Thread: Seiza
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Old 04-11-2002, 05:12 PM   #31
JPT
Dojo: trad
Location: UK
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 69
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Seiza Challenge.........

One of my sensei's told me a story about a visiting Japanese instructor who came over to the UK. This Instructor sat down in Seiza at the start of the class & didn't move. After about 5 minutes one person stood up to stretch his legs and was asked to leave the mat. One by one people stood up & were again asked to leave to mat. After a few hours there were only 3 student left on the mat. My sensei said that it was one of the hardest & rewarding sessions that he ever had.
He then suggested that we might like to try sitting in seiza for one hour when we had nothing better to do at home. Leaving the decision up to the individual if they wanted to take it up or not. I did it once and it was very very hard. At the end I was glad that it was over. However it gave me a real buzz and I was extremely please that I had complete it. Even now number of years later I still find seiza painful but I am comforted and relaxed by the thought that I can manage at least an hour.
( If any of you also crazy enough to try this be very carefully about getting up. Bow forward first and let some blood back into your legs. Then roll over & sit on your backside and massage your legs & toes. Make sure your have the feeling completely back in your legs & feet before you even attempt to stand. If you try to get up too fast your are likely to either break some toes or fall over & hurt yourself. Also don't do it on the bare floor, sit on a couple of towels folded in half .... good luck!!!)

Last edited by JPT : 04-12-2002 at 01:37 PM.
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