Moshe Feldenkrais was born in Russia and later emigrated to Palestine and earned his PhD in physics from the Sorbonne in Paris, where he was a close associate of Joliot-Curie at the Curie Institute in Paris. He was one of the first Europeans to earn a black belt in judo and also studied with Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo. 

With his rigorous grounding in physics, biomechanics and judo combined together with his love of learning and studies of human development he created this method of somatic education, after suffering from a serious injury. 

He authored several influential books on his method and was one of the pioneers of neuroplasticity, now backed up by science. His work has influenced diverse fields including wellbeing, healthcare, neurology, psychology, performing arts, sports, rehabilitation and many more.