Pilates and the ELEPHANT in the room

/ True Pilates Sydney Studio/
Image sourced from www.designedalliance.com — a coaching partnership

Image sourced from www.designedalliance.com — a coaching partnership

Okay — lets get controversial. Having tried many years at being PC — acknowledging different schools and approaches, I am finally at the conclusion that diplomacy shouldn’t excuse inaccuracy and/or poor instruction.

"— certifications are fast becoming a matter of convenience and mediocrity."

The popularity of Pilates has given rise to a market that is flooded with poorly trained instructors. With organisations in the business of making money opposed to maintaining the integrity of the Pilates method — certifications are fast becoming a matter of convenience and mediocrity.

“…the dilution of the method becomes systemic.”

At the heart of it — having gone through rigorous training and examinations for my own certification with over 1000 hours of combined study, teaching and training to become a certified instructor. And now with continued training both in Sydney and New York, I’ve grown tired of being bundled with Pilates instructors that have received certifications through quick start courses.

I understand mediocrity can be subjective but when the market is flooded with instructors teaching an incomplete system of Pilates, the dilution of the method becomes systemic.

Maybe I’m too much of a purist. But I think its time someone exposed the elephant in the room and have a higher regard and standard of teaching the Pilates methodology.

/ True Pilates Sydney Studio/ / Comment
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Yung Ok Yoo

I spent most of my academic years studying Fine Art in various disciplines. I completed my Post graduate in Visual Arts majoring in Photography and minored in drawing. I continued this line of study into Visual Comunication and further my art skill base with Jewellery and Object making. During this time, I worked on commissioned paintings for corporate, commercial environments as an Interior consultant and decorator to which I also was commissioned to paint for for Private collections. My historical professional background stemmed in the hospitality industry - where I managed restaurants. It was during this time that I found Pilates having injured my back at work. In 2008, I started my apprenticeship under the tutelage of Master Teacher trainer Cynthia Lochard (2nd Generation teacher). My training was rigorous with culmative observational hours, training and practiced teaching of over 1000 hours before certifying. Since my Pilates certification in 2009, I maintain my weekly session with Cynthia Lochard and travel to New York every two years (most recently October 2014) to partake in intensive training at the Head Quarters for Romana's Pilates at True Pilates New York originally know as Drago's. It is here, I continue my tutelage with Master Teacher Trainers Jerome Weinberg & Cynthia Shipley who worked closely with the late Romana Kryzanowska herself. In NYC - October 2014 - I also had a chance to work with Peter Fiasca Founder of Classical Pilates. As well as NYC, I have travelled to Singapore, Paris, London and trained with international teachers. In 2013, I opened True Pilates Sydney Studio, because I felt there were very few Pilates studios in Sydney that focused on the True Pilates Method - hence I named the studio 'True Pilates Sydney'. Through my own teachings I hope to inspire, train and educate others in the art of Pilates as I have been inspired in my own training and journey.