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Mas Oyama's seiza position


evergrey

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OSU!

Does anyone actually know for a fact why Sosai changed the way we sit in seiza from this:

http://www.oxfordkarateacademy.com/userfiles/Image/articles/SeiichiFujiwaraSeizaBudokan.jpg

To this?

http://www.connkyokushin.com/content/karate/masoyama/OYAMA1.jpg

And if you do not know why for a fact, can you tell me what your theory is? But please let me know if it is just a theory. I'm really curious, and thanks!

OSU!

http://kyokushinchick.blogspot.com/

"If you can fatally judo-chop a bull, you can sit however you want." -MasterPain, on why Mas Oyama had Kyokushin karateka sit in seiza with their clenched fists on their thighs.

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OSU Evergrey-san

Dare I add that it was possibly just Sosai's preferred position. As Sosai was the head of Kyokushin if he deemed it as so then so be it. The same as General Choi added the "Sine Wave" to the Poomsae of ITF taekwondo. (Everyone I asked always points toward General Choi adding it and can't truly explain a genuine reason for it except to differentiate it from Japanese Karate).

Also I see in Kyokushin a few Korean techniques in the some of the strikes are performed. Also I believe Oyama Sosai and General Choi were good friends/acquaintances within the martial arts.

"Challenge is a Dragon with a Gift in its mouth....Tame the Dragon and the Gift is Yours....." Noela Evans (author)

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Osu-

Just a theory, but I believe Sosai prided Kyokushin on its strength in technique. I think this is why all bows are done with closed fists as opposed to open palms. Might be why the Seiza position in Kyokushin adopts this closed fist too?

Coincidently, Oyama did, as fact, still use the traditional Seiza with the right big toe crossed over on top of the left big toe, but in my experience this has been lost over the years in the flat foot position.

Osu!

"We did not inherit this earth from our parents.

We are borrowing it from our children."

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If you can fatally judo-chop a bull, you can sit however you want.

I agree.

That said, I will say this much about sitting in seiza; it sucks. I hate it. There is a picture on the website of the Aikido club I went to that shows a row of people sitting in seiza at a seminar. I'm on the far end, but I'm sitting up taller than anyone else in the picture, and I'm not a tall person. I just can't sit really low in seiza, like the others can. Nor can I set there for any extended period of time. So, if Mas Oyama, being a bigger guy, adjusted his seiza to sit more comfortably, then I can understand why. Because sitting in seiza sucks.

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My theory is not scientific at all because I believe that Mas Oyama's seiza position is comfortable for him. It is said that one can tell a lot about a karateka/martial artist by how they assume their seiza.

Was the reason that he changed the seiza position was to make the seiza position unique and to its own for Kyokushin karateka's? I'm not sure, but, it's possible.

That's my two-cents.

:)

**Proof is on the floor!!!

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I don't fear cows. I try to eat them as much as possible!

Seriously, after my work in LE, and being in county, at times, I am forced to work with cattle outside of their fences. I get mad at them, and I sometimes think about Mas Oyama....

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