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I used to teach a Japanese martial art which involves a lot of sitting in seiza [1] and tatehiza. Basically kneeling and advanced kneeling. It was mind boggling
by elric 5y ago
I used to teach a Japanese martial art which involves a lot of sitting in seiza [1] and tatehiza. Basically kneeling and advanced kneeling. It was mind boggling how many adults were unable to do it. And I don't mean kneeling for half an hour. I mean just kneeling, period. So many people can't do it. Weak legs and inflexible ankles seemed to be the main culprits. They improved with practice, so it's not like there's some deeply fundamental anatomical flaw at work. Many people just spend way too much time sitting in chairs, to the detriment of everything else.
Someone once told me: "the most ergonomic position, is the next position".
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiza https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiza
- hanniabu 5y ago> Someone once told me: "the most ergonomic position, is the next position". Yup, similarly "the only bad position is the one you're in for too long"
- hypertele-Xii 5y ago> "the most ergonomic position, is the next position" A valuable insight. No single position is perfectly ergonomic; Shifting one's pose as the body requires it loadbalances stress and maintains bloodflow. The education/employment complex places way too much emphasis on sitting still (in a chair).
- look_lookatme 5y agoI would like to get better at kneeling in this position for prolonged periods of time for canoeing purposes, do you have any suggestions? Is there a range of movements that help or is really just a matter of practicing kneeling in that position.
- Cycl0ps 5y agoPer the linked Wikipedia article, "experienced" practicioners can maintain the stance for ~40 minutes. While pop culture can make it appear like a traditional equivalent to sitting in a chair it's really not meant for prolonged use
- elric 5y ago40 minutes? I can go hours. Squeezing your toes every once in a while and/or subtly shifting weight makes really long sittings more bearable. It's not as comfortable as sitting cross legged ("criss cross applesauce", according to some), but it's OK. It's my go-to position for many seated tasks, including typing this comment.
- confidantlake 5y agoKneeling hurts my knees. Not like hurts after a few minutes of staying in the position, but like intense pain as soon as I put weight on the knees.