Moshe Feldenkrais: “I Have No Interest In The Guild.”
“My business is to record what people say, but I am by no means bound to believe it.” – Herotodus, 2nd century AD, The Histories, (VII.152).
On my computer, I came across this little quote from Bill Callison that I pulled off the web a number of months ago. I’ve been told that Bill is the person who brought the successful suit against the german feldenkrais guild to challenge their service marks. Bill has an interesting perspective on Moshe’s thoughts about the guild:
Moshé had no interest in the incorporation process, and not very much interest in the “Guild“ activities in the years following. I have a letter from Moshé, stating his unwillingness to give time to an organization, members accepted, no matter how ineffective. With Moshé working hard and travelling, he did not want to waste time with the “confusion”, common to the “guild”, with several factions, wanting to control and influence the “guilds” activities.
Of course, it’s nothing more than hearsay…unless Bill can produce the letter he says Moshe wrote. I would love to see it and will publish it in its entirety if anyone has a copy.
Bill’s image of Moshe is quite different than what others have presented. For example, Paul Rubin and David Zemach Bersin have created a Moshe Feldenkrais who agrees 100% with their current positions (and their bank accounts) regardless of the fact that Moshe has been dead for over 25 years.
Here are a few examples back to the time of the “Anat Baniel Lawsuit.” Just like Bill did, Anat won her lawsuit.
From: David Zemach-Bersin, 11/18/99
“I want you all to know that Moshe very much desired that his work and the words associated with his work be legally protected, and that he wanted and entrusted the Guild to protect them. This was Moshe’s expressed wish. He was also vitally involved in the formation of the Guild and wanted a strong Guild to act on behalf of his wishes.”
So the Guild is acting on Moshe “expressed” wishes as conveyed by David Bersin, former Guild President. Just out of curiousity – Can David show us where Moshe expressed those wishes? In recently years, David Bersin, like Paul Rubin has done, has begun focusing on science and stressing scientific evidence for “the method.” Perhaps in that spirit he could show some evidence of “Moshe’s expressed wish?”
Here’s an illustrative quote from Paul Rubin:
“Moshe explicitly asked us in 1976 and 1977 to form a guild to regulate the future of the work. I know because I was on the committee that he empowered to create and present the by-laws to him. I was also selected by him to be a member of the first Board of Directors in 1975. Moshe himself served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for his lifetime. Because of this, I had many discussions with Moshe about the need for and the proper form of, yes, regulation and control of the future of the work. He absolutely recognised that there was a need for regulation and control to prevent people from usurping the use of the terms we now protect.” (1998).
“I know because I was there”! Isn’t that a hoot? Several people have attributed the idea of a creation of a guild to Dub Leigh, not Moshe Feldenkrais. If Paul Rubin is going to make these blanket phrases of speaking for Moshe, he needs to provide some evidence.
For those of you who are unaware, there is a great deal more to the creation of the guild than you know or have been told. And I’m sorry to say that there is a great deal more that many don’t have the courage to see. I’m often surprised at the way that guild members mentally avert their eyes to not see or consider that which contradicts what they have been told. For the insecure the need to belong often trumps the need to be aware and know the truth.
The Problem
The real problem is not what Moshe did or didn’t think or what he did or didn’t want. He is dead and can’t be consulted.
The problem is that people such as David Zemach Bersin, Paul Rubin and others are promoting and idea that has a deadly presupposition. They are implying Moshe had a hand in creating the system that we have today. That is simply not true.
Every legal and political restriction that we have in the Guild today comes not from Moshe Feldenkrais but from his students. To say that Moshe wanted his work “protected”, as David Bersin asserts is not to say that he wanted the guild to do so nor that he thought that the guild could do so. Nor is to say that he wanted or devised the laborious 20+ year process for certifying others to train using his work. Or that wanted his materials locked up behind restrictive legal and bureaucratic handcuffs.
Would Moshe be hellbent on keeping the Amhest video out of the hands of the public? Would he be shocked that 25 years after the Amherst training that the materials are still not easily accessible? Would he have wanted the Alexander Yanai sessions to cost $1000 and only be available to practitioners? Would he be surprised that the many FGNA trainers have spent most of the last 25 years merely imitating him and the last training that he conducted at Amherst?
Again – the man is dead. We can’t ask him. The honest thing to do is for David Bersin and Paul Rubin is to shut the hell up and stop using the cult-like technique of saying that they are the representatives of a dead man. And the intelligent thing – for you who say you care about the work – is to challenge these people when they put forth their bullshit about doing Moshe’s bidding.
Moshe is dead. But the restrictive monopolistic guild system where the money flows directly to private training institutes is not. These people have their interests protected not only by the Guilds, but also by the members whose dues who pay for the guild to do so. Guild members pay for a system that discriminates against them and keeps training ridiculously expensive and out of the reach of the public. Assistant trainers are stuck at the assistant trainer level. New trainers are not being certified. New training models are not being developed. The work is stagnated and the guild is dying.
But of course, Moshe made it clear 25 years ago that this is exactly how it should be and how he wanted it. Just ask two of the original apostles David and Paul.
Hi Ryan,
Just a point of clarification, to the best of my knowledge Anat did not “win” the lawsuit. Rather, there was a settlement agreed to by both parties.
Be well!
People like David Benzin and P. Rubin are not “protecting”, but have killed the method of Moshe Feldenkrais!
In 1985 I was asked by David in a letter sent to me if I could make an exchane of Feldenkrais materials with him by which I shall give him written translation of several hunderds from the ATM’s I recorded with the tacit Moshe’s permition,between 1972 and 1981, and he will give me. . . his book “Relaxercising” and five DC workshops of Moshe from 1981!!!
Of course I didn’t accept. The Workshops I could by from Baruch, Moshe’s brother, in 1985 for 150$ each.
By the way “relaxericsing” Moshe says that relaxed doesn’t exist in life, but only a bull shit can be relaxt until it drys up, and his method is not providing exercises, but movements for self-awareness, movements which in themselves have no meaning. He said that exercising is a problem for life, because it enforces the feeling of being not enough good and the need to “exercise”. As Michel announced his intention to publish AY ATM’s some senior trainers expressed their fear of not more having what to teach, because the main part of the method could then be bought by eversone. Is that a protection of the method???
Recently I got a questionary, pretty absurd, to be answered if I wish to behold my assistant-trainer title. I yet didn’t answer and don’t think I will ever answer. Whom shal I assist??? Those who knew about Moshe only five or eight years after I have already did Feldenkrais many hours daily in Alexander Yanai, in weekly FI’s by Feldenkrais, Yochannan, Gabi and Eli? From the last one I learned, btw, how one should not treat. May be he progressed meanwhile…
The story is very long and now it is very late, here, in Germany.
I will continue other time.
Paul Doron
Thanks Paul – I agree. “Protecting” the work to Paul and David is mainly protecting their own monopoly and financial interests. And they have striven for many years to sideline anyone who did not fit their “mold.” It’s a tragedy for nearly everyone.
- Ryan
Hi,
This commentary is so good It was a relief to read it.
Hi Ryan: The obstacles one has to go through in order to become a trainer are of course awfully obstructive, and to my mind counter productive on several fronts, but i won’t go into details now. Most of the San F. trainers became trainers in half the time or less than what is required today, and some among them were the ones who determined the new criteria while constantly raising the ladder. Yes, that could be construed as self serving. An element of hubris accompanied this matter in that one can infer that those who created the barriers viewed themselves as superior – superior in the sense that defacto they could become trainers in 7-8-9 years while all the others who may have aspired were only half as talented, able, smart, knowledgeable or whatever…another factor that may have emerged is that once they achieved their positions they realized that they were not truly prepared or smart as they believed themselves to be and in order to raise standards ( and protect the future of the work…) they made the process much more difficult. The more honorable action they should have taken would have been to demote themselves to stay assistant trainers and apply the new elevated criteria to themselves…Hubris ambition and turf dictated otherwise. Aside from that, The issue of assistant trainers is a vexing one given the complete change in the way trainings are organized and run, as well as the changed the economic realities. IMO the pathway should be a direct one :: practitioner to Trainer – but that discussion is for another time.is However, despite the difficulties, trainers are being accredited, your blanket statement to the contrary is unsupported.
Moshe authorized Jerry Karzen & Anat to be trainers within a very short period post their training. His criteria, I presume, were based upon quality. He saw in each of them the ability to be trainers, (this is aside from whatever personal considerations he may have had in his relationships with both of them, respectively. Also, he had authorized Mia to run training programs earlier, but then again, he was the committee of one…
Robbie
Robbie – Thanks for your comments. I very much appreciate them.
My comment about trainers not being certified is largely statistical – there are a few new ones – you, Aliza….and I presume a few others? But compared to the number of Assistant trainers and others who are qualified to train…the number is quite low?
That was my main point – new trainers, new training programs and a clear pathway to both would be quite a boon in my opinion.
Just a few quick thoughts. Would like to know how accurate my thoughts are in your view.
cheers! – Ryan
Hi Allegra – Thanks. I may respond in detail in blog post. Technically, you are correct. The lawsuit was settled out of court and no one “won.” (I suppose we could argue that no one ever truly wins in these situations.
Anat did seem to get a good deal of what she wanted. She was able to conduct her trainings under the relaxed guidelines that she wanted and such. And – in my view – the guild left a big gaping hole regarding the service marks. If they did truly own them and could prove so, why settle at all?
I’m mainly asking rhetorical questions based on my layman’s reading of some of the court documents.
I think the guild will be stronger and better served when the marks are used more equitably (or modified) and when the primary focus in not legal restrictions but community – when we welcome all our “family” and yes, their “children” into the fold – even the black sheep. To that end I will do my best to know exactly what happened and publish it widely.
The power of awareness to enact change is not domain specific – it’s not just about movement and self. We can add political awareness, guild awareness, awareness of where we have been and where we are going.
We can know where we stand in the physical sense, in the emotional sense, in the legal sense, the organizational sense…
and re-organize for greater efficiency in all areas.
Those days are coming. That’s my belief.
Be well – Ryan
Ryan,
This is just human, phantastic and real what you write here:
The power of awareness to enact change is not domain specific – it’s not just about movement and self. We can add political awareness, guild awareness, awareness of where we have been and where we are going.
We can know where we stand in the physical sense, in the emotional sense, in the legal sense, the organizational sense…
and re-organize for greater efficiency in all areas.
Those days are coming. That’s my belief.
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Paul Doron