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)

• person
  Kawaishi Mikinosuke

  sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō Confirmed

  Confirmed

  Feldenkrais's own preface to Higher Judo (1952) calls Kawaishi 'my friend and teacher of many years' (primary); four other sources corroborate it.

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  (1936–1940)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  4 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Feldenkrais's own preface to Higher Judo (1952) calls Kawaishi 'my friend and teacher of many years' (primary); four other sources corroborate it.

  “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)link history info

  “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 link history info

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “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

  sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō Confirmed

  Confirmed

  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; two other sources place him studying judo under Koizumi at the London Budokwai.

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  location_onBudokwai badge (1948–1950)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  5 sources expand_more

  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; two other sources place him studying judo under Koizumi at the London Budokwai.

  “He took judo classes with Gunji Koizumi at the London Budokwai”

  — Who Was Moshe Feldenkrais?link history info

  “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 Masterylink history info

  “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 IIlink info

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “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
• person
  Trevor Leggett

  sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō Possible

  Possible

  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.

  Some evidence points to the claim, but it is thin, indirect, or in unresolved conflict with other evidence.

  (1948–1952)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  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.

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “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

Lineage

• Kōdōkan JūdōKawaishi Mikinosuke ← Takahashi Kazuyoshi ← Yokoyama Sakujiro ← Kanō Jigorō · 4 generations

Ranks (2)

• sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō

  military_tech1 dan Confirmed

  Confirmed

  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. The Wikipedia date carries a citation-needed flag

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  Dan-Kyu System (1936)

  granted by Kawaishi Mikinosuke

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  4 sources expand_more

  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. 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 link history info

  “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)link history info

  “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 IIlink info

  “Feldenkrais' shodan, since it was issued by Kawaishi, was recognized in France and Europe, but was not di-rectly 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 IIlink info

  military_tech2 dan Confirmed

  Confirmed

  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

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  Dan-Kyu System (1938)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  3 sources expand_more

  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 link history info

  “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)link history info

  “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 IIlink info

Students (1)

• 
  Paul Bonét-Maury

  sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō Confirmed

  Confirmed

  The Martin thesis states explicitly that Bonét-Maury began studying judo under the direction of Moshé Feldenkrais; three other sources corroborate it.

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  location_onJiu-Jitsu Club de France badge (1936–1940)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  4 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  The Martin thesis states explicitly that Bonét-Maury began studying judo under the direction of Moshé Feldenkrais; three other sources corroborate it.

  “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 Francelink history info

  “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 link history info

  “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

Identifiers