 years.
Moshe
Feldenkrais