I can’t speak for others (I’m trying not to now that I’m 40) … so I’ll just discuss TMRACADEMY and what we are trying to offer the world. 

I am 100% a believer in the Pilates Method. I also have other passions …. Gyrotonic, dance, the Franklin Method, discovering my feet, ageing softly in my body …. music… colour, a nice breeze. While I’m into Pilates in a big way and that’s primarily what I sell at the studio and in a teacher training course, I definitely have other influences in my life. When I teach Pilates within a course … I stick to what Joe made and how it was enhanced by the first generation teachers and their devotees. I don’t bring my other interests in and present it as the Pilates Method. This happens a lot in bigger courses and can lead to graduates not really knowing what Pilates is or having an employable skill-set upon graduation.

Similarly, we don’t actually know how JHP taught the work on a deep level. How did he or Clara encourage someone to ‘Swan’ well? Maybe it was blindness repetition and negative reinforcement or a lingering scrub in the shower … who knows? 

What TMRA offers the community is a product that is entirely rooted in the Original work. We identify as small c-classical because big C classical kind of infers the Romana’s Pilates brand. It can mean working out a particular way (the way Joe taught Romana), using Gratz equipment and so the story goes. I’m not here to demonise Romana, I never met her, I probably would have enjoyed her company and she created many wonderful teachers who I respect dearly. 

But the fun of being small c-classical … is that as far as Pilates goes… Joe’s writing and archive are my teacher; there’s no one else for me to answer to. No big brand.  Where possible, I find and present alternative archival options of the work in my manuals and online platform for teachers and state the difference between the archival option and another lineage. 

We offer our courses in modular fashion for those who have the interest or limited resources. You can thread some or all of the  modules together when the time is right for you into the comprehensive certification … or just jump into it from the outset. 

Our training days … they are full-on. It’s a supportive environment BUT you need to rock up prepared. We ask you to spend at least three months with the digital resources learning the details of the exercises on your own (hopefully you’ve been doing quality Pilates for years) before starting our courses. This way, we will refine, develop and discuss how the exercises are working for you and what to look for in a client body using the face to face days as teacher development. 

We offer payment plans so that you can study and better yourself without ruining cash flow.

In terms of the apprentice period … We are available as much as or as little as you like because we believe that there are many ways to support a great teacher. Some will want to live at the studio and some act as a lone wolf, attending the face to face weekends, working online and the presenting for assessments. 

This is how we try to bring Pilates to the people. We are clear about what IS Pilates and how we can change the previously harsh course conditions to suit your lifestyle. This way, you can succeed and get into teaching Pilates with confidence and curiosity AND our industry is filled with teachers who know their stuff. 

Train with us in-person! 

Our next Melbourne course begins in September 2022, one evening per week until we get the material done. Perth is offering two intakes of the course this year, get in touch by the form below … https://themovementrefinery.com.au/about-us

Train online?
Sign up to your first module here: https://tmracademy.teachable.com

Nicholas