If you are a cigar lover, or if you know someone who is, then you have probably heard plenty about the amazing allure of Cuban cigars. As a matter of fact, many people who have absolutely no interest in cigars still have heard about how great these cigars actually are. A big reason why these cigars get talked about so much is that they truly are the best cigars in the world. There is not one thing wrong about these cigars and everything about them is right. This means that they are perfectly rolled, they smell terrific, and they also have an amazing flavor.

Another reason why these cigars are so well known is because of the tumultuous history behind them. Even if you were not alive in the early sixties, you have probably heard plenty of the stories.

Here are the basics about the history of Cuban cigars. To begin with, the embargo on Cuba was instituted by President Kennedy in 1963, and it was done in order to protect the U.S.

at a very scary time. Even if you were not yet born, you have probably heard about the Cuban Missile Crisis. This was a time when Americans were scared that Communism was going to take over. While everyone is thankful that this never happened, many Americans back then took this as a real threat, and the possibility of another war seemed very likely. This is why Kennedy had to go ahead and stop all trade with Cuba. This is what an embargo is, by the way. It places a stop to all trade.

While everyone understands why Kennedy had to place the embargo on Cuba, many people got angry anyway. AT this point, you can probably guess why they were angry. These angry Americans were lovers of Cuban cigars, and they knew that this embargo meant that they could no longer legally have the cigars.

This doesn’t stop these people from finding ways to get the cigars anyway. As a matter of fact, there were whole black market businesses constructed simply to give cigar lovers their precious cigars from Cuba. Nowadays things have loosened up a little.

As a matter of fact, it is not actually illegal to have Cuban cigars. It’s important to note that if you privately have some cigars, you will probably not be fined. It’s only the large businesses that sell the cigars en masse who are fined. For the most part, however, you are risking very little if you happen to get your hands on a cigar from Cuba.

If you’re interested in reading more about the aficionado lifestyle associated with Cuban cigars and learn everything you ever wanted to know about cigars, then I highly recommend you visit the website below. It’s been a great source of information, advice and irresistible cigar specials to me for the past 10 years.

You can view this website now by clicking this link: http://www.cigarexport.com/

For many cigar smokers, the small paper band encircling their stogy is just a piece of trash, to be discarded along with the shrinkwrap around the box. But for others that cigar band is a bit of history – a collectible that adds immeasurably to the romance and mystique of smoking.

What is the cigar band, and how did it become so important? As is so often true when it comes to cigars, the story begins in Cuba – early-19th-century Cuba, to be exact, when that island nation had already come to be recognize as the cigar capital of the world. At that time cigar packaging was minimal – often no more than a wooden barrel or box, with the manufacturer’s name inscribed. The cigars themselves were generally left blank. This situation, not surprisingly, created a cheat’s paradise, in which cheap European cigars were bundled in boxes with “Cuban” markings on them and sold, domestically, to unsuspecting customers who thought they were getting fine imported Cubans.

Gustave Bock, a Dutch immigrant who owned a cigar factory in Cuba in the 1830s, is credited with being the first to place a paper band around his cigars. (Bock’s “cigar band” was just a paper ring with his signature on it.)

Many other makers adopted this practice, to the point where, by 1855, most Cuban cigar exporters were using them. These bands cut down on instances of counterfeiting while giving cigar manufacturers a way to increase name recognition and loyalty.

The practice spread from Cuba to cigar makers everywhere, and its popularity was encouraged by breakthroughs in printing technology, which developed alongside changes in the economy of Europe and the Americas that favored cigar smoking. Specifically, cheap color printing (through chromolithographic processes developed in Germany) was made widely available during the latter part of the century, and paper-embossing followed in the 1880s.

Between the expansion of the cigar industry and the new possibilities developed by the printing industry, a “Golden Age” of cigar advertising was almost guaranteed, and that’s what followed. Cigar makers began working not only to manufacture their cigars, but to differentiate their products from others. The late 19th and early 20th centuries featured elaborate, distinctive cigar box and cigar band artwork, often produced by highly-regarded commercial artists. These well-wrought bands featured images of famous figures of the day, historical figures, nationalistic imagery, nature scenes and animals. As with today’s postage stamps, special bands would be made to commemorate special events.

And, also like stamps, the bands had that combination of ephemerality and workmanship that so often draws collectors. While they were often well-made, they weren’t intended to last – so they gave collectors a challenge, as baseball cards, comic books and cheap children’s toys would later in the 20th century. And they always gave off a whiff of nostalgia, reminding dedicated smokers of good times shared with a cigar and a friend.

Children also found these bands attractive, since they were often left discarded on streets during the height of cigar-smoking’s popularity. Manufacturers even made “albums” with blank pages in which a person’s cigar band collection could be displayed – the forerunner of those plastic display sheets that every sports-card collector knows so well.

Adding to the boom in band collecting, some cigar makers gave premiums to customers who turned in a certain number of bands – everything from a set of children’s silverware (50 bands) to a Scientific American subscription (600 bands) to a baby grand piano (180,000), according to the American Cigar Co. catalog of 1904. (Those of you who used to collect Marlboro Miles during the 1990s should be feeling deja vu right about now.)

After World War I, cigars fell in popularity relative to cigarettes. Cigar makers stopped putting as much energy into the production of attractive cigar bands, as it became more necessary to cut costs. Cigar bands – at least in the US – grew generic, boring. The cost cut wasn’t enough – many thousands of cigar companies closed up shop for good in the US during the ’20s and ’30s.

Band collecting continues in the US among a hardy group mostly consisting of old-timers and nostalgia buffs, but in Europe it remains a thriving hobby, and cigar makers there continue to print colorful but cheap bands, some of which come as part of a series (again like stamps), others of which are created specifically for collectors.

Virginia Beach, VA (PRWEB) February 7, 2005

Irish Bear Companies Inc., is pleased to announce its newest partnership venture with Sunbelt, Home and Office Coffee Service, http://HomeCoffeeService.com Irish Bear Companies has been a leader in the Virginia Beach business community. Irish Bear Cigars & Gifts has been serving through its wholesale location in Virginia Beach, VA. This new partnership will see expansion into Baltimore, Catonsville, Ellicott City, and the entire Metro DC, Baltimore Metro area in the very near future.

The home and office coffee delivery service will enhance the ability of Irish Bear Companies Inc., to provide high quality coffee, tea and accessories directly to customers throughout its service area. Founder & CEO James H. Baker, Sr. is excited about the new opportunity this presents, Â?WeÂ?ve provided cigars and gifts through internet, wholesale and retail distribution. The new product line will enhance our ability to provide customers with quality coffee, tea and many other products in small and large quantities as they are needed at reasonable prices.Â?

Mr. Baker is confident that the fifteen-year history of Sunbelt, Home and Office Coffee Services as a leader in the coffee and tea service industry will benefit customers throughout the current distribution area. The expansion areas will soon be able to enjoy the same commitment to customer service that customers have learned to expect from Irish Bears Companies Inc.

Mr. Baker is in the process of taking applications for distribution partners in the Baltimore, Catonsville, Ellicott City, and the entire Metro DC, Baltimore Metro area.

Contact Mr. Baker through Irish Bear Companies, Inc., at 877-766-5460.

To arrange for an interview with Mr. Baker, please send cover letter and resume to: jameshbaker1@cox.net

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The history of smoking pipe use is as diverse as the people who use them for ritual, religious, and spiritual reasons.  The Catholic Church has used incense as part of their ritual of purification for centuries.  Hippocrates of Cos II or Hippokrates of Kos (circa 460 B.C. – circa 370 B.C.), the historic first specialist of scientific medicine, prescribed inhaling for his patients with gynecological infections.  The Romans inhaled the smoke of lavender, mint and oregano.  They used a simple reed or a modified marrow bone as a pipe.  They also used a pipe made of clay.

According to archaeologists and historians, the first pipes were found during a dig in the region of Yorkshire, United Kingdom.  The second pipes that were found were very small and called “elfin pipes.” But, these “finds” were excavated in the 17th century.  The story of the ritual, religious, and spiritual use of the pipe has been traced to before the 15th century A.D.!

In the New World, the Aztecs, Mayans, Toltec, and other Native American cultures for health purposes as well as to celebrate religious and business events.  Africans used tubes to sniff or inhale various types of herbs.  Historians say that the first culture to use tobacco with a pipe-like device for smoking was the Mayans of Mexico and Central America.

Explorers coming to the New World found natives smoking pipes.  In 1519, the Spanish explorer, Cortez reported finding tribes in Mexico smoking from “perfumed reeds.” The French explorer, Jacques Cartier, said that native Canadians in the Northwest using pipe smoking for ritual ceremonies.  In 1559, Spain imported the first tobacco from the New World.  They used tobacco as a medicinal herb and thought that the smoke was good for the lungs when smoked.

Jean Nicot, the French ambassador to Portugal, used tobacco in a powdered form for health reasons like migraines, minor aches, and pains.   During this period, men of the lower classes began to use tobacco in clay pipes for pleasure; however, it was Sir Walter Raleigh who introduced pipe smoking to the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England in 1590.  Raleigh had learned about the pleasurable use of pipe smoking from Ralph Lane, the first Governor of Virginia.  Raleigh helped spread the use of pipe smoking among the fashionable British aristocracy.  England began the production of pipes.

By 1602, pipe smoking had spread all over Europe, India, China and Japan.

A peace pipe is also called a calumet or medicine.  It is a ceremonial smoking pipe used by many Native American peoples.  According to tradition, the pipe is a token of peace.  The bowl of the pipe is usually made from red pipestone.  It has been commonly found in South Dakota.  Warring tribes made this their neutral ground.  Many holy religious ceremonies are done in this neutral area.  A special blend of herbs or tobacco is usually used.  Each regional area uses plants that have special qualities or have been cleared for special use by the various tribes.

The European term “peace pipe” refers to only one type of pipe and one way it was used.  Ceremonial pipes were used by the Lakota Sioux in the New World as a means of sending prayers or wishes.  The construction of the pipe and the smoking mixture is symbolic.  It forms a bridge believed quite important for contacting the spirit world that assists with fate or the end of problem.  The pipe stem symbolizes the male in the world as well as nature.  This is why a piece of fur was often wrapped around the bowl of the pipe.  The female in the world and plant kingdom is represented by the bowl.  The entire pipe (bowl and stem) is the genesis of the World.

The burning tobacco in the pipe allows prayers to come to the attention of the forces of the Higher Power.  Traditionally, pipes have been adorned with feathers, fur, animal hair, bird wings, plants, beadwork, quills, carvings and other items of personal significance to the owner.

Peace pipes come in many sizes:  palm sized, short, round, and horn shaped.  They have carefully carved into animal or human configurations.  There are short and long pipes.  The two foot long pipes are actually feathered reeds ending in an upright rather than a round bowl.  There are many individual uses of the pipe; therefore, there is no one way that cultures conduct their rituals.

Lakota tradition explains that White Buffalo Calf Woman is the aboriginal source of the pipe.  It instructs the Lakota people to keep the stem upward during rites and rituals.  Thus is constructed the holy bond between this and Wakan Tanka, the creator’s world.

There are personal family pipes.  The Sacred Pipes are not just ordinary pipes.  Rather, a real Sacred Pipe is a variety of objects.  They are used in coordination with ceremonial songs, dances, prayers, and even silence.  These pipes change all the time.

A milder form of tobacco used in commercial tobacco was widely used by the North American native tribes.  It was (and is) considered by these tribes to be a sacred plant.  Often it was cultivated separately from other plants.  There were a great number of ceremonies using specific rituals for sowing and harvesting.  Many times it has been burnt over a fire, thrown on water, or left on the ground.  It was also smoked in a pipe that was passed around a circle of people.  Individual people also smoked it in individual pipes.

In South and Central America, where other forms of tobacco was cultivated, pipes of many sizes and shapes were used.

The anti-smoking offensive by King James of England began in 1603.  This campaign led ultimately to the execution of Sir Walter Raleigh in 1618.  It is said that Sir Walter Raleigh’s last act was to smoke a full pipe of tobacco.  King James later relented in his anti-smoking tactics.  He signed a charter incorporating all British pipe makers, but with complicated laws and rules.  Instead of hindering the pipe makers, this action allowed the profession to flourish.  Other countries had begun to ban pipes, smoking, and tobacco but later changed their minds as well.

The fine art of smoking a pipe was soon accepted all over the world.  In 1794, Pope Benedict issued an edict exonerating the users of tobacco from any sin.  Snuff became the rage in Europe while pipes and pipe smoking grew in the New World.

During the Victorian era, pipe smoking became associated with relaxing contemplation beside a fireplace.  Cigars came to be considered a great social pastime.  Pipes became a more personal and individualistic endeavor.

Today, pipe smoking is gaining in credibility while cigar smoking diminishes.

While the late 1970′s and 1980′s are referred to as the Golden Age of Pipes, Smokers are turning more and more to finding their relaxation and pleasure from pipes once again.  Variety of size, shapes and materials are being used and appeal to the modern day tobacco smoker’s taste.

Davidoff is a byword for high quality and design through the planet. It involves men’s perfumes, ties, glasses, congac, humidors, and briefcases, but it is centered upon cigars and smokes. To build up a multi-million dollar company in the 20th century on a smoking product is a truthfully astounding success. Motivated by Zino Davidoff this organizations products have come to be a must have for well-off men around the society.
The life tale of Zino Davidoff reads like a heritage of the 20th Century. Zino was given birth to in Kiev in 1906, his family fled the pogroms to settle in Geneva and started out a tobacco shop where Lenin was a buyer. Zino traveled to the tobacco countries of Central and South America at a young age, eventually ending up in Cuba, for which he grew a life long passion. By 1947 he had made his Chateau Selection primarily based on Cuban Hoyo de Montgomery units. In 1969 Zino Davidoff was granted the accolade from the Cuban business of Havana brand.
In 1970, Ernst Schneider, a Swiss importer, turned out to be fascinated in Davidoff’s company. Looking at the prospective the brand had Schneider, with the help of Cubatabaco’s help, developed the company into a international success. There were three series of Davidoff Havanas, all with a distinguishing taste all to their own, the fullest being the Chateau, the lightest being the Dom Perignon No. 1, No. 2, and the Ambassadrice. They also provided a medium tasting cigar, the Thousand Series.
It is actually a shame that most of these cigars are no longer accessible. Mainly because of a dispute between Cubatobaco and Oettinger the manufacturing of Davidoffs in Havana ceased in March of 1990 and the manufacturer transferred it’s business to the Dominican Republic.
Instead than try to repeat the flavorsof their original cigars they rather set out to lift the bar when it came to what people expect of a Dominican Cigar. And not long time after that they made the same with the actual nowadays Davidoff cigarettes.

Ah, the fine premium cigar. There truly is nothing to compare to the experience of a fine cigar, a glass of really good cognac, and an evening in the shade. It is a peaceful experience to say the least.

However, have you ever looked at your high-profile smoke and wondered what the events were that led to the making of it? Most true cigar aficionados have at one point or another.

The chain of events that led to the production of the cigar that you now hold in your hand is a long one, spanning back over 500 years. It all began when a brave explorer by the name of Christopher Columbus decided to throw caution to the wind and risk it all to prove that there was more to the world than everyone knew at the time. In 1492, he found success, along with a little something in the new world called tobacco.

Ironically, Luis De Torres of a Spanish Envoy to America decided to take some back to his home for personal use. After spotted lighting it, he was arrested for witchcraft and sentenced to a decade in prison.

The presence of tobacco popped up again as Cortez stumbled upon a tribe of Aztec natives that are smoking tobacco. Through Cortez, the tobacco makes its way throughout Spain. From there, the pipe-smoked substance began to grow in fame and use. By the mid 1500’s, tobacco had made its’ way all the way to France where the first seeds were planted and cultivated by a monk by the name of Andre Thevet.

From there, tobacco made its’ way to the distant lands of Portugal, Russia, Turkey, and Italy. The Portuguese, via a trade route, introduce it to the Japanese. Onward it spreads to Morocco, Egypt, and even to the Philippines. Finally, in the early 1600’s, it makes a full historical circle as documents reveal that the husband of Pocahontas, John Rolfe, brings tobacco to the state of Virginia.

By the early 1600’s, Cuba has built a solid name for fine tobacco growth and becomes the major supplier for the majority of the known world.

In the mid 1700’s, the infamous Catherine the great creates the cigar band as a concept. It seems that Catherine would smoke cigars so often that her fingers would take on a brownish colored stain. Therefore, to avoid this, she had a band designed so she could hold her cigars without the irritating stain.

From there, it is only a matter of time until the major brands began to establish themselves. Cohiba, H. Upmann, Partagas, El Rey del Mundo, Sancho Pancza, Romeo y Julieta, Hoyo de Monterrey, Montecristo and the rest of the premium cigars that you and I enjoy today become very notable over the next century.

That brings us to the here and now. Today, we can sit back and enjoy our fine cigars knowing that they have a history that dates all the way back to Christopher Columbus. So when you enjoy that next high-profile smoke, blow a plume and say, “Here’s to you Chris!”.

Have you ever wondered where cigars were first produced? It is widely believed that cigars were first produced in Spain. But before cigars became all the rage in Europe, tobacco was needed to make them. Tobacco is indigenous to the Americas, where native peoples have produced it for hundreds of years. It is believed that the Maya of Yucatan peninsula in Mexico and parts of Central America cultivated tobacco, and even smoked it! Tobacco use spread to other tribes, both north and south. It is believed that its first use in the United States was probably among the tribe along the Mississippi. It wasn’t until Christopher Columbus sailed his famous voyage to the Americas in 1492 that the rest of the world came to know tobacco.

It is said that Columbus was not impressed by tobacco or its use among native peoples, but many sailors grew found of the strange plant. Soon it quickly caught on in Spain and Portugal. From there, it spread to France, where the French ambassador Jean Nicot lent his name to the scientific name for tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). The origins of the word tobacco itself are still suspect, although many believe it is simply a corruption of the word Tobago, which is the name of a Caribbean island. Still others believe it comes from the word Tabasco, a region (and now state) in Mexico.

The first tobacco plantation in the United States was established in Virginia in 1612. More tobacco plantations followed in Maryland soon after. Although tobacco became a popular crop, it was only smoked in pipes. The cigar was not introduced to the United States until the late 18th century. Israel Putnam, an army general who had served in the Revolutionary War, is credited with introducing the cigar to the United States. He had traveled to Cuba after the Revolutionary War and returned with a box of Cuban cigars. Their popularity quickly spread, and soon enough cigar factories were established in the area of Harford, Connecticut, where General Putnam resided.

In Europe, cigar production and consumption did not achieve widespread popularity until after the Peninsula War in the early 19th century. British and French veterans returned to their homelands after years of serving in Spain with their tobacco pipes in tow. Among the rich and fashionable, the favored method of taking tobacco was the cigar. Cigar smoking remains a habit associated with the rich and discriminating of upper society.

Since the 19th century, Key West has been one of the historical centers of cigar tradition. At one time boasting more cigar factories per capita than anyplace else in the world, Key West had always played a major role in the cigar industry. Just after the American Civil War, this city became a Mecca for Cuban citizens fleeing their countries long running revolution against Spain. By the late 1870′s there were over 100 factories making cigars.

Cuban influence in Key West first began on a massive scale in 1868 when the first war against Spanish authority created a mass exodus. When Cubans faced forced conscription into the Spanish army to fight against their countrymen, thousands of skilled cigar artisans and their families fled their homeland.

On a single September day in 1869, over 2,000 Cubans lined the docks of Havana to flee their mother country. While some left for New York City or New Orleans, a majority boarded steamers for the 12-hour trip to a destination ninety miles to the north, a city Cubans called Cayo Hueso, today’s Key West.

The civil war against Spain failed by 1878, however it created a social upheaval in Key West as Cuban immigrants continued arriving intermittently for decades, virtually revolutionizing Key West’s social fabric and economy.

Prior to 1868, Key West had less than 500 residents, noted primarily for acquiring wealth from shipwrecks, but a new form of wealth was about to arrive when Cuban immigrants, with talented cigar making skills, arrived by the thousands in the matter of a year or two.

At the peak of the industry, Key West embodied the largest cigar-producing city in the nation. It featured 57 major makers of cigars–many of whom relocated from Havana–and each made use of between five and 500 workers. In 1883 alone, 42 million hand-rolled cigars were created.

To house their cigar laborers, factory owners frequently constructed little cottages–bungalow-style structures principally of frame construction–and rented them out for low sums. To assure an ample supply of laborers, these homes were adjacent to manufacturing plants. These structures still comprise the biggest category of frame vernacular (simple structures, made of wood with few or no ornamental details) in Key West proper.

They were built from termite-proof Dade County pine with high ceilings for ventilation. They were elevated off the ground, allowing air to flow under the houses where roosters and hens lived and were part of the family, raised for eggs or meat or were trained for cock fights.

Although little by today’s criteria, these cottages were far better than living circumstances in Havana they were surely far superior to condemnable tenement houses in Northern cities. Many times a cigar artisan would change jobs to another factory simply to have a newer house to live in. These homes were offered for inexpensive rent or with the option to purchase at a reasonable price to maintain a stable work force.

With good homes, good wages and the freedom to affirm the revolution, the cigar artisans existed well. Their clever unions assured substantial strength, and while many union laborers in the North were cowered in deplorable tenement housing, Key West cigarworkers were reveling in Shangri-la. Even their many strikes, which finally helped bring about the decline of the cigar industry, reflected the luxury of their position. In the strike of 1918, work stopped, as was normal, until the union requirements were met. The petitions: no sweeping before 6 a.m., ice in the drinking water, and coal, not wood, fuel for winter heating.

The little cigar bungalows have endured the test of time. Many of these Key West structures are diminutive, only 300 or 400 square feet. They frequently have porches, minuscule yards with picket fences and little or no grass to mow. The bungalows were made from Dade County pine by ship’s carpenters, who constructed with a tongue-and-groove technique which lasts.

Property values are high, crime is low and the climate is about perfect. The bungalows are adequate for one or two friendly persons to live in–when you can be outside 350 days of the year. Key West has become such a desirable paradise for artists, the affluent and retirees that these pastoral cottages now cost at least $125,000–if you can get hold of one.

HISTORY OF MR. JOSEPH PILATES

Mr. Pilates was an exceptional man born in a small town near Düsseldorf, Germany, on December 9th 1880.  At five years of age, he lost the sight in his left eye. This is thought to be due to a stone thrown by bullies. He was a skinny, ill child who suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. The older bullies taunted him with “Pontius Pilate, killer of Christ”. It was this event that started him on his life journey to fitness and health.

He studied both Eastern and Western forms of exercise including Yoga, Zen, and ancient Greek and Roman regimens. By the time he was 14 he had developed his body so much that he was able to model for anatomy charts. He was also proficient at boxing, gymnastics, skiing and diving.

In 1912 he moved to England for further boxing training. He found employment there as a circus performer. By 1914, he had become a star, and was on tour – he and his brother Frederick performed as Roman Gladiators!

After World War 1 broke out, he was interned in a camp in Lancaster UK because of his nationality. He taught wrestling and self-defense, and began refining and teaching his system of floor work exercises. He was transferred to another camp on The Isle of Man where he began to help the patients in the infirmary with exercise.

Bed rest was a normal prescription back then, so Joseph took the springs from the beds and rigged them up to the bedposts to make exercise apparatus. The origins of the modern day Pilates Reformer with its spring resistance and sliding carriage, the Wunda chair, and the Pilates ring are to be found in the equipment that Joseph developed during this period.

The patients were able to stay in bed as prescribed, but could still work on their strength and flexibility working against the resistance of the springs. When the 1918 ‘flu epidemic swept the world, none of Joe’s patients were ill. He had become a “Nurse-Physiotherapist”, with a revolutionary approach to therapeutic exercise.

When the war ended, Joe returned to Germany and began training the Hamburg Military Police in self-defense, he also had personal clients. In 1923 when he was 40, he was invited to train the New German Army but as he did not agree with German politics, he decided to leave and move to the U.S. While en-route to America Joe met his wife Clara.  She was a kindergarten teacher who was suffering from arthritic pain, Joe worked to heal her during their boat Journey and they later married. When they arrived in New York City they took over a boxing gym at 939 Eighth Ave. This gym was in the same building as several dance studios and rehearsal rooms, and this is how Pilates exercises became associated with dancers and actors.  Joseph and Clara were both friend and teacher to many renowned dancers and choreographers, many dancers who needed help with injuries were sent to Jo and Clara’s studio.
Even though Pilates was a health guru, he liked cigars, whiskey and women. The 87 year old Joseph Pilates died in 1967 of advanced emphysema from smoking cigars for too many years.

MODERN DAY PILATES

After he died, his wife Clara continued with the Studio until the end of her life 10 years later, in 1977.

The Pilates name lived on through a man called Ron Fletcher. He was a dancer who was sent to Joseph for help with a knee injury. They spent allot of time together working on the reformer and other pieces of equipment invented by Joseph. During a period of recovery from alcoholism, Ron worked closely with Clara Pilates, and went on to open his own studio in Beverly Hills, which attracted many famous actors and dancers. Clara was impressed, and gave him permission to carry on the Pilates name.

Ron’s studio was the first to set up a certificated course in Body Contrology in the early 80′s, the first certificate was issued to Patrice Whiteside who worked in the sports rehabilitation department of St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco. The word had spread about how beneficial and therapeutic the exercises were, and she was sent from the hospital to study with Ron and devise the certification course. As the method became more and more popular the original works of Joseph Pilates were adapted by Ron from the machines to mat work so that he could travel around and demonstrate in studios where there was no equipment to use.

Romana Kryzanowskaalso trained with Joseph and Clara. Romana was chosen by Clara to become the director of The Pilates Studio in the early 1970s. Moira Stott, who was the principle ballerina with the City Ballet of Toronto studied Pilates with Romana. She developed her own approach to Pilates which is known worldwide as Stott Pilates. Among other subtle differences, she introduced working with the natural curves of the spine in a neutral or imprint position. In 1987, she opened the Stott Pilates studio, which later expanded into the International Certification Center in Toronto, and now has a network of affiliated studios around the world.

Another of Joseph’s students was Robert Fitzgerald who in turn taught Alan Herdman in the 60′s.Alan Herdmantook the technique from America to the UK. The technique was passed from Herdman to Alan Menzies who devised Body Control Pilateswhich is now extremely popular through the worldwide teaching of Lynn Robinson.

Alan Herdman also taught Michael King who opened his first studio in 1982 in conjunction with Pineapple dance studio in London. He now runs the Pilates Institute in London where I did my training. You can find out more about my teaching history and much more about Pilates for beginners at www.pilates2goonline.com

Pilates continues to be taught around the world in many different ways, but each method being taught today came from those original exercises written by Joseph Pilates.

About the county

Also known as the Republic of Hungary or Hungarian Republic, Hungary is a landlocked country located in Central Europe and bordering Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Budapest is the largest city and also the Capital of Hungary. One of the key reasons why Hungary is popular is its hospitality to tourists. Also one can find an ideal mix of history and modern day in Hungary. While Hungarians proudly stick to their old Magyar Tradition they also keep them abreast with current fashions across the world. Most visitors flock to see Budapest, a truly world class city situated on River Danube which enchants everyone with love and music. The city is a blend of culture and outstanding beauty making it the right place for tourists. The city has been a paradise for writers, musicians and artists who were greatly influenced by this graceful city. If you travel west in Hungary Lake Balaton is popular with tourists. Local cuisines include halászlé (fish soup) with pasta and goulash (gulyás) soup.

Population & Languages

The population of Hungary is Roughly 10 million and the official language being spoken is Hungarian.

Electricity

The voltage is 230 V and the frequency is 50 Hz. The types of plugs used are Round pin attachment plug and “Schuko” plug and receptacle with side grounding contacts.

Geographic Location

Hungary is a landlocked country located in Central Europe and bordering Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. River Danube and River Tisza divide the country into three large regions. The country is strategically located astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin

Climate

The climate of Hungary can be termed as Temperate with hot summers and cold winters. The average annual temperature of Hungary is around 9.6 °C. The maximum temperature in summer can be 43 °C and as low as -30 °C. The summer average is 26 to 36 °C and winter average is 0 to -16 °C.

Local Customs

Like any other country Hungary has its own customs too. It is customary to handshake. It is customary to make the toast and return. It is customary for guests to offer gifts to the host of a meal. Smoking is prohibited in most public areas.  But travelers can smoke in long distance trains. Casual dress is acceptable in most places and formal for special occasions. Tipping up to 10 to 15 percent is customary for all services including restaurants, bars, clubs, taxis etc.

Attractions

Budapest
* Castle Royal Palace
* Fisherman’s Bastion
* Matthias Church
* Gellért Hill
* Chain Bridge
* The Great Synagogue and Jewish Museum
* Parliament Buildings
* Statue Park

Eger
* Eger Castle
* Szépasszony Valley (Valley of the Pretty Woman)

Lake Balaton
* Hévíz
* Keszthely

The Danube Bend
* Esztergom
* Szentendre
* Visegrad

Travel

By Air – The national airline of Hungary is Malv which operates flights from more than forty cities across the world. Other international airlines operating from Hungary include Aeroflot, Air France, British Airways, easyJet, KLM, Lufthansa, Sky Europe, Swiss, United Airlines and Wizz Air. Ferihegy Budapest International Airport (BUD) is the biggest airport which is like ten miles southeast of Budapest.

By River – There is a daily hydrofoil service run by MAHART connecting Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest in the months of April to October.

By Rail – The country is part of the extensive network of trains connecting the European cities. Hungary is connected to 16 European cities and there are 47 international trains daily to Budapest by direct rail link.

Duty Free Items
1. 800 cigarettes or 400 cigarillos or 200 cigars or1kg smoking tobacco for EU countries.
2. 200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250g of smoking tobacco for Non-EU countries.
3. 10 liter of spirits with more than 22% and ethyl alcohol, or 20 liter of beverages less than 22% alcohol content, or 90 liter of wine or 60 liter of sparkling wine, or 110 liter of beer for EU countries.
4. 1 liter of spirits and 2 liter of wine for Non-EU countries.
5. 50g perfume or 250 ml eau de toilette
6. Gifts , Food, fruits, medications and flowers for personal use of value up to €175