Steven Shaw - Live Sunday 26th July
Friday, July 24, 2009 at 2:02PM | Share Article The time for this interview is not great for the USA listeners this time round...unless you're an early bird!
But for Australia, Asia UK/europe...finally it's our turn for a comfortable timezone :) And we're all in the same day for a change too!!
If you haven't heard of Steven...you've probably been underwater too long.
When I met Steven in the pool a couple of years ago I quickly realized why this man has built such a huge following...the water seems to be his second home and his softly spoken approach really puts you a ease.
And, to my relief...he makes swimming easeful for the less floaty like myself. I've always swum a bit like a housebrick...despite many, many years of swimming growing up...it was always associated with too much effort for too little gain.
We can't really get wet on this interview, but we will be learning how Steven has taken swimming and the Alexander Technique international, in a BIG way.
With 100+ Shaw Method trained teachers in his stable, there are public classes, private classes, residentials all over the world. Not to mention dvds, books, goggles!
How does one man do it? Or does he do it all himself?
I'm looking forward to finding out how we can all learn
better ways of bringing what we know to the world.
Check out the August 20th, 2009 article in Forbes.com here.
Steven learned to swim at an early age and his love
of being in the water led him naturally to join his local
swimming club where he took up competitive swimming.
At the age of seventeen he quit - burnt out from the long
hours of hard training and suffering from a severely
strained neck and upper back. At this point in his life
he vowed never to return to recreational or competitive
swimming.
While at University he was introduced to the Alexander
Technique as a means of relieving his pain and became
enthused by the ideas of F.M Alexander.
In 1990 he started the three year Alexander Technique
teacher training course in Israel. During this time he
began to re-explore his relationship with the water
and by applying principles of the Alexander Technique
in that element rediscovered his passion for swimming.
Together with his former wife Limor, he developed a new
approach to teaching swimming -
The Shaw Method of Swimming.
Using his unique approach he has over the years helped
thousands of people to find freedom and ease in the water.
Steven enjoys working with swimmers and non-swimmers
of all levels ranging from those who are fearful of putting
their faces in the water to triathletes or people training to
swim the English Channel. He teaches groups and
individuals throughout the UK and has introduced the
Shaw Method to Japan, the US and Canada. Steven is
available to run workshops throughout the world in
applying the technique to swimming.
Steven is the Course Director of the Middlesex University
accredited Diploma course in the Shaw Method and has
trained close to 100 teachers. He is the co-author with a f
ormer pupil Armand D'Angour of the 1997 'Art of Swimming
in a new direction with the Alexander Teachnique' and has
produced two videos. He recently completed his second
book Master the Art of Swimming and is currently working
on his third book which will be for parents and children.
Reader Comments (2)
It's a wonderful story and a very interesting interview, thank you.
3rd most important thing for a Jew is to teach a child to swim.....unbelieveable!! I never knew this.
The Shaw Method totally transformed my ability to swim and enjoyment of swimming. I couldn't even swim when I arrived for an introductory Shaw Method swim-check, my neck and lower back were locked with tension and I had a scoliosis. I have much to thank Steven for. With much patience, I learned to swim front crawl from complete scratch, back crawl, and Steven later inspired me to learn the butterfly at an Alexander Technique workshop, the stroke I never even imagined I would be able to swim, not in a million years. I do remember the fascination creeping in as I watched the DVD ahead of going to the pool, yet I did not get on with the group class - I realised I needed more time, more 1-1 tuition, yet Steven still encouraged me to "have a go".
Steven's comments about the Nuffield venture in the UK and the teaching training course model he has devised to introduce in the US are particularly interesting and definitely exciting. Certainly his comments about the marketing involved and lessons learned are worth listening to.
I would honestly say that I'm happiest either in the teaching room or in the water, but both enabled me to be happy in life. I'm told I actually smile underwater, and ongoing development still continues.
This interview might well encourage someone to seek out the Shaw Method, great thought...
Great story Stella, Steven is a total inspiration to me. He is doing our work such a wonderful service and has probably seeded so many students around the world with his ability to meet them where they are...in their disbelief that they can swim with ease. Long may he prosper! PC