September 28, 2004

“How To Do The Asian Squat” (11 MB Quicktime.)
posted by homunculus 20 years ago
  • Those having fiddifukties* assuming the position might want to invest in one of these training devices. *That was suppossed to be "difficulties", but I prefer fiddifukties.
  • Well, thank God they explained that! Now, if only someone would do a documentary about those pen tricks all my Asian friends seem to know how to do.
  • Pen Spinning From what I understand, most westerners are physically incapable of assuming squatting position with their feet flat on the floor due to a difference in the shape of the pelvis. If you spread your feet far enough apart you can get down there but it's not comfortable. In my own experience, I can't get my spine vertical no matter how far I spread my feet or how high I get up on my toes. I've had a few unfortunate experiences in Japan when I've been forced to use a hole-in-the-floor toilet in a narrow stall.
  • And in that link to Nature's Platform, that stuff about "sitting" toilets being a modern invention is a load of crap.
  • Thanks for the link, mexican. That site's interesting...and vaguely disturbing.
  • most westerners are physically incapable ... I think it has more to do with being used to it from a young age than any physical or genetic limitation. For example, my parents and grandparents will sit in seiza for hours on end; my grandfather in fact prefers it to chairs! My knees and ankles give out in about twenty minutes.
  • Also, if you look at many baseball catchers, they seem to have no problems getting their heels down. I think it's just a matter of stretching out something. The achilles? My anatomy leaves something to be desired.
  • For westerners - the advice in the movie actually works. I can't keep it up for that long (about 10 - 20 minutes), but since learning to do the Asian squat, I'm much more stable when squatting, and less likely to fall over.
  • Asian squat ... feh, whoever made this movie hasn't traveled much, I guess. My friends and I refer to it as the Third World Squat. Our reference data points come from the Middle East, Cameroon and Eastern Africa, Eritrea, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, Taiwan, and China. Southeast Asia definitely doesn't have a monopoly on superior squat technology.
  • And in that link to Nature's Platform, that stuff about "sitting" toilets being a modern invention is a load of crap. You seem very agitated about this. Perhaps you need to meditate.
  • OK, I'm bitter. It's just that everyone around me can squat with their knees close enough together that they can wrap their arms around them and touch their opposite elbows. It's reportedly a very comfortable position, unlike any catcher stance with the knees spread out or seizan. Most westerners (European and African as far as I know) will fall over backwards if they try this on flat feet. I've taken to holding a finger vertically against my eye and blinking whenever I'm with a friend that decides to take a rest in a close-knee squat.
  • I'm about 6 years late with this post, but I wanted to respond to "mexican" who said, "And in that link to Nature's Platform, that stuff about sitting toilets being a modern invention is a load of crap." He linked to a picture of a tourist sitting on an ancient Roman toilet. The fact that a tourist is sitting on a toilet doesn't mean that it was designed to be sat upon. See this link for a full explanation.
  • The key thing about the comfortable flat-footed squat is that one must assume the position in a duck-footed stance. Try it, you'll like it!
  • The key thing about the comfortable flat-footed squat is that one must assume the position in a duck-footed stance must not have the knees of a duck--which is to say, none (that work.) Sadly, I'm too old to Try it, you'll like it! assume the position, although I do waddle like a duck on occasion. There, FTFY
  • That knee replacement will settle in soon, hopefully.
  • What say we all chip in and buy GramMa a sidewalk scooter with a built-in porta-potti?