Pilates & Eternal Youth by Joan Breibart

The author at the age when she began her Pilates career.

Rome, September 2008

I deduce that I have iteternal youth, that is. What other conclusion can I draw from my recent experience at a Roman Pilates Studio? So I am in the Eternal City-- and I decide to do what I couldnt easily do in New York: visit a studio that discredits PMI and me. I select the one advertised as True Pilates which led me to a Classical studio, one blessed by Romana as her Italian Teacher Training location! All this, on my first day in Rome. Inside the studio, outfitted with Gratz equipment which is what Romana decrees because that is where Joe ordered his reformers -- all eight of them. Back in 1991, I called Donald Gratz when I started the Institute to discuss our Pilates plans. Frankly, it took him a few minutes to connect those weird machines with the Pilates Method. After all, he made maybe one every other month

and he had never even been on one! (He told me that he had never exercised again after he was released in the 40s from the U.S. Army!)

The True Pilates Studio

Predictably, the walls were lined with the photos of Joes body that by now we all have seen hundreds of times. And one of Romana toobut only a head shot for obvious reasons. And then a bonus: prominently displayed was the official notice for the Fall 2008 Romana Pilates Conference in New Orleans. The announcement listed the exercises workshops and their absolute levels of difficulty. This is the educational experience. And then something interesting: a panel discussion of what they can do about the newbies. This, of course, refers to us and anyone else who hasnt drunk the Kool-aide.

An Expensive Pilates Lesson

I couldnt resist their attitude and decided on the spot to take a lesson despite the 80 Euros fee, made worse by the weak dollar-Lehman Bothers had failed the day before. But, what the hellwhen in Rome do as the Romans do So I was introduced to my trainera fit-looking guy in his thirties who asked only ONE question: What was my Pilates Level??? So as not to freak him out, I replied Intermediate. Immediately we were off and running!! No bothersome questions about my body injuries, issues, or even goals. In fact, no one even LOOKED at my body. What happened instead was that I was given the exact same lesson I did 40 years ago in New Yorkproof positive that my body was unchanged in 4 decades. Nothing different from that original routine, one flexion exercise after another including Stomach Massage Round Back with heavy resistance-- which I need like

another lawsuit. The lesson was 30 minutes on the Reformer; 10 minutes on the Mat; 10 on the Cadillac; and then 10 at the wall. Boom, boom, boom! One exercise after anotherthe only cues being to tighten my ass or suck in my stomach. When I purposely hunched my shoulders, no one noticed. And I mean no one, including, but not limited to my teacher. Since this studio is the Roman Romana Training Center for Italy, some trainees watched. I guess at this point one could think that language was the issue. That no one could give me sufficient cues in English. Nope. One of the trainees was an American now living in Rome and the others and the teacher spoke English. The studio had few clients even though the place had three separate rooms stocked with plenty of equipment. I walked in and had a lesson immediately with a Certified (Level 5) trainer. Obviously, he had time on his hands. As always, the owners of these Classical studios rely for revenue on bleeding trainees who must spend years taking lessons. Afterwards, they can give the same workout to clients 40 years older.

Another Opinion
A friend in her 9th decade accompanied me to the studio (and watched the lesson). Although she herself is not a Pilates practitioner, she has observed lessons at the Institute. After we left, she commented that I shouldnt have had to pay full price for a novice trainer. I tried to explain to her the huge ideological split and how their training was different from ours. But my explanation just didnt make any sense to her. As far as she was concerned, the trainer she observed was just inexperienced!

Back in New York

Travel is hard on the body so I was relieved to be back home and in the competent hands of two Pilates teachers trained in the False Pilates. Kristin Hapke and Yuu Fujita recognize that the last thing I need is Stomach Massage. What I need is thoracic extension, weight bearing exercises and rotational movements. The Chair is my mainstay; a little Cadillac and with Tye4 on I get the best connections.

The Trademark Lawsuit

After 10 years and millions of dollars of legal expense and stress, the Pilates trademark was invalidated and removed from the U.S. trademark register. Most people dont know that this is practically a miraclenot the Eternal City definition of miraclesbut in the hard-nosed Government in league with Big Business sense. Because the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is essentially self-supporting, they dont often mess with the money stream. Since businesses pay for trademarks, if the Feds take their money and then later take back the goods well, you see the problem. After Judge Cedarbaums October 2000 landmark decision in our favor, lawyers on both sides analyzed the details and the conclusion was pretty much that Romana lost it for her side. Despite numerous legal prep sessions, she just couldnt wrap her mind around the legal definition of generic. To her mind, generic was the cheap shampoo, the store brand. Now after my Roman holiday, I kind of get it. She really does offer a generic-type of Pilates. One size fits all. It is easy to imagine that if the trademark had been upheld that franchising Pilates would have been feasible. Every client doing Intermediate Level would be at the same exercise everywhere at exactly 10 minutes past the hour.

Of course, all of this is history, but unlike in Rome, its not ancient history. But it will be. In a recent article about Romana in Pilates Style Magazine some of her groupies commented that in a workshop she doesnt answer questionswhich is true. The reason given was that she wants you to find out the answers yourself. Interesting defense The woman who thought she owned Pilates, and who actually intended to prevent anyone from even teaching Short Spine unless they did it her way, is just not talking.