Moshe Feldenkrais 
(1904-1984)

Founder of The Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education, Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais was a noted scientist and active Martial Artist. He received degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering, had a D.Sc. in Physics from the Sorbonne in Paris, and he worked in the French nuclear research program with Joliot-Curie.

Dr. Feldenkrais was a Martial Artist and studied with Jigoro Kano, the originator of Judo. In 1936 he was honored as one of the first Europeans to earn a black belt in Judo and began teaching. He published articles about Judo, a self-defense manual, and a book in 1952 entitled Higher Judo. His Martial Art knowledge greatly influenced the movement sequences and patterns of what would become Awareness Through Movement lessons.

Movement, physics, neurology, learning from the perspective of human function all motivated Dr. Feldenkrais to investigate his own healing process when he was debilitated with chronic knee injuries. Like many somatic innovators, Feldenkrais used himself to create a future method of learning and recovery. He was not satisfied with the medical options given to him so he investigated his movement so he could walk without pain and properly function. His Martial Art students took notice of his work and asked to be taught what he was doing which evolved into one of the great somatic methods of today. 

Due to the great demand and interest in his modality, Dr. Feldenkrais conducted three professional training sessions during the last 13 years of his life. Feldenkrais published many books, some of them being; Body and Mature Behavior, The Potent Self, Awareness Through Movement, The Case of Nora, and The Elusive Obvious.

Dr. Feldenkrais was a brilliant forward thinker who left behind an outstanding body of work which continues to thrive today. There are thousands of Feldenkrais practitioners who have gone through extensive training so they too may pass along this dynamic learning modality called The Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education.