I started writing a long answer to your response. But it became too long and rambling. Perhaps I will clean it up into something more concise and perhaps even helpful.

First thanks for sharing the Osteopathy link. I was woefully ignorant of this. The grief the article touches on is something I agree we should not turn away from.

I disagree with the 'individual white creator' story too. Though my perspective is different. First though we should be careful about dismissing what a determined and intelligent and individual can discover/recreate/reinvent through their effort over a lifetime.

But we cannot ignore the culture in which they grew either, and it is not enough to say that they were 'bathed in orientalism' It was not the only water they swam in.

I do not think that you can say Pilates is Jujitsu lite. To do so would admit total ignorance of the influence of extant European exercise forms. Some of these have long unbroken roots to older European martial arts. Many of which were taught in low key, 'backyard ways' (similar to your recent discovery of Okinanawan martial arts thanks to the research of Jesse Enkamp).

It also dismisses the Physical Culturists who were popular at the time, and as far as I know were firmly rooted in Western traditions of gymnastics.

These arts considered the effect of the body on emotions and on mind is evident in George Silver - who died in the early 17th century (quote below).

These arts were in turn often linked to dance and folk festivals- traditions, and were in turn assimilated into modern boxing fencing and wrestling (where they were once often taught as part of a whole).

I did not know about this when I was training in Taiwan.

It was a shock for me to discover European martial arts, and brought up on the the well marketed 'exotic' I dismissed such things as catch wrestling (which has been influential in Japan). My loss. My gain too.

Where I think we agree is the need to be as honest about where things come from as we can. That we need to be both generous and discerning about who we share with and what we share.

"I speak not against masters of defence indeed, they are to be honored, nor against the science, it is noble, and in my opinion to be preferred next to divinity, for as divinity preserves the soul from hell and the devil, so does this noble science defend the body from wounds & slaughter. And moreover, the exercising of weapons puts away aches, griefs, and diseases, it increases strength, and sharpens the wits. It gives a perfect judgement, it expels melancholy, choleric and evil conceits, it keeps a man in breath, perfect health, and long life."

http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/paradoxes.htm