Seiza (正座, literally "correct sitting") is the traditional formal way of
sitting in
Japan.To sit seiza-style, one first kneels on the floor, and then rests the
buttocks on the
heels, with the tops of the
feet flat on the floor. The hands are sometimes folded modestly in the lap and sometimes placed palm down on the upper thighs with the fingers close together. The back is kept straight, though not unnaturally stiff. Traditionally, women sit with the knees together while men separate them slightly, proportional to body size. Some martial arts, notably
kendo and
iaido, may prescribe up to two fist widths of distance between the knees. The big toes may rest side by side or are sometimes overlapped.
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