Feet position in seiza

by Olga
(Ukraine)

 What is the correct feet position when we are sitting in seiza in kendo?: when left and right big toes are close but not one over another; when our right big toe is over the left one; when our left big toe is over the right one?

 I've heard the meaning of position when our left big toe is over the right one. That sounds like this: our left part is calmer than the right one, so we place the left toe (or hand) onto the right one.

 Also I heard the meaning of position when our toes are close to each other: that is for standing up quickly, not to stumble when standing up.

 Can you please tell us about the meaning of the correct position?

Answer: I actually wrote this in one of the newsletter so I will give you the link to that article.

Kendo-Guide.Com Newsletter, Issue #020 - Too much emphasis on the Left hand?

You wrote “our left part is calmer than the right one, so we place the left toe (or hand) onto the right one”.  This is very interesting.

In mokusō, we have the left hand on top of the right. But there is, no need to say, the different form, the other way around.  Of course, they have their own theory and they do not reject the form with the left hand on top of the right.

Now you have to remember that there are many theories about these things.

I have heard that the right hand is the one that outputs the internal energy (ki) and the left hand is to input.  Is it right?

Unless we really study and train hard to experience such energy flow, we cannot just say what is right and what is wrong.

I would like to stick to the theory (traditional bushi theory) that I learned as youngster and also mentioned in the article I introduced in the newsletter.