Also known as
Moshe Feldenkrais
Moshé Pinchas Feldenkrais
משה פלדנקרייז
Description
Moshé Feldenkrais (1904-1984) was a physicist and engineer, one of the
introducers of judo in France in the 1930s and later the founder of the
Feldenkrais Method of somatic education. Born in Slavuta in the Russian Empire
(present-day Ukraine), he immigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1918, where he
studied jujutsu and self-defence, largely self-taught from books (he later told
Jigoro Kano that he had studied judo by reading more than forty different
books), and moved to Paris in 1928 to study physics, mathematics and
engineering, obtaining a Doctor of Science in Physics at the University of Paris
and working as a research assistant to Frédéric Joliot-Curie at the Radium
Institute. After meeting Jigoro Kano in Paris in September 1933, he studied judo
under Mikinosuke Kawaishi, earning his black belt in 1936 and 2nd dan in 1938.
On 20 September 1936 he founded the Jiu-Jitsu Club de France with the help of
his scientist colleagues and Paul Bonét-Maury, running it as one of its two
vice-presidents; Jigoro Kano was honorary president of the club. Frédéric and
Irène Joliot-Curie and Bertrand Goldschmidt took judo lessons from him at the
institute. He published a French edition of his Hebrew jujutsu manual, La
défense du faible contre l'agresseur, and between 1939 and 1940 worked under
the physicist Paul Langevin. On the eve of the Nazi invasion in 1940 he fled to
Britain, where he worked as a science officer in the Admiralty; his
re-aggravated knee injury led him to develop the self-observation techniques
published as Body and Mature Behavior (1948), the foundation of the Feldenkrais
Method. He returned to Israel in 1951 and taught the method full-time in Tel
Aviv from 1954.
Teachers (3)
-
Ka
Kawaishi Mikinosuke
(1936-1940)
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
4 sources
fact_check
Feldenkrais's own preface to Higher Judo (1952) calls Kawaishi 'my
friend and teacher of many years' (primary); Brousse's foreword to the
2010 edition describes Feldenkrais as Kawaishi's 'assistant, disciple,
and friend'; de Crée (2013) confirms the shodan was issued by Kawaishi in
1936, not by Kano; corroborated by English Wikipedia and dcjudo.com. Confirmed
"In September 1933, he met Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo in Paris. Kano
encouraged him to study judo under Mikinosuke Kawaishi. Feldenkrais became a
close friend of Kano and corresponded with him regularly."
— Moshé Feldenkrais - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia
(English)linkinfo
"Feldenkrais learned Judo from Mikonosuke Kawaishi earning his Shodan in
1936 and a Nidan in 1938."
— McPartland, Terence. (2012). Moshe Feldenkrais and
Modern Judo: The Strange Forgotten Tale of a Physicist who Learned Judo
linkinfo
"I wish to express my gratitude to my friend and teacher of many years, Mr.
Mikinosuke Kawaishi, 7th Dan."
— Moshe Feldenkrais; Elizabeth Beringer. (2010).
Higher Judo: Groundworkinfo
"The Japanese expert was certainly attracted by the rational nature of the
explanations given by the engineer. As a result, Feldenkrais became the
assistant, the disciple, and friend of Kawaishi."
— Moshe Feldenkrais; Elizabeth Beringer. (2010).
Higher Judo: Groundworkinfo
-
Gunji Koizumi
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
5 sources
fact_check
Feldenkrais's own preface to Higher Judo acknowledges Koizumi as someone he
learned a great deal from (primary); de Crée (2013) confirms from the Budokwai
dan-rank register that Feldenkrais joined the Budokwai in 1948; FEFNA and Nativ
both place him studying judo under Koizumi at the London Budokwai. Probable
"He took judo classes with Gunji Koizumi at the London Budokwai."
"After leaving the service in 1945, he moved to London and joined the
Budokwai, where he studied judo under the great master G. Koizumi."
— Moti Nativ. (2017). On Better Judo: Moshe
Feldenkrais on Learning, Balance, and Masterylinkinfo
"Feldenkrais only joined the Budōkwai in 1948, thus well after he had left
France and had moved to England."
— Carl de Crée. (2013). Shōnen Jūdō-no-kata
["Forms of Jūdō for Juveniles"] - an experimental Japanese teaching
approach to Jūdō skill acquisition in children considered from a
historic-pedagogical perspective - part IIlinkinfo
"It has been my good fortune to meet Mr. G. Koizumi, from which I have
learned a great deal. The clarity of his knowledge is equal to the generosity
with which he imparts it"
— Moshe Feldenkrais; Elizabeth Beringer. (2010).
Higher Judo: Groundworkinfo
"In London he deepened his friendship and judo practice with legendary
practitioners Gunji Koizumi and Trevor Leggett."
— Moshe Feldenkrais; Elizabeth Beringer. (2010).
Higher Judo: Groundworkinfo
-
Tr
Trevor Leggett
(1948-1952)
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
fact_check
Feldenkrais's own preface to Higher Judo (1952) thanks T. P. Leggett for
critical reading of the typescript and 'his very instructive advice on the
mat', and the same book's foreword says he deepened his judo practice
with Leggett in London; both passages come from the same single source (the
book), hence confidence 1 pending an independent source
"I am greatly indebted to Mr. T. P. Legget, 5th Dan, Chairman of the
European Judo Union, for critical reading of the typesceipt and his very
instructive advice on the mat."
— Moshe Feldenkrais; Elizabeth Beringer. (2010).
Higher Judo: Groundworkinfo
"In London he deepened his friendship and judo practice with legendary
practitioners Gunji Koizumi and Trevor Leggett."
— Moshe Feldenkrais; Elizabeth Beringer. (2010).
Higher Judo: Groundworkinfo
Ranks (2)
-
Dan-Kyu System (1936)
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
4 sources
fact_check
English Wikipedia and dcjudo.com both date Feldenkrais' shodan to 1936,
during his training under Kawaishi in Paris; de Crée (2013) confirms it was
issued by Kawaishi and notes it was not directly recognized by the Kodokan
because Kawaishi was not an official Kodokan envoy. The Wikipedia date carries a
citation-needed flag
"Feldenkrais learned Judo from Mikonosuke Kawaishi earning his Shodan in
1936 and a Nidan in 1938."
— McPartland, Terence. (2012). Moshe Feldenkrais and
Modern Judo: The Strange Forgotten Tale of a Physicist who Learned Judo
linkinfo
"In 1936[citation needed], he earned a black belt in judo, and later gained
his 2nd degree black belt in 1938[citation needed]."
— Moshé Feldenkrais - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia
(English)linkinfo
"Feldenkrais earned his shodan black belt in jūdō from Kawaishi (though
unlike what is sometimes claimed, not from Kanō) and later gained his nidan 2nd
degree black belt in 1938."
— Carl de Crée. (2013). Shōnen Jūdō-no-kata
["Forms of Jūdō for Juveniles"] - an experimental Japanese teaching
approach to Jūdō skill acquisition in children considered from a
historic-pedagogical perspective - part IIlinkinfo
"Feldenkrais' shodan, since it was issued by Kawaishi, was recognized
in France and Europe, but was not directly recognized by the Kōdōkan because
Kawaishi was not an official Kōdōkan envoy"
— Carl de Crée. (2013). Shōnen Jūdō-no-kata
["Forms of Jūdō for Juveniles"] - an experimental Japanese teaching
approach to Jūdō skill acquisition in children considered from a
historic-pedagogical perspective - part IIlinkinfo
Dan-Kyu System (1938)
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sources
fact_check
English Wikipedia and dcjudo.com both date Feldenkrais' nidan to 1938; de
Crée (2013) corroborates the 1938 nidan. The Wikipedia date carries a
citation-needed flag
"Feldenkrais learned Judo from Mikonosuke Kawaishi earning his Shodan in
1936 and a Nidan in 1938."
— McPartland, Terence. (2012). Moshe Feldenkrais and
Modern Judo: The Strange Forgotten Tale of a Physicist who Learned Judo
linkinfo
"In 1936[citation needed], he earned a black belt in judo, and later gained
his 2nd degree black belt in 1938[citation needed]."
— Moshé Feldenkrais - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia
(English)linkinfo
"Feldenkrais earned his shodan black belt in jūdō from Kawaishi (though
unlike what is sometimes claimed, not from Kanō) and later gained his nidan 2nd
degree black belt in 1938."
— Carl de Crée. (2013). Shōnen Jūdō-no-kata
["Forms of Jūdō for Juveniles"] - an experimental Japanese teaching
approach to Jūdō skill acquisition in children considered from a
historic-pedagogical perspective - part IIlinkinfo
Students (1)
-
Paul Bonét-Maury
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
4 sources
fact_check
The Martin thesis states explicitly that Bonét-Maury began studying judo under
the direction of Moshé Feldenkrais; Brousse's foreword to Higher Judo (2010)
calls Bonét-Maury one of Feldenkrais's first jujutsu students; dcjudo.com
independently states that Bonét-Maury was one of Feldenkrais' students;
Grognet describes both men as the two vice-presidents of the club Feldenkrais
founded, consistent with the teaching taking place at the Jiu-Jitsu Club de
France. Confirmed
"Paul Bonét-Maury a débuté l'étude du judo sous la direction de Moshe
Feldenkrais."
— Martin, Grégory. (2011). Essai sur les territoires
du judo en Francelinkinfo
"Paul Bonét-Maury, first IJF Secretary-General, was one of Feldenkrais'
students."
— McPartland, Terence. (2012). Moshe Feldenkrais and
Modern Judo: The Strange Forgotten Tale of a Physicist who Learned Judo
linkinfo
"Le premier club français de Judo se forme à Paris au milieu des années
1930 au Quartier Latin sous l'impulsion de Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984),
physicien d'origine ukrainienne qui travaillait dans le laboratoire de
Frédéric Joliot-Curie. Ce club sera dirigé par deux vice-présidents, Moshe
Feldenkrais et Paul Bonét-Maury."
— Grognet, Jean-Marc. (2015). Une courte biographie
de Paul Bonét-Maury (1900-1972) ou les vies parallèles d'un pharmacien :
chercheur et judokainfo
"Paul Bonet-Maury, one of Feldenkrais's first jujustu students, became
the head of the French Judo Federation."
— Moshe Feldenkrais; Elizabeth Beringer. (2010).
Higher Judo: Groundworkinfo
Sources
"In February 1949 Moshe became a British citizen."
Moshe Feldenkrais; Elizabeth Beringer. (2010). Higher Judo: Groundwork
info
Linked data
https://martial.is/entity/01M00NPBTP9PQDZS2N22G1AYG9