One of the first things that a karate practitioner, as well as a practitioner in other budo, is introduced is sitting in seiza. Training starts with karateka lined up,
sitting in seiza in order to perform the opening ceremony for the training practice. A similar procedure is followed at the end of the training. But what is seiza? And how it has been introduced to our practice procedures? Seiza is the most commonly used sitting posture in Japanese way of life. Budoka, practitioners of traditional Japanese martial arts, will move into this posture at the beginning and end of their practice. It is also used in other traditional arts, when creating an elaborate flower arrangement in Ikebana, when performing Chanoyu, the art of tea, in performing with the traditional fue, flute, shakuhachi, vertical bamboo flute, koto, stringed harp, as well as when chanting Noh drama music, the chorus all sit in seiza. It is apparent that seiza has a particular position in Japanese life. But how it has come to be like that? Seiza was and is a posture used in formal occasions in traditional Japanese culture. When performing something significant in an official capacity, the Japanese of old used seiza as a form of social propriety and etiquette. It comes from Ogasawara Ryu School of etiquette and has influenced all aspects of life. It was firstly introduced to the martial arts through kenjutsu schools of swordsmanship. As those where practiced by samurai warrior, who were obliged to follow strict rules of etiquette, these rules introduced in their practice, since they should be able to act and perform from this position. Since every ryu included various ways of fighting, armed and unarmed, the seiza posture introduced in the full spectrum of traditional budo. In various picture scrolls, from medieval Japan, samurai and nobility are depicted sitting indoors cross-legged, however during the Edo Period (1600- 868), seiza evolved to become the pre-eminent formal sitting posture on tatami mats. A few words for the Ogasawara-ryu school for etiquette. It was the pre-eminent school of etiquette among the samurai class of the Edo period and continues its tradition up to this day. From the book by Ogasawara Kiyonobu, Nihon No Reiho, we may have some understanding of the meaning and method of seiza. Kiyonobu notes how many people complain that seiza makes their feet "go to sleep" (shibireru), but he says that it is from lack of proper exercise, weak leg muscles, and poor circulation, and not necessarily due to the contortions of sitting in seiza.

…..If practiced properly, one should be able to do seiza for several minutes to an hour or so a day with no discomfort. Proper seiza, Kiyonobu says, helps to
naturally align your body and spinal column, and leads to an alert mind and body (1):
. . .Even if you sit in seiza only to eat your meal, that's fine. . . By doing so, you will create a peaceful feeling and your body posture will become properly aligned. (2)
Seiza, in Japanese, is written with two kanji characters. The first character pronounced sei- means "proper, right, true". The second character -za means "sitting posture". For the Japanese aesthetic, sitting in seiza on tatami mats indoors is the most efficient, beautiful, and "proper" posture when engaged in a formal activity. Sitting in seiza, although similar, is not standardized among different martial arts disciplines and schools, ryu. Karate practitioners go in seiza from a shizen tai posture; bent both knees while spreading them apart (some step back with left foot first), keeping the back straight and hands with open palms on the thighs. Put first left knee on the floor and then right knee. At this moment you are in a transitory position, named kiza, with the shins folded under the body, body
erect, back straight, hands on the thighs heels side by side feet in vertical position and toes flat. Without stopping in this position, put the instep of the feet flat on  the floor, with the big toes side by side (some school put the right toe over the left toe).

In order to rise from seiza, fist come into kiza position, always as a transitory phase and put right foot beside left knee, before continuing to rise and assume a standing posture. Going to or standing up from seiza should be in a calm and elegant way, without any awkward or jerky movements. You should sit in seiza like the morning dew sits on leaves and flowers, and rise as the smoke in a lack of wind.

As it was said there are slight variations, among the various martial arts ryu as well as in other arts, geido, in how to take seiza position; how to sit or how to rise. Everyone has to follow the particularities of his school. Particular attention should be given if you try to sit in seiza wearing hakama. If you don’t do it properly you end up in a messy situation. Martial artists, bugeisha, use a slight movement with the right hand to spread hakama folds between knees, hakama sabaki, while many times left foot steps back at kneeling. It should be understood that seiza although a calm posture allows quick movement in every direction, whether it be to serve the needs of a lord, to make a bowl of tea, to quickly rise up and draw out one's sword or to perform defence in an attack. Koryu schools emphasized this practice as well as aikido does. In old karate books, like ‘’Karatedo Kyohan’’ by Funakoshi Gichin, you may find such training exercises. Ogasawara Kiyonobu describes seiza as a posture of "potential movement within stillness", opposed to the Buddhist sitting posture of full lotus or half-lotus -"stillness within stillness"-, used purely and simply for meditation. (3). As that seiza was the perfect posture for the active samurai and his today retainers.

In conclusion, seiza is a formal sitting posture, stemming from medieval Japan, used not only in Japanese budo but in every other Japanese tradition, ryu. It is well-defined with codified ways of stepping in and out of it, although different classical traditions have slight variations. You must always follow what your school or ryu dictates. Anyway next time you move into seiza, you should do it with a better understanding of your action.

Footnotes:
(1) Page 33, Ogasawara Kiyonobu, Nihon No Reiho, Kodansha, Tokyo, Japan,
1976.
(2) Ibid, page 34.
(3) Ibid,Page 86.