Squatting

[spiraltao]

After watching Bill Ryan in the Dragon Tiger Medical Chi Kung vid called "Letting Go of Tension" he talks about being able to squat at age 57. He says something like "I can squat with no problem, like this (demonstrates), as you see in so many other COUNTRIES."

 

 

 

I think the same "squat" is indigenous to this region. It is not uncommon to see farmers, just the older generation in general (sixties to seventies) do this quite often and for long periods of time, being heavy I had always noticed this as I found this position comfortable even though I was overweight. (Come to find out, both I and the older men I am referring to were piling their body weight straight down thru the balls of the feet)

 

 

 

...ok, Zerostao had taught me some kneeling Kunlun postures. One of them is this squat. The other two are moving one leg out and flattening the heel while piling the body's weight through straight down thru the ball of one foot.

 

 

Zerostao stressed the importance of these "kneeling Buddha" exercises and I have to wonder, is this squatting a Zhan Zhuang in itself and could it play a role in the longevity and mobility in some of these men I speak of?

 

 

 

I am highly interested in any opinoins.

[Chang]

Full squatting involves resting the weight on the feet (heels on the ground) with the buttocks resting on the backs of the calves.

 

Most adults in the western world can find it difficult to keep their heels flat on the ground when squatting because of shortened Achilles tendons. This tends to be caused by the wearing of shoes with heels and our use of chairs for sitting.Toddlers find this position very easy to assume.

 

Sqatting with the feet flat and heels on the ground is very useful for stretching the tendons and has an invigorating effect on the whole body.

Edited February 7, 2012 by Chang

[Warrior Body Buddha Mind]

Squatting is crucial for anti ageing, it also massaged the organs, helps with intestinal problems, and great for kidneys...Most chinese chi kung or martial arts has some kind of single or double leg squat as well in physical culture the squat is one of the KING exercises. Yoga also has the squatting position and the indian wrestlers just love the Hindu squat for health, why is the squat good for you as the legs are further away from the heart and will work it as well great for your joints, tendons, and keeps the legs strong.

 

My Sifu would make us do hrs of horse stance low and high and he would say " You are as strong as your horse" and the benefits of this stance is great for kidney chi and over all health. Many people cannot stand for 5 mins in a simple horse stance and find it the hardest out of martial arts training it shows the weak minded people from the serious ones, and most would rather do punch and kick rather horse stances or stances which include squatting.

 

By the way any position can be a zhuang zhan (jaam jong) stance as long as you have the right structure!

 

Great thread...

 

Sifu Garry

[konchog uma]

my girlfriend squats in an african tradition, putting the head down to elongate the spine, and rocking while she meditates. She loves it, i have to sheepishly admit i have never tried it

[joeblast]

anything to stretch teh lumbarz & hammies

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

Horse stance is a wide squat of sorts. Sinfest can do it

 

but so can i, so sinfest is irrelevant to this example.

[Protector]

actually I'm doing the one where feet are far apart and knees are close together

don't try it

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

what's that one called, constipation stance?

[Protector]

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/15738-oh-haeng-gi-ma-sae/

 

5 Elements Horse stance, I got it back when Wan was still charging 4000$ for it but for free and I think I'm the only one who knows how to do it right out of everyone who got it from him

If you want to learn it go to a Daosourse seminar, there are some surviving tutorials online but doing them would be the same as doing naega shinjang thing

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

I'll get to it as i come to it or it comes to me or we come together... wait, that sounds sick.

[mantis]

I'm proud to say I can squat like a third world native, for quite some time too.

[zerostao]

http://www.thetaobum...aeng-gi-ma-sae/

 

5 Elements Horse stance, I got it back when Wan was still charging 4000$ for it but for free and I think I'm the only one who knows how to do it right out of everyone who got it from him

If you want to learn it go to a Daosourse seminar, there are some surviving tutorials online but doing them would be the same as doing naega shinjang thing

 

interesting, glad you got it for free

[Protector]

Well it was free for everyone who was active on his website, the 4000$ price was for laughs for everyone visiting the site and I think someone actually bought it

[寒月 Hanyue]

He says something like "I can squat with no problem, like this (demonstrates), as you see in so many other COUNTRIES."

 

I think the same "squat" is indigenous to this region.

 

From an anthropological pov, in my opinion this is a misconception.

 

I also think many in the 'West' misrepresent the flat foot squat and its place in cultivation and martial arts.

 

I know people who can naturally do a flat foot squat as being described, some are English, some Scottish, some Chinese. All of these people also have stiffness in some parts of the legs and back, and some even complain of lumbar pain. They do not train or practice cultivation, they can simply squat this way "naturally".

 

At the same time I know people who are Chinese and Japanese who cannot squat this way. There is great variation in bone structure from individual to individual. Tension is also a play in ranges of motion, but strength and co-ordination of the movement pattern is just as relevant in squatting.

 

Yes there are people who can flat foot squat and those that cannot. Some cannot simply due to structure etc, some because they have 'forgotten' how. I don't see it as culturally so black and white though. There is a big difference between having squatting as a natural movement pattern you don't have to think about, and 'training a squat'

 

I have read papers on how the pelvic structures of the Japanese differs leading to inherent differences in the ROM of the hip and pelvic joints. And it is also understood that the Chinese and Japanese have thicker patella tendons, though whether this is pure genetics or a combination of genetics and 'conditioning' through daily routine is unclear. You make use of what you have without thinking about it. These days many don't even realise the deficit.

 

Mabu teaches the same thing as proper 'Western' conditioning squatting technique from what I have seen. Yet most argue about how to do either correctly so good luck with figuring that out.

 

Best,

[spiraltao]

Great input, snowmonki.

 

 

 

Cultural or genetic, as far as the ability to do this squat, I feel it is much more cultural/environmental here in my state.

[Chang]

Great input, snowmonki.

 

The fact remains however that the flat foot squat posture is ideal for stretching the Achilles Tendon, which tends towards tightness owing to our western lifestyle.

 

I note that no has yet made mention of the squat posture for defecation and its associated health benefits.

 

Let me remedy that:-

 

Sqatting Defecation Posture

[Jeramiah Zeitigeist]

Squatting is crucial for anti ageing, it also massaged the organs, helps with intestinal problems, and great for kidneys...Most chinese chi kung or martial arts has some kind of single or double leg squat as well in physical culture the squat is one of the KING exercises. Yoga also has the squatting position and the indian wrestlers just love the Hindu squat for health, why is the squat good for you as the legs are further away from the heart and will work it as well great for your joints, tendons, and keeps the legs strong.

 

My Sifu would make us do hrs of horse stance low and high and he would say " You are as strong as your horse" and the benefits of this stance is great for kidney chi and over all health. Many people cannot stand for 5 mins in a simple horse stance and find it the hardest out of martial arts training it shows the weak minded people from the serious ones, and most would rather do punch and kick rather horse stances or stances which include squatting.

 

By the way any position can be a zhuang zhan (jaam jong) stance as long as you have the right structure!

 

Great thread...

 

Sifu Garry

 

 

 

Great post ! Informative and interesting !

[konchog uma]

I note that no has yet made mention of the squat posture for defecation and its associated health benefits.

 

Let me remedy that:-

 

yeah it makes a huge difference, thanks for bringing it up

[Shifu Li]

I have  recently added  the deep squats which I now call Daoist Deep Squats to my qigong/Daoist practices. Deep squats are an excellent way to really focus on strengthening the whole region of the waist.  And from a Daoist cultivation view it is a powerful way to tonify the Kidney essence-jing including the mingmen.   I am also revising my last Qigong-Beginners to Advanced Guidebook to include a second half of it devoted to the deep squats. It will be available on Amazon by March- I self-publish with amazon., shifu Michael

[Shifu Li]

The deep squat, not the shallow horse stance, is useful for all kinds of everyday activities like playing with the young kids on the floor, cleaning the toilet bowl, and using the toilet though the modern toilet bowl is not very practical for this way of pooping, but good in the wild.

[Nungali]

Good in the wild !   ???    

 

The insidious squat toilet is eroding our way of life down here !    - Just ask Pauline !  

 

 

 

[zerostao]

17 hours ago, Shifu Li said:

I have  recently added  the deep squats which I now call Daoist Deep Squats to my qigong/Daoist practices. Deep squats are an excellent way to really focus on strengthening the whole region of the waist.  And from a Daoist cultivation view it is a powerful way to tonify the Kidney essence-jing including the mingmen.   I am also revising my last Qigong-Beginners to Advanced Guidebook to include a second half of it devoted to the deep squats. It will be available on Amazon by March- I self-publish with amazon., shifu Michael

 

Thanks for bumping this short gem of a thread, and good luck on Amazon with your Qigong Guidebook.

 

 

[Keith108]

When I was flown over to Korea in the military, I had no idea squat toilets existed. I also noticed right away that Korean are very comfortable in the deep squat position.  It seemed to be the default position when waiting for something (bus stops), or even just an outside conversation, especially in the country.

 

I find it very useful for keeping the lower back limber and the hips open. 

[Master Logray]

Would it be dangerous for old and the weak to squat down and rise up?   with weak muscles, knee problems and rapid change in blood pressure.   For squat countries like Korea and China, people have been doing that for their whole life.  But it is not the case for other countries.

[steve]

With some patient stretching and strengthening, it can be very safe and effective. Some will be injured or aggravate existing issues. Proceed with care.  I started squatting regularly about the age of 60. So far, so good. Great for the hips and low back! Careful with the knees.