As a 66 year old male I have been trying to achieve this position practising every day for 3 months. I am still a centimeterover my heels with my butt and have considerable pain in my knees trying it. No so easy but I will persevere
I feel your pain. I have a knee that's was operated on almost 50 years ago, and it can give me curry when I attempt seiza. However it is such a beautiful posture that I am motivated to try to get it as best I can. My current strategy is by way of cushions. Starting with big ones and then stage by stage reducing the size. I'm not saying it's ideal. Just that it's something I am testing out.
You never cease to impress. I was stationed in Japan many years ago and took up kendo. So learning to sit in seiza was hard but it really does have health benefits. Thanks for teaching others how to sit in this position.
@8bg201 thanks for the advice :). I found that with practice/ gradual increases in time sitting it got much better within a few days, and now I can sit fine :). Must have needed to increase my flexibility or something :)
Thanks for the tip of placing the heel under the sit bones. Just this small change allowed me to drastically increase the time I could sit in this position comfortably.
The best seiza video I have seen. So complete. I have seen several other seiza videos and they were so incomplete and I never got the answers I was looking for. Thanks!
I've found myself gravitating to this style of sitting more and more. It initially wasn't conscious, but I've really grown to embrace it. It gives me a real sense of rest while still remaining alert, plus it feels good. Great video. 👍
When I was younger doing Seido karate we used to meditate in Seiza. However it was so painful for me it was like torture instead! Now 30 years later I’m even worse. I’m gonna try this for a minute a day, I’ll update with progress. Cheers!
Wow! I've always had pain in my knees when trying to sit like this. I never knew I was doing it wrong! That explains a lot. Thanks for all of your awesome videos! 🙏
Man the last videos are so great. Luckily I worked my seiza for years :) I've done Elements, and I'm currently doing Vitamin, Floor Loco and Integral Strength. End-year goal is the press to handstand. This is so much fun! Thanks and keep the videos coming!
I have been following this program for 3 days, first 2 days were minute on minute off repeated 2 or 3 times. Today my body figured something out and trusted the movement and my legs relaxed into it. I sat for 7 1/2 minutes and got 5 minutes of meditation in. The padding was 3/8 inch puzzle mats one thick. Thanks again for the good work. I think the key thing is getting your hips on your heels, that way weight goes straight down and skips the knee.
Finding that alignment takes some time, but when you get it, the whole thing is much easier for sure. Glad you're working up gradually and feeling more comfortable :)
I practice Aikido. I've always wondered if there's a proper way for Seiza and now I know! Thank you for the tutorial! Gonna try the proper way out from now on!
Thank you so much for this video. It is really helpful. I will be participating in a tea ceremony in about a month and been practicing couple of times a day but this video helped a lot
Thank you for this very helpful video. I've also lived in Japan for many years and practice a style of Japanese buddhism where we chant to a mandala while sitting seiza. Most Japanese adherents seemingly have little to no problem maintaining this position for comparatively long periods. However, for me, after about five minutes my legs start to go dead and it is quite painful to actually stand up. I resorted to a small stool years ago! I'm going to try your execises and see if I can get down there with my Japanese friends!
This is a nice explanation of seiza. I've now been here for over a decade, practicing Aikido, and I can sit in seiza comfortably, with my back straight. Some thoughts: Seiza is not a Samurai seating method (except in later history, and only in formal situations). It's a more modern method of sitting that nobody in their right mind who has to move quickly would ever sit in for longer than a couple of minutes. I don't think most Japanese people are aware of this. It might be worth adding that for sitting cross-legged, Japanese people often use a zabuton -- a cushion, if they are going to sit for any length of time on the floor. Women do not feel as comfortable sitting in seiza with their legs spread so far apart as you've shown, in my experience. Cheers from Fukuoka.
Back when I was young and doing a lot of karate training I could jump straight out of seiza, throw a kick with each leg one after the other and land in a ready position Being a lot older older now and having a collapsed fracture in my kneecap following an accident where I also snapped the tibia and tibia just below the knee I can't even get into the position now, your video came up my feed and watching it's kinda given me a push to start working on it, I'm back to where I can run on it now so if I take it slow I should be able to make some gains Really good video, subscribed to your channel after seeing it
Thanks! Being able to get up very quickly and have a strong base under you is very important in martial arts, and that's one reason for some of the details in the way we show it here.
I'm from China. You can try to do it in a new level by separating your big toes BUT keeping the heel touched. It looks like English letter Y or Chinese character 丫. I learned it from my teacher Chi Song.
Just watched this twice. I'm mid 60s and can sit back on my heels but struggle to hold the upright position for any length of time. Will have to practice more. Just taken up yoga too. The video is very helpful. Thank you.
So great loving these new videos you are putting out. I was just wondering how I could learn to sit on my heels comfortably and was already intuitively doing what you recommended so its great to know I am on track! Now I just need the patience.
I tend to sit with my heels facing out. Your explanation of what can happen with that longterm is seriously making me want to work more on that heels straight up variation more often.
@@gmbfit it’s definitely a lot less comfortable for me with heels up. Did it a lot when I was doing tea ceremony but not in every day life. Least now I’m aware of it
i sit-squat and sieza (including balancing while sitting on my heels while bored) with the toes up position pretty much all the time, because i often move between standing and squatting throught my daily. i sit in sieza while doing laundry... it's easier to reach things further away vs cross-legged... very practical. (toes up is my favorite)
Thankyou for this. I am a karate instructor and nice to have this perspective from you. Just recovering from two totally torn ankle ligaments so seiza a challenge for me at present but working on it!
Thank you for this video. I've been using this position for mediating but never feel comfortable. Because of your instructions, I was able to mediate without issues. Much appreciated it!
My right foot always cramps up immedicately when I sit in the proper seiza position. For some reason, crossing my feet, even slightly, takes care of this. (I take lot of magnesium and potassium, so I don't think it's due to a vitamin deficiency.) Sitting in the on-the-toes position also helps, but I can't sit like that for too long. When I'm sitting in on a grading session (2-4 hours), or I'm in a seminar with a sensei that likes to talk more than demonstrate, I'll also sit in the Indian position a lot of the time.
A “smaller” but very important goal for me this year. Regain my ability to sit and then COMFORTABLY sit on my heels (seiza style) Used to never be a problem. Then I lost it for a while after a knee injury, but I got it back and could sit in seiza again 2018-2019. But LOST it during 2020 (lockdown depression) I did not even try to sit this way for 2 years. I started working on regaining it last week and I’m already seeing some improvements. But just stumbled on this training video 😃 Now I can work on it a bit more intelligently and strategically. THANKS A MILLION, @GMB Fitness
When you did seiza with the heels pointing out, the first thing I thought of was O-kyaku, and sure enough you said that. I'd never connected the two, and I'd always wondered why so many elderly Japanese women are bow-legged. But yeah, I do find seiza much better for the lower back.
From Wikipedia: “A law that came into effect in April 2020 recognizes seiza for extended periods of time as a morally unacceptable form of punishment according to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.” Why? “Those unfamiliar with seiza will likely find that maintaining it for more than a minute or two tends to lead to paresthesia, whereby the compression of the nerves causes a loss of their blood flow, with the accompanying "pins and needles" feeling, followed by painful burning sensations, and then eventually complete numbness in the legs.” … “Experienced seiza practitioners can maintain the posture for forty minutes or more with minimal discomfort. Certain knee problems are made worse when assuming this position.”
Thank you for this video. I'm 36 years old and I started Kendo 4 months ago and I've really been struggling with sitting in seiza. This has been a big help and I've finally understood how to do it properly.
Very nicely explained. Thanks for sharing. I noticed that sometimes I do sit in it with the toes slightly crossing, with no certain preference. Cheers!
This is awesome. Very solid steps. I had been making progress on my own but my knee and ankle ended up getting messed up and it's almost impossible to get into the position. So I have to start over and I just haven't put in the effort yet. Hopefully now I will that I'm reminded.
@@gmbfit I actually tried this last night and surprising how close I was able to get to an almost upright sitting doing the method you showed. Thanks!!
Thank you Very much.! Knee injury had resulted in either painful or non ability to do seiza and heel sitting for the past 10 years. Your pulsing idea inspired me to forearm press against my bad knee with hand on the floor to power stretch my calf area. It works in just a couple minutes...temporary pain free seiza and heel sitting both. Like decades past in judo and sosuishi-ryu where we did both on the mat. I will continue doing this stretch and appreciate your video.
I've been following your channel for quite some time, and the content had always been great, but the videos you've been producing for the past few months are on a whole another level - AMAZING. On another note, Elements are awesome, and I really enjoy seeing movements from that program, as well as from Resilience, making appearance in your videos. Thank you and keep up the great work!
My understanding of proper seiza is the knees are two fists widths apart, and your left big toe is resting on your right big toe. Of course, your heels are under your sit bones as stated. Also, I found the key to learning and mastering seiza was doing opposing stretches (articulating everything the opposite direction). Most people only do the obvious stretches, shown in this video. But it helps a lot to do leg extension stretches, hip rotation stretches, to try to lay back in seiza, sumo stretches, etc. The more general flexibility you have, in each direction, the easier this gets.
There are different ways according to different disciplines, I know. I spent 28 years in Japan and have seen many different ways. The way I'm showing here is what I've found to help the majority of people out there wanting to sit comfortably in this position.
I have sat like this incorrectly since I was a kid! I think it shortened my achilles and led to plantar fasciitis. I miss sitting like that. Nice that maybe I can still do it if I do it correctly (and not for too long). Great info. Thanks.
In Japan, there isn't really a single way to do it outside specific cultural traditions; it's just sitting, so it's pretty common to just do it however. Try it like this, like you said, gradually, and see how that feels.
I learned seiza in Goju Karate. I never crossed the toes before. However sometimes I used it to hold the position longer. Seems to take off the pressure. However if I am doing a quick sit I sit normal to get up quick as you showed.
Been doing this and horse stance daily for a few weeks now. doing only these two exercises and Im starting to really notice a massive positive difference. Thanks
@@gmbfit a lot of stiffness/ tightness in my knees and hips has been a constant issue for many years. I have been doing the two static exercises fairly consistent for a few weeks and it has made an amazing difference. I have tried so many things that has never worked but this is a game changer for me.
Saw it one time in some cartoon anime when I was like 9 and its just the norm for me, seeing others struggle with it blows my mind because it just feels normal
Thank you, I can already see this is helping, and I can take time each day to work on it before my next kendo session in two weeks time. Honestly, once I realised it was so difficult, this is what was bothering me the most about kendo. Cheers
I started months ago to be occasionally in a deep squat. Like while watching video or staring at the food in the oven. It has improved my mobility in gym quite a bit and in general better feeling in legs and lower back/core. During this video I tested seiza and I can do it but ankles and tibialis anterior(had to look up this name) are quite stretched and hurting so I find that good reason to start doing seiza regularly. Great video!
This is the video I need! I have practiced martial arts for over 25 years and I really struggle with knee issues. Making Seiza is almost impossible these days... so I don't even attempt it anymore. I'm going to work on this as part of my training. 👍
Sorry to hear that. It's getting more common, even in Japan to have knee trouble with this now. Seems like modern lifestyle isn't great for you... who knew? But be gentle, and you may be able to get some of that back. We do happen to have a lot of other videos and programs that can help ;)
I know this is outside the scope of your channel but would you consider maybe a miniseries about moving to Japan long-term (kind of an expat thing)? Personally, I 'd be more interested in cheaper, more rural living in Japan but still close to the beach. I've been learning from you for a while now and you present information very well
It may not be healthy *for you* depending on various factors, but the position itself has been a resting position for hundreds of millions of people for centuries at least... :)
Well explained, thank you. I noticed that if I bow low, in seiza, stretch my hands out as far as possible, I get a good stretch in the upper back and shoulders. Could you comment on that please. I found seiza by watching a Japanese serial and I found it self aligning, as you stated, and quite refreshing.
What might be happening is that you're experience a type of traction in the spine due to taking the pressure off and reaching out to lengthening it. Definitely a nice thing to do :)
Out of my own experience I can tell you that after more than 20 minutes this position cuts the blood to a way I can even not stand well up anymore and it takes me some minutes to be able to walk normally again. I mean I do it because of my karate tradition but not more than a few minutes.
Nice video! First learned Seiza when I did tea ceremony, then we did it when I started learning jiu-jitsu (daito-ryu). When I am at someone's house in Japan and I'm sitting on the floor, I do instinctively sit in seiza. tbh didnt honest there were any health benefits related to it, but makes sense!
just watching this gives me phantom pains in my knees. All the same I am working toward a deep resting squat(also torture at the moment). This just got added to the list. :))
Excellent video! We regularly sit seiza in our class, and use it throughout several katas. Any tips for..more seasoned.. practitioners to make sitting seiza for perhaps 15 minutes more comfortable? It seems it bothers many of us in our 50's, when in our 20's it was not an issue.
7:02 is easy for me. However, when I point my toes backwards (like in the regular seiza) my feet start to cramp painfully. Any ideas how I can get around this?
It used to happen to me, but I've been practising seiza for a while and I have no problem now. You must develop your plantar flexion ability. The progression Ryan proposes (using your hands for support) will help you. Other than that, look for ankle exercises for beginning swimmers/triathletes, who really need a great plantar flexion. Triathletes in particular usually need to work on this, to offset the stiffness that may come from running. e.g. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GgW9s2phkLk.html
Go slow with very short duration of time (couple seconds), gradually working up to longer periods of time. As long as there is no pain, with time and practice it should get easier.
Interesting. I will try, though I don't know how far I will go...because of osteoarthritis on my right knee...range of motion is not the same on both legs.
Might be that you're not used to the position. If it's pain then I'd stop doing it. But if it's a matter of discomfort then try shifting your feet into a position that feels better.
I pretty much have always sat in this position even sitting in a booth or a chair. First week of February 2022, someone tripped me and I ended up tearing all of the ligaments in my left knee. Upon being dropped off at home, I was unable to walk or put any weight at all on my left leg and was not able to lift my leg to get into the bathtub shower. So I was washing my left foot in the bathroom sink and then I had my weight on my left leg to put my right foot into the sink and my left knee bent completely backwards! It was a very loud sound as if someone had just broken a very thick fat carrot. I was not able to get up and just laid on the bathroom floor for days yes I do live with a man but he's completely oblivious to me. So I finally crawled to my bedroom took me about 12 hours and was going to call the ambulance but my friend who tripped me told me he would pick me up and take me to the hospital. Yes he picked me up all right but it was past 3:00 p.m. and he needed to have his gin and tonic and said he would just take me tomorrow. Never did take me until a week later and he just took me to a walk-in clinic that was unable to do anything. So nine days after the incident I finally got my doctor to order x-rays and two days later she said that all my ligaments in my knee were torn and that and the end cap on my bones were broken off and that there was CFS flowing out of my bones which was causing the inflammation. So totally completely angry that both the person I live with and this person who tripped me at a casino didn't give a crap about me and how much pain I was in which is why I ended up causing all the tendons and ligaments to be ruptured. Never could get a ride to a physician to have the surgery. So now after being a professional gymnast for 40 years I am not even able to stand without my left knee constantly popping and feeling like it wants to snap backwards. So I have not sat in this position since February 3rd 2022. So question is, do you recommend me attempting this position knowing my history with my left knee? I really honestly never thought Anything could happen to me physically since I have always been riding my bike 500 miles a month and walking 60 miles every month as well. Just so irritated that someone could ruin my life because of his insane jealousy.
It sounds like you need medical attention for this and advice from someone familiar with your specific case details. I would not recommend trying this if you have any concerns whatsoever. You've had an awful experience, that's fur sure. Heartbreaking to hear. Please get physical therapy and take your recovery seriously.
Ajummas in Korea were like omg so formal! Relax! Aren’t you uncomfortable? But it actually is more comfortable for me, at least for ten minutes. Would love to be able to sit that comfortably for longer.
I grew up with this and still have traces of the bubble cushion ‘taco’ posterior below my ankle. Why do this? Strengthens knee supporting structures especially if done from childhood! My knees are strong!!! When feet fall asleep sitting seiza, was taught to lick index finder and make sign of the cross on forehead. Distraction or works? ? 😂
Interesting video, is there any modifications as to doing it with footwear or boots, especially ? It would/could be a practical posistion to be in when out and about in the field supplementing the squat and/or kneeling ones when working on ground level stuff.
Great video. I’m an Elements member but have not used the program in a while but plan to get back. Q: My challenge with seiza is that I am missing 30% of my plantar flexion so my feet won’t lie flat to the floor??
If you aren't prepared for it, maybe. If you have something wrong with your blood vessels, probably. But it's not the position that's "bad," it's the fact that you haven't built your ability to sit that way. It takes time and practice.
Thank you for the detailed video! I’ve been trying to get into comfortable seiza for about a year now. My issue seems to be my calves that are screaming more than my knees when I’m fully resting on my heels. Any suggestions for what to do?
I've been practicing martial arts for about 20 years now. We're sitting in seiza quite a lot. In the beginning there was around 20cm between my butt and my heels. Now my butt touches my heels, but it's still nog really resting on it. If I have to sit in seiza for more than 10 minutes, it starts hurting and I loose the feeling in my legs eventually. Also, I heard it's not really good for our knees.
Thank you. I'll see how I do with these stretches. I can sit criss cross no problem, but for seiza, I can't get my butt anywhere near my heels at all. Do you think it's possible to improve this with these stretches then? I've been looking at some of your videos and gads, my modifications need modifications. I have been doing barbell lifts the last couple years (cause why not start this in your 50s right) and am stronger, but mobility issues keep getting in my way.
