Hard and soft (martial arts)
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Hard and soft in martial arts refer to the way techniques deal with the force of an attack.
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[edit] Techniques
Martial arts techniques can be effected in a 'hard' or a 'soft' manner. This applies to both unarmed combat and to the use of martial arts weapons.
Examples of techniques used in unarmed combat include, strikes such as punches and kicks, along with traps, locks (see chin na), footsweeps, throws and takedowns, used in grappling. Examples of martial arts weaponry include knives, swords, and spears. In use these may be thrust, swept, hooked, etc. See a list of martial arts weapons for more details.
[edit] Soft techniques
In a soft technique the receiver uses the aggressor's force and momentum against them, by leading the attack in a direction where the receiver will be positioned in advantage, then in a seamless movement, effects an appropriate martial arts technique. In some styles, a series of progressively difficult training drills such as pushing hands or sticky hands teach students to exercise this concept.
Note following points.
1) The receipt of the incoming force is dealt with in a soft manner thus: This 'leading' of the incoming attack redirects forces from the aggressor either back at the aggressor or away from the defender instead of meeting the force with a block. Soft defences are usually circular: The way this works is similar to the way a projectile may glance off a round or slanted surface without damaging it. The lack of resistance while meeting of the incoming force is usually referred to as yielding, (see the The Principle of Ju).
2) The final application of a technique is soft: A technique applied in a soft manner is often applied when the person is off-balance (see kuzushi) which makes it easy for the person effecting the technique. This ‘ease’ of application was termed ‘maximum efficency’ by Jigoro Kano, who founded judo. The Taijiquan classics report a concept known as "a force of four taels being able to move a thousand catties" which refers to the Taiji principle that a mass in motion can seem weightless. Techniques applied in this manner may superficially appear similar to those used in hard martial arts, e.g. throws, armlocks, etc. but it is the softness in their application which makes them different. No more force than is needed should be applied.
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- In Fencing a parry is an example where the opponent's blade is guided away rather than a clash of forces in a block. This is likely to be immediately followed by a riposte and that by a counter-riposte.
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- When an aggressor (uke) pushes towards the recipient (tori), tori drops under uke while lifting uke over him with one of his legs to effect the throw Tomoe Nage. The technique is categorized as a front sacrifice technique, and is used in judo and other forms of jujutsu. The push from uke can come directly, or in response to a push from tori. If tori pulled uke over by sheer strength, then it would not be a soft technique.
[edit] Hard techniques
A hard technique by contrast meets force with force, either by directly blocking the technique with a head-on force or by cutting through at an angle with one's own force. This can also serve as an example of the receiver using the aggressor's force and momentum against them, but usually relies on superior strength or conditioning to be successful.
[edit] Hard and soft styles or arts
Some martial artists refer to styles or arts as being hard or soft.
A hard style or hard martial art, such as Shotokan karate, employs predominantly or exclusively hard techniques.
Soft styles or soft martial arts, such as aikido and the Chinese internal martial arts, employ many soft techniques. For example, in Yin Style Baguazhang, a Chinese internal martial art, which derives its philosophy from the I-Ching, the Kun trigram represents pure yin and it tends to yield to force. However, the Qian trigram represents pure yang and its techniques tend to be very hard. For instance, one might use a sweeping strike (an attack method of the Qian trigram) to block and break the arm of an incoming punch. Thus, while some might consider Baguazhang to be a "soft" martial art, it includes "soft" and "hard" techniques.
Many martial arts combine 'hard' and 'soft' techniques, such as Goju Ryu karate. (The name of Goju Ryu is derived from 'gō' (剛 Hard) and 'jū' (柔 Soft) in Japanese ). Such arts are usually called 'hard/soft'. The Chinese martial arts emphasize a balance of yin and yang. In some styles these represent softness and hardness, respectively. One should yield (yin) to hard force (yang); inversely, one should attack (yang) a soft (yin) opponent. Other uses of this doctrine state the study of yin and yang involve offensive and defensive responses; if one is struck on the left, one can effectively counterstrike from the right, if a low kick comes in, strike high, if a high punch comes in, kick low. As well, if one initiates these sorts of attacks, one should be aware of the simultaneous defensive liabilities involved.
[edit] "Hard/Soft" vs "External/Internal"
There is disagreement among different schools how they use the two concepts of "Hard/Soft" and "External/Internal" applied to their styles. Among styles that this terminology is applied to, traditional Taijiquan equates the terms while maintaining several finer shades of distinction (see quotes below) while students of some other styles consider the two concepts distinct. In the latter case you will hear that "internal arts" tend to be "soft" but "soft" arts are not necessarily "internal"[1]. Differences in opinion may be influenced by the national origins of a particular martial art and the use of the terms by those schools or nationalities - but in any case the debate can be quite fierce. An example of a soft martial art not generally acknowledged to be internal is judo although one of its base arts, Kito-ryu Jujutsu, is.
[edit] Quotes about the application of hardness and softness
- "As a martial art, Taijiquan is externally a soft exercise, but internally hard, even as it seeks softness. If we are externally soft, after a long time we will naturally develop internal hardness. It’s not that we consciously cultivate hardness, for in reality our mind is on softness. What is difficult is to remain internally reserved, to possess hardness without expressing it, always externally meeting the opponent with softness. Meeting hardness with softness causes the opponent’s hardness to be transformed and disappear into nothingness..." From chapter twenty of the "Forty Chapters" preserved by Taijiquan's Yang family.
- "The greatest taboo when practicing Taijiquan is to use force. If one can make the entire body loose and open, and be absorbed in the circulation of blood and qi, then after a while one's practice will naturally develop inner jing. This inner energy is extremely soft, so when encountering an opponent one doesn't need to resist at all. The ability to extend and contract in order to follow the opponent's energy is referred to as elastic power within softness. Taijiquan theory states: "From the greatest softness comes the greatest hardness." This is what is meant by softness." Wu Jianquan in chapter four of his essay Features of Taijiquan:
- "In Randori we teach the pupil to act on the fundamental principles of Judo, no matter how physically inferior his opponent may seem to him, and even if by sheer strength he can easily overcome him; because if he acts contrary to principle his opponent will never be convinced of defeat, no matter what brute strength he may have used." Jigoro Kano [2]
- "I may venture to say, loosely, that in Judo there is a sort of counter for every twist, wrench, pull, push or bend. Only the Judo expert does not oppose such movements at all. No, he yields to them. But he does much more than yield to them. He aids them with a wicked sleight that causes the assailant to put out his own shoulder, to fracture his own arm, or in a desperate case, even to break his own neck or back." Lafcadio Hearn [3]
- "True spirit of Judo is nothing but the gentle and diligent free spirit. Judo rests on flexible action of mind and body. The word flexible however never means weakness but something more like adaptability and openmindedness. Gentleness always overcomes strength." Kyuzo Mifune [4]
- "Do not think of attack and defense as two separate things. An attack will be a defense, and a defense must be an attack." Kazuzo Kudo [5]
- "Another tenet of randori is to apply just the right amount of force--never too much, never too little." Jigoro Kano [6]
[edit] See also
[edit] References and notes
- ^ *The martial arts FAQ was built up over years of discussion on rec.martial.arts. In part one, there is an entry for hard vs soft and internal vs external.
- ^ Judo Quotes 1
- ^ Judo Quotes 1
- ^ Judo Quotes 1
- ^ Judo Quotes 1
- ^ Judo Quotes 2
- Wile, Douglas Lost T'ai-chi Classics from the late Ch'ing Dynasty State University of New York Press, Albany, 1996. ISBN 0-7914-2653-X
- Wu Kung-tsao. Wu Family T'ai Chi Ch'uan (吳家太極拳), Hong Kong, 1980.
