The Ron Fletcher Pilates Method
While Ron Fletcher was not the originator of Pilates, he was the main force behind promoting and popularizing what he calls “Body Contrology.” The unique branding by Ron Fletcher of Joseph Pilates’ technique made Pilates a household name. With the addition of Fletcher’s enhancements of body movement through his newly coined reference, Body Contrology, Pilates was elevated to an artistic level of movement.
During his world travels, Ron Fletcher was quick to correct peoples’ misconception about the Pilates method when they referred to it as an exercise regimen, which it is not. [Pilates is] “an art and it’s a science and it’s a study of movement.”
After the death of Joseph Pilates in 1967, Ron Fletcher was encouraged to teach The Pilates Method, which he formerly began doing in Beverly Hills, California. The popularity of his teaching and studio was an instant success that grew both nationwide and internationally.
Dr. James Garrick, an eminent surgeon and head of the Sports Medicine Department and Dance Rehabilitation Division at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco, was so impressed with Pilates he asked Ron Fletcher to open a Pilates training facility at the hospital.
Learning proper Body Contrology is not an overnight process, and not without effort on the part of the student. However, when one realizes success in any movement and proper breathing techniques, the feeling can be almost euphoric. The proper movement is artistic, with total body control evolving into a fluid and rhythmic motion.
Today, the Pilates method of Body Contrology is popular throughout the world, thanks not only to its originator, Joseph Pilates, but also to the continued innovative methodologies by Ron Fletcher and his furthering the “Art of Body Contrology.”
