Thats funny. They must stop when they get to the U.S. because I’ve been around a lot of Chinese and I’ve never seen them do that. My ex-wife is Filipino and I saw her doing that once while eating in the living room.
I thought she was just being goofy and said something, she just said she was just eating, but that is the only time she ever did it and I had no idea it was common. She was a very accomplished furniture user so I guess that was just a relapse. She never mentioned that among the many asain customs we would discuss.
[quote]jlovette wrote:
The real reason why they spend so much time squatting…Just look at the crapper!! Anyway, I thought it was amusing. [/quote]
I see that someone’s aim was not true.
Interesting thread though. It is very common. I see them up on the Gold Coast in Aus all the time. They look very relaxed in a position that would have most Western people in agony.
[quote]wangster wrote:
there are regular toilets though. those toilets pictured above are a pain.
i’m guessing the reason of them squatting instead of sitting on the ground is because the ground is so dirty and there are aren’t that many chairs for that many people and etc…
just a thought.[/quote]
It is the best way to have a shit, in some uncultured parts of Oz, when you squat on the shithouse, its known as ‘‘kangerooing’’ the shithouse.
I’m a New Yorker (non Asian) and squat like that while waiting for the subway to come. People stare, but who cares; it’s comfortable. Of course I had to take years of yoga before it was a comfortable position, but now that it is comfortable, I prefer it sitting on a bench.
It’s also great for the lower back–to relax it after a demanding workout (especially deadlifts). Someone else mentioned it, but it bears repeating: squatting is a natural position, and the capacity to do it is one natural to all humans, but westerners tend to lose the ability (unless they’re extraordinarily flexible, or specifically work to keep their flexibility with yoga, stretching, gymnastics, etc) because our preference for sitting on chairs rather than on the floor.
Regular chair-sitting tightens the hips, hamstrings and lower back over the years until squatting is painfu or impossible for most westerners.
[quote]FightingScott wrote:
robo1 wrote:
the most natural human movement. we were built to squat
As a matter of fact we were. The chair places people in a very unnatural position. Back in the Stone Ages (not the 1920 good old days of bodybuilding but the real stone ages) the natural position to sit in was a complete squat down. Once you obtain that level of flexibility to where you’re not strained to sit like that it’s supposed to be pretty natural. People are defiantly designed to sit in a squat more than they are to sit in a chair. As for being built to squat a barbell, I doubt it. We were made to, among other things, deadlift things and sit in a squat. [/quote]
Goes back farther than the stone ages. Look at chimps and other large primates. They ‘sit’ the same way.
Fellas this is an ATG squat held for TIME. It is NOT an ATG squat with X amount of pounds on ur back, chest, or overhead.
I saw a TV program about sars (sp)in Vietnam and I saw people squatting to do just about everything. There was a guy reading his rooster for a cock fight while squatting.
The reason why most Westerns can’t squat worth a crap is because they don’t do it often enough. Or stop doing it all together.
Yes the squat is a very natural movement. Yesterday I saw a 2 y.o kid squatting to pick up his toy every time he dropped it.
I for one, can hold the ATG postition for a few minutes before I start getting blood circulation issues. I used to have the same issue when sitting cross legged, now I don’t. Its only a matter of practice before new arteries form and no more issue when holding the ATG position.
[quote]skidmark wrote:
shizen wrote:
robo1 wrote:
the most natural human movement. we were built to squat
correction short people were built to squat, my long fucking legs could never get into this position.
I have long fucking legs and I wait for buses like this when the bus stop’s benches are full. It’s practice, not genetics.[/quote]
Practice and genetics.
Most asians are more supple by nature without any practice/ flexibility issues. But yes a massive factor is culture. It is normal to sit in a squat to do most activities for an asian person. But this gets less natural/ accepted for westerners as they grow up. How many 80yr old women do you know that can sit in a squat for minutes at a time and be okay?
I’ve not met any asian person that was unable to do so in my life time. Even the fat f0cks can do it.
Ironically enough, almost everyone at my gym (I live in Japan) who squats does those ridiculous 1/2 and 1/4 squats. But damn, can they “squat” a lot of weight!
Most asians are more supple by nature without any practice/ flexibility issues. But yes a massive factor is culture. It is normal to sit in a squat to do most activities for an asian person. But this gets less natural/ accepted for westerners as they grow up. How many 80yr old women do you know that can sit in a squat for minutes at a time and be okay?
I’ve not met any asian person that was unable to do so in my life time. Even the fat f0cks can do it.
Koing[/quote]
I had a MA instructor who believed that Asian suppleness was increased because of their diet.
[Retrospective study of squatting with prevalence of knee osteoarthritis][Article in Chinese]
Liu CM, Xu L.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing 100730, China.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the assosiation between squatting and the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) among elders in Beijing… RESULTS: Among the studied subjects, 40% of the men and 68% of the women reported squatting > or = 1 hour per day at youth. The prevalence of tibiofemoral OA increased in both men and women… Compared with subjects who squatted … CONCLUSION: Prolonged squatting was a strong risk factor for tibiofemoral knee OA among elderly in Beijing.
[quote]jlovette wrote:
The real reason why they spend so much time squatting…Just look at the crapper!! Anyway, I thought it was amusing. [/quote]
I hate those toilets. My legs are too long or something because if my feet are on the foot pads I’m shitting off the back of the toilet. If I move forward I can�??t get down in a comfortable position.
It is a much healthier way to go as your not inhibiting the contraction of the muscles your trying to use by sitting on them.
It’s a really comfortable position to sit in tbh. I even sit that way in my computer chair regularly. My army buddies used to make fun about it though. Just jealousy! :>
(Yeah, it’s a really good shooting position, especially where I served, Northern Sweden - so I didn’t need to have a knee in the snow in sub 40 degrees)
For resting purposes I usually have one arm between my thighs and one at the outside, resting my chest/chin against the leg. Good stuff, guys.
