Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984)

Early Life

Moshe Feldenkrais spent his youth in his birthplace of Slavuta in the Ukraine. He immigrated to Israel when he was only 14 years old and worked his way through high school. He graduated in 1925 and began working as a cartographer for the armed forces. He was an avid soccer player and learned the art of jju jitsu while in Israel. He studied engineering in France and went on to pursue his Doctor of Science in the same field at the Sorbonne, where he studied under Marie Cure. Feldenkrais continued to practice martial arts and began to study under Jigoro Kano in 1933. He developed a close friendship with Kano, who is known as the founder of judo, and went on to become a second degree black belt. He was one of the founders of the Jju Jitsu Club de France, a prominent martial arts school that remains active today.

Professional Life   

In 1940, Feldenkrais left France and went to Britain to avoid the German invasion. He served as a science officer in the Admiralty until 1946, where he worked on anti-submarine weaponry in Scotland. During this time, he was implemental in teaching martial arts self-defense tactics to his peers. While on deck of a submarine, Feldenkrais exacerbated a previous soccer injury on his knee and chose to self-rehabilitate rather than undergo surgery. The self-awareness and examination that he used to recover would later form the basis of the Feldenkrais Method.

Feldenkrais moved into the private sector when he returned to London and remained active in the Judo community. He eventually published his introduction to the Feldenkrais Method, Body and Mature Behavior: A Study of Anxiety, Sex, Gravitation and Learning. He later returned to Israel and left the army to focus his efforts on advancing his method.

Contribution to Psychology

The Feldenkrais Method was developed by Moshe Feldenkrais as a way to decrease pain or restrictive movements through self-awareness. The technique is based on the belief that the body and mind can benefit from increased functionality through inner awareness. Feldenkrais used his engineering and martial arts expertise to explore self-education of the physical to achieve more flexible minds and bodies. The Feldenkrias method uses the nervous system’s own capacity to affect change and facilitate movement. This technique integrates bio-mechanics, psychology, martial arts, and motor skills to increase coordination and flexibility. The two most commonly practiced forms of the Feldenkrais Method are Awareness Through Movement and Functional Integration.