There is a black screen so cannot follow!

Claude~ It sounds like you are watching this video in Auto-Detect, a video viewing option located below the video screen, and that your internet connection may be just allowing for sound to reach you. I would try watching this in Low, another video viewing option located below the video screen, and see if you get an image there. Please email contact@pilatesanytime.com if you continue having problems.

This was great is there a fuller version somewhere or to follow ? X

HI Laura ~ What do you mean by fuller version? Do you want more description or is that you want to see it in a class?

Dear Monica and Kristi
Just wanted to say a big thank you for all the inspiration! I am just a few months qualified and really enjoying adding to and fleshing out my exercise rep and cueing from watching and taking your classes/tutorials.
I miss my studio where I trained so much and I think having this online resource has been a so valuable to keep the creativity flowing. Brilliant
Vida

Hi Monica:what I am wondering is how much movement is acceptable in the upper body with sidekick? I realize that the torso is stabilizing so that the legs get the correct work. But when I watch kristi and other advanced teachers do this exercise there still seems to be some movement in the upper body. Also as my clients tend to be in their 40's and up I let them bend the bottom leg to provide more stability rather than both legs together and slightly forward. Do you do this with people just starting out?

Hi Lynn, I know you're not asking me, but I'd love to weigh in on this question if you don't mind... I typically teach the exercise "attempting" to stabilize the trunk so the leg can move freely. This is the most common way to learn the exercise. The idea is that if you can anchor or stabilize yourself at one end, the other end becomes free. Within this situation you will have adaptations (some small movements) or balancing that must occur in the upper body, but if the goal is to stabilize or anchor there shouldn't compensatory (big movements) upper body movement. What you saw me doing was either....

... bad form or me intentionally allowing the side kick to be a full body motion more similar to how we see Joseph Pilates teach it. This is a way I would teach it if I had more advanced students in the room. The challenge being "Can I really throw the leg through flexion and extension seemingly out of control in that my whole body moves, yet still be in control of it?! " In other words, sometimes, many of us believe it is good to challenge our bodies is less "mechanistic" ways. Sometimes its good to see what your body can handle unexpectedly. I remember when this lesson sank in for me. I was taking a class from Niedra Gabriel. I'll look for it, because I know it's on PA, but it was a long time ago. It was also the day I realized that the videos of Joe tossing the leg around wasn't because "he didn't know" what we know today, it was because they could! Having said all that, its very possible I was being sloppy on the day you watched

Here is some footage of Joseph teaching at Jacob's Pillow. If you go to about the 1:28 minute mark you can see him doing the Side Kick..

Jacob's Pillow

Hi Lynn, Sorry it has taken me almost 3 weeks to get back to you...I was enjoying the holidays a bit too much:) Kristi, Thank you so much for replying earlier! I do agree full heartedly with Kristi's explanation. Romana had a wonderful way of teaching us how to practice precision while keeping the movement natural. Keeping the 6 Principles of Pilates in mind (Control, Centering, Concentration, Precision, Breathing and Flow) I would say it is important to concentrate on using our Powerhouse to center ourselves in order to keep control of the movement and therefore execute the exercise with precision.