Children naturally sit in seiza
Originally Posted by
Brian Owens
I thought I'd add something here.
Seiza means "Correct Sitting." It was considered "correct" by the Ogasawara, who set the tone for proper ettiquette in their day. It is not a martial arts oriented kamae, it's just how people would often sit.
So the reason self-defense applications of traditional martial arts are practiced from seiza is the same as the reason modern self-defense methods might be practiced sitting in a chair or while driving a car; because it's a position you might well find yourself in when the need for defense arises.
I think seiza is used in Japanese martial arts (not Chinese, to my knowledge) because it is a very natural way to sit. Even American toddlers will naturally sit in seiza without training.
I also think there is some misconception about the meaning of "sei" as "correct". I don't think "sei" refers to any external standard of what is correct, but more to something like "true" as in "true nature."
A child who is allowed to develop properly will naturally stand straight and tall. They will naturally sit on their knees in seiza when they are able to sit up. And they will sit perfectly straight in this way. Doing this, they are expressing "sei" before they can talk and before anyone can teach them what sei is.
Sei means correct expression of true nature. It's based on the belief that all humans have a universal basic nature. People who do what is natural are always "correct" in that way. So in that way, I think seiza means something close to "natural sitting".
It is culture that teaches out the inclination, then the ability, to sit in seiza.
Best wises,
David Orange, Jr.
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"That which has no substance can enter where there is no room."
Lao Tzu