Caged Lion<br>John S. & Kristi C.<br>Discussion 4140

Caged Lion
John S. & Kristi C.
Discussion 4140

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Deanna
Thank you Kristi and PA for creating this Legacy Series. Read this book in 2 days!!!  I couldn't put it down. Thank you John for sharing a piece of your history with us. Through your story, I felt like I have a sense of who Joe was and I sensed the passion that he breathed into his method of movement. My passion for Pilates has been ignited that much more. 
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I don't care about who is right and who is wrong ... I read a lot of books about Pilates to understand the work better and nobody could make it more understandable than Mr. Steel! 
If anyone would like to know the facts and not the bunk Mr. Steel writes in this book I have been doing weekly IG live which I call Debunking the Pilates Bull every Monday where I provide the actual documents (some with his signature on them) to show that what he wrote is not backed up by the primary source historical documents. It is clear he lied in his deposition and to the judge in the court case when he said Joe did not have a will and so much more that he writes is just not accurate, or what actually happened. With so much in the book that is clearly not what the documents show how can anything in the book be considered as what happened? It seems he just made things up to sell a book. You can see past weeks at my IG account @seangallagher3262. John I'd love to have you come on any time.
(Edited by Moderator - Kristi Cooper on January 4, 2021)
Hi Sean, 
We typically don't allow advertising in our forums but something tells me if I remove it, it will simply spur you on so I will leave it and wish you the best on speaking your truth. I'll add, the information you have in your archives is fascinating and from what I've seen tells an interesting and clear story. I have enjoyed the classes I have taken from you.
Though I've said this before, John Steel's perspective is one that cannot be anything other than true because it is his perspective. Sticking with your example here, when John says "Joe left Clara with nothing," that is and was his perspective based on his relationship with Clara and the subsequent assistance three individuals offered her. Perhaps she didn't need the help, but from John's perspective she did. 
Interesting that you say you don't allow advertising but isn't that what your doing for Mr. Steel when interviewing for his book. As for your comment as to His perspective as to "Joe Left Clara with Nothing" He was instrumental in the sale of the business and well as the property in Becket which between the two netted over $36,000 (which come out to about $285,000.00 in today's dollars) plus since he left her everything in his will he states in his book Ron Fletcher paid $5000.00 a month( in today dollars that is equivalent to over $36,000.00)  to Clara (yeah that didn't happen) so by his perspective I would say Joe left her a lot. But then that's not my perspective it's just shows that what he wrote just isn't supported by the facts and the documents and reality. And like I said above if so much of what he wrote is clearly just made up how can anything in the book be taken as what happened? Flawed perspective based on poor memory is not history! Promoting it as such is sad!
The difference between telling people where to find the actual history through documents that I present for free in my IG live is advertising how? Isn't that just providing the other side of the story? Maybe you'd rather have Mr. Steel and myself in an interview where I can bring the documents that show that so much of what he wrote is misleading, wrong or that he lied to the Judge during the trademark case about Joe not having a will? That way your members can then get both perspectives and decide what one to believe, as his biased and made up stories in his book are very misleading and it would be sad if pilates teachers read his book thinking that is the history when it is not and then repeating the stories as fact. We have to much of that already in the community that is propagated by certain companies and organizations to promote their agendas. 
Let me know would be happy to bring primary documents, photo's, etc. to clearly show the history and not a perspective.
Pam E
So fascinating. I just ordered the Kindle version. This guys is entertaining as heck and this story is fascinating.  Thank you 
Shireen K
Thank you for the interview. I just finished reading the book and came here to look for more discussion on the book. I thought the book was fantastic; I couldn't put it down. Not only full of interesting stories about Pilates the man and his method but an insider look how Pilates became what it is today. I daresay I will read it again at some point. While the book attempted to unravel the history of Joe and the development of the exercises, I was left asking more questions. If Joe developed his exercises while in a prison cell, those exercises don't happen in a vacuum. He must have had some prior physical training which led me to wonder if Pilates had military training in Germany as a young man? Was Joe a Nazi soldier at one time which is something he would want to keep quiet in post-WWII America?
Also, if he didn't use hospital springs as a proto-reformer, how did he develop the idea of  the reformer?
We will probably never know...
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