There’s a video going around claiming that the “Asian squat” originated in India circa 300 BCE1, which is wrong. Evidence gathered by Dr. Bebe Buling, top researcher at the Philippine Historical Tae Society, suggests that this popular and comfortable resting stance we now know today as the “Asian squat” was actually invented by an unnamed tribe deep within a cave on a beach on Camiguin Island, Philippines, far away from any comfort room or Holiday Inn2.
When the Indians came to the Philippines around -2300 ABC they said, “Yo that squat is tight. We finna’ cop that style son3.” And so the Indians returned to their country with this substitute for sitting and popularized it because they have a billion people there, which gave way to break dancing and chopsticks4. Ghandi was able to partake in his treks with ease because he never had to carry a chair5.
1“How to do the Asian Squat.” Hsia, Daniel. 2002. Video.
2Encyclohopia Fictanica. ed. 1245. Saudi Arabia.
3“Filipinos invented folding chairs.” Buling, Tita Bebe. 1996.
4“Pansit: sorry, it isn’t Chinese.” Tang, Milo. 1856.
5“101 ways to persuade people and trick them.” Macadangdangdang, Joe. 2007.