Irene & Mike Do Pilates 1020 Where It All Began

Today a and I had our ever first Pilates class and it was one with a difference!

Some 100 years after its creator Joseph of the same name developed what he at the time labelled 'Contrology,' while interned at Knockaloe, near Peel, 1020 of us gathered to exercise in the very same part of the field where it all began.

Born in Germany in 1883 to a German mother who was a naturopath and a Greek father, a gymnast, his early years were blighted by asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever, leading to a lifetime dedicated to improving his physical strength and fitness.

He formed a belief that modern living, bad posture and inefficient breathing were at the root of poor health.

His father had introduced him to gymnastics, body building, boxing and martial arts such as jiu jitsu and by 1912 he had emigrated to United Kingdom where he became a professional boxer, circus performer and trained the Police in self defence.

Despite having worked at Scotland Yard, he was first interned at Lancaster, then Isle Of Man, one of 30,000 to be held during that period.

Boredom was the main enemy of the men in the camp but Joseph used his time to study yoga and the movement of the Manx cats and other
animals and he had a captive audience to test his techniques and regime.
He moved back to Hamburg following his release but disillusioned with the political and sociological landscape at the time, set off for New York, meeting his future wife on the sea passage. They set up a studio, soon establishing a major following within the performing arts and dance community.

Knockaloe Mooar Beg farm became the biggest detention centre in the British Isles, becoming a small town, being three miles in circumference, guarded by 4,000 old soldiers and served by 250 locals with 695 miles of barbed wire surrounding the 23 compounds.

It even had its own railway line, the 1:20 gradient being the steepest on the Island, thus requiring a mighty engine, The Caledonia.

However, looking at the area now, there is virtually no clue of what was once there but a group of enthusiastic locals has banded together to rectify the situation by turning the former Patrick School into a visitor centre and setting up a brilliant website www.knockaloe.im

The concept for the event was a both to act as publicity for Pilates, the history of Knockaloe, as well as being a fundraiser because the condition of building isn't very good and will need lots of money.

The 1020 was the number of internees held in the one quarter of the field we were in.