It hurts when I do this...

[Please visit our sponsor:]

[Elric123]

I have been trying to practice sitting in Sieza position. Sounds easy tou you pros I'm sure, but it causes the worst pain in my calves and ankles.

Any tips on how to make this better? Or does everyone just have to work thru this?

Trent

[Paul]

Include it into your daily routine, sit in sieza while watching t.v.or reading stay there until you feel un comfortable then relax the next day try and sit for one minute( or something) longer ad infinitum.
There are no tips just keep sitting until one day you too will be a freak and find it very comfortable (that's how we all go).

[Shipley]

A trick that I've found useful for working into it is to start out by watching TV as (the other) Paul says, but with one small pillow under your ankles and another between your heels and rear end for a while to work into it. Good luck, never known somebody who didn't have to work for a while before getting comfortable with this...

Paul

[crystalwizard]

sounds like you need to stretch that part of your legs out some. You might try filling the bath tub up with hot water, then kneeling in it. The water being hot will loosen the muscles and tendons up and make it eaiser for you to stay in that posistion for a bit.

Eckards and walgrens carry a compond called Jointritis which works wonders on sore muscles and joints. a bit spendy but you might also try applying that before trying to sit sieza at all.

[andrew]

My sensei says he had the same problem when he started years ago.. He used an exercise of changing from Seiza to (unsure spelling) Keisa, i.e. kneeling but up on toes, and back to seiza again. I don't know if it will help.
andrew

[Elric123]

Special thanks,

I will be sitting in a hot bath, with my Jointritis on, on a bath pillow, while watching T.V., till I get it.

You guys are the best!
Trent

[akiy]

I personally think the best way to get used to something is by doing it a little bit at a time. I'm lucky in that sitting in seiza is not really a big deal for me, but I've heard met people who have had trouble sitting in that position who would sit a minute or two at a time whenever they could -- while watching TV, folding laundry, and so on.

However, I don't think the ability to sit in seiza is required in aikido. If you can't sit like that, then don't...

-- Jun

[ian]

Do about 1 hour of shiko around the mat. Then sit in seiza for 20 mins, then repeat. (or alternatively use a concrete floor).

If this doesn't damage your knees nothing will.

...seriously; I find just doing shiko and seiza regularly will help you stretch. Also sit in seize and then lean back until you feel the stretch (try to get your head to touch the ground behind you). Try to warm up your knees before doing any of this (light stretching) as you'll end up with knees like mine (I can use the cracking of my knees instead of a verbal kiai to get really good kokyu nage).