# Westerners, does using an "Asian Squat" in public make you self-conscious? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 12, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westerners-does-using-an-asian-squat-in-public-make-you-self-conscious/289808 "2005-02-12T23:52:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westerners-does-using-an-asian-squat-in-public-make-you-self-conscious/289808/41 "2005-02-15T05:22:55Z")
i have no problems doing either. if i were going to squat for any length of time i’ll just sit down wherever i am, unless i need to get up in a hurry. ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westerners-does-using-an-asian-squat-in-public-make-you-self-conscious/289808/42 "2005-02-15T14:32:15Z")
I had no idea there was a name for it. My wife is Chinese and her and my mother in law do it all the time. I even find myself doing it on occasion. BTW: In an effort to fight ignorance, I asked my wife about “Chinese Firedrills.” You know where all the guys jump out of a car at a stoplight, race around the car and get back in. She had never heard of such a thing, and they don’t do them in China and call them American Firedrills. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westerners-does-using-an-asian-squat-in-public-make-you-self-conscious/289808/43 "2005-02-15T16:08:33Z")
> [@chaoticdonkey](#): > > Am I the only one who saw the title and thought it was about asian bathrooms? It was the 8th post before I realized such was not the case. I don’t do the squat. Maybe I saw too many snakes growing up but it strikes me as a good way to get your nuts bit. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westerners-does-using-an-asian-squat-in-public-make-you-self-conscious/289808/44 "2005-02-16T02:50:35Z")
> [@Fern Forest](#): > > It was something I’ve never really thought about until I saw a [short](http://www.danielhsia.com/m_squat.php) about it a few years ago. Now I prefer to either stand or just sit on the ground if I’m waiting for anything so I very rarely squat. > > But I do occasionally and when I do the asian squat I feel a little weird. I just associate it with crapping in the woods. It is much more comfortable then the western one. The only time I do an asian squat without thinking is when my back is to a wall. > > I do the asian one more then the western one. I’m a big guy (6’5", 230 lbs) so it just kills my toes. Gee, if an Asian squat" is with toes and heels on the floor and a Western Squat" is on toes only, what in Hell is a “Diddly squat”? ---
**Author:** ![Ashes\_Ashes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@Ashes\_Ashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashes_Ashes)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westerners-does-using-an-asian-squat-in-public-make-you-self-conscious/289808/45 "2005-02-16T04:10:15Z")
> [@Fern Forest](#): > > Maybe you just have to put your feet further apart. Thin Japanese ladies can do it with their heels and knees together. There’s no way I can do that. But it is cute to look at. > > But with my feet as far apart as my shoulders and my knees pointed out it’s no problem. I find it’s actually easier when I’m wearing heels because my foot is supported instead of just floating in the air getting tired. Go put on some heels and you’ll see (yes, I know you’re a boy type person, but doesn’t every man have a pair of heels?). Just plunk yourself down and you can rest your feet on the heels and your butt against the back of your achilles, and you’re good! Now go put those high heels back in the closet, ya pervert. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westerners-does-using-an-asian-squat-in-public-make-you-self-conscious/289808/46 "2005-02-16T04:33:57Z")
People honestly squat with their whole foot flat on the ground? I just tried it and at first I couldn’t get down into it, but then I managed it and fell onto my face. Ouch. Hereabouts we do it on the balls of our feet and call it a “hunker”. ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westerners-does-using-an-asian-squat-in-public-make-you-self-conscious/289808/47 "2005-02-16T08:59:04Z")
> [@Fern Forest](#): > > But I do occasionally and when I do the asian squat I feel a little weird. I just associate it with crapping in the woods. I, too, associate it with pooping. Even the "Western"squat. Hell, even saying the word “squat” makes me think of pooping or peeing. Squat. Squat squat squat squat. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westerners-does-using-an-asian-squat-in-public-make-you-self-conscious/289808/48 "2005-02-16T20:07:10Z")
I just took a squat in my cube. I noticed that instinctively I went into a western squat. It felt unnatural to put my heels on the ground and had to lean forward to keep from falling. I didn’t do this but for a second as I do have coworkers and don’t need to give them yet another reason to wonder about me. Also, I had mexican for lunch. I’ll try again at home to see how it works out. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westerners-does-using-an-asian-squat-in-public-make-you-self-conscious/289808/49 "2005-02-16T20:09:29Z")
My body doesn’t take to the Asian squat (heard of it for the first time today!) very well. I used to do the “Western” squat all the time in college – usually in the halls when waiting for classes to start. For things like looking at low items, I normally get down on one knee and crane my neck down – or get on all fours if necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Dancer\_Flight](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dancer_flight/32/7601_2.png) [@Dancer\_Flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dancer_Flight)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westerners-does-using-an-asian-squat-in-public-make-you-self-conscious/289808/50 "2005-02-16T20:26:41Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > There’s a squat that we’re sort of overlooking. . . > > Left foot, heel on the ground sort of in front of you. > > Right foot on toes, under your butt, with the heel supporting your right “haunch”. Sort of how a catcher would throw a ball back, or how an umpire might squat. People might shoot a gun from this position too. Kneeling Position in three-position matches: Off hand leg: 45 degrees laterally from trunk, about 20-30 degrees from your target, foot flat on ground, femur parallel to ground, shin perpendicular. Dominant leg: as decribed by **Trunk** (right leg) above except that the knee contacts the ground as well. There is a kneeling roll supporting the instep. Your offhand arm is braced with the elbow tucked into the groove behind the knee cap on your offhand leg. Dominant arm has the elbow kept high (forms a better pocket for the rifle butt that way). Now shoot twenty, well-aimed, scoring shots within 1/2 hr from that position. Next challenge: walk normally when you’re done. There is a reason why I’ve only ever shot prone matches. The Position is stable, but it does hurt. -DF ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westerners-does-using-an-asian-squat-in-public-make-you-self-conscious/289808/51 "2005-02-17T00:10:07Z")
Hmm. I’ve never done the Asian Squat before, but now that I try it, it’s not too bad. I’m finding it easier to do when my feet are turned out, though. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westerners-does-using-an-asian-squat-in-public-make-you-self-conscious/289808/52 "2005-02-17T01:11:03Z")
I try not to squat. It hurts my knees. I tried this so-called Asian squat, and nearly fell over. The only thing that stopped me from falling was grabbing the leg of my bolted-to-the-floor desk. ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westerners-does-using-an-asian-squat-in-public-make-you-self-conscious/289808/53 "2005-02-17T06:11:50Z")
When I squat, I generally put my left knee on the ground (my right knee is effed up such that kneeling on it is quite painful), sort of a half-squat, half-kneel. When I worked at a bookstore and spent a lot of time squatting and getting up, squatting and getting up, I discovered that all my jeans had a light patch on the left knee where I’d started wearing through the denim. I can do both the Asian and Western squats, but the aforementioned knee dislikes being in that position for very long so I can’t hold them indefinitely. In public I stick to the one-knee-down squat. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/westerners-does-using-an-asian-squat-in-public-make-you-self-conscious/289808.md?page=2)