My boyfriend actually watched the video before I did and asked me whether I did the Asian squat or the Western squat. So I asked him "Are they talking about the Chinese smoker squat?" to which he replied "Huh?" I proceeded to show him the Chinese smoker squat, which we have now analyzed to be a slight variant of the Asian squat.
The Chinese smoker squat is well evidenced in any not-quite-savory Asian neighborhood. Find a dirty corner or dark doorway and do the Asian squat, pointing the toes out a bit farther and spreading the feet a bit wider for stability (like a frog). Fold your arms and rest them over your knees. Take your right hand and precariously balance a cigarette between the first two fingers. You can now effortlessly raise and lower the cigarette from your mouth while gawking under the short skirt of any unsuspecting woman that walks by. Don't forget to leer.
As for myself, I automatically do the Asian squat (yes I am Chinese) and have always done so, much to my mother's chagrin. It is definitely not ladylike and usually results in my mother asking whether I am a hobo/beggar. I find the Western squat to be far more work and far less stable. I think the ability to do the Asian squat comfortably comes not from martial arts, but from how loose your Achilles tendon is. If you have a tight Achilles tendon, you will not be able to hold the Asian squat for very long as it would lead to hyper-extension.
Wow... never heard about this. I wonder if the Japanese do the asian squat for baseball if they're the catcher? Also, aren't their bathrooms like a hole in the floor over toilets?
I wonder if the Japanese do the asian squat for baseball if they're the catcher?
Nope. There are a variety of reasons for this, but for starters look at the the padding a catcher wears. A squatting position with the knees rotated out would leave much more leg area open to stray baseballs. Also, they need to be able to rise quickly, etc, etc.
Also, isn't their bathrooms like a hole in the floor over toilets?
No, they isn't. (I think you mean "aren't") While some older bathrooms still have the squat-down flush toilets, many Japanese homes have awesome electronic toilets (washlets) where you can press a button and it acts like a bidet. I would venture to say that Japanese toilets are better than American toilets x2!
I wonder if the Japanese do the asian squat for baseball if they're the catcher?
Nope. There are a variety of reasons for this, but for starters look at the the padding a catcher wears. A squatting position with the knees rotated out would leave much more leg area open to stray baseballs. Also, they need to be able to rise quickly, etc, etc.
Way back when I played baseball, we had a teammate who tried the asian squat for catching, and not only did the odd position mess up his catching something fierce, causing him to miss, when he tried to leap up and go for the ball, he pretty much just launched himself backwards and nearly brained himself on a fence.
Comments
The Chinese smoker squat is well evidenced in any not-quite-savory Asian neighborhood. Find a dirty corner or dark doorway and do the Asian squat, pointing the toes out a bit farther and spreading the feet a bit wider for stability (like a frog). Fold your arms and rest them over your knees. Take your right hand and precariously balance a cigarette between the first two fingers. You can now effortlessly raise and lower the cigarette from your mouth while gawking under the short skirt of any unsuspecting woman that walks by. Don't forget to leer.
As for myself, I automatically do the Asian squat (yes I am Chinese) and have always done so, much to my mother's chagrin. It is definitely not ladylike and usually results in my mother asking whether I am a hobo/beggar. I find the Western squat to be far more work and far less stable. I think the ability to do the Asian squat comfortably comes not from martial arts, but from how loose your Achilles tendon is. If you have a tight Achilles tendon, you will not be able to hold the Asian squat for very long as it would lead to hyper-extension.