How Many Techniques Are in a Martial Arts Style
In martial arts, the terms hard and soft technique denote how forcefully a defender martial artist counters the force of an attack in armed and unarmed gainsay. In the East Asian martial arts, the corresponding hard technique and soft technique terms are 硬 (Japanese: gō , pinyin: yìng ) and 柔 (Japanese: jū , pinyin: róu ), hence Goju-ryu (difficult-soft school), Shorinji Kempo principles of become-ho ("hard method") and ju-ho ("soft method"), Jujutsu ("fine art of softness") and Judo ("gentle manner").
Regardless of origins and styles, "hard and soft" can exist seen equally but business firm/unyielding in opposition or complementary to pliant/yielding; each has its application and must be used in its own way, and each makes use of specific principles of timing and biomechanics.
In addition to describing a physical technique applied with minimal force, "soft" also sometimes refers to elements of a discipline which are viewed equally less purely physical; for instance, martial arts that are said to be "internal styles" are sometimes also known every bit "soft styles", for their focus on mental techniques or spiritual pursuits.
Hard technique [edit]
A hard technique meets forcefulness with strength, either with a linear, head-on force-blocking technique, or by diagonally cutting the strike with one'southward force. Although hard techniques require greater forcefulness for successful execution, it is the mechanics of the technique that accomplish the defense. Examples are:
- A kickboxing low boot aimed to break the attacker's leg.
- A Karate block aimed to intermission or halt the aggressor's arm.
Hard techniques tin can be used in criminal offence, defence force, and counter-law-breaking. They are afflicted by footwork and skeletal alignment. For the most part, hard techniques are direct. The key point of a hard technique is interrupting the flow of set on: in counter-offense they expect to intermission the assault and in offense they are direct and committed blows or throws. Hard techniques use muscle more soft techniques.
Soft technique [edit]
Tai sabaki step diagram, 180-degree.
The goal of the soft technique is deflecting the aggressor's force to his or her disadvantage, with the defender exerting minimal force and requiring minimal strength.[1] With a soft technique, the defender uses the attacker's force and momentum against him or her, by leading the attack(er) in a direction to where the defender will be advantageously positioned (tai sabaki) and the assaulter off balance; a seamless movement then furnishings the appropriate soft technique. In some styles of martial art like Fly Chun, a series of progressively difficult, two-student training drills, such equally pushing hands or sticky hands, teach to practice the soft-technique(s); hence:
(1) The defender leads the attack by redirecting the attacker'due south forces confronting him or her, or away from the defender — instead of meeting the attack with a block. The mechanics of soft technique defenses usually are round: Yielding is coming together the forcefulness with no resistance, like a projectile glancing off a surface without damaging it. Another example could be: an Aikido cheque/block to an attacker's arm, which re-directs the incoming energy of the blow.
A tomoenage front sacrifice throw used against a forepart-pushing attacker.
(two) The soft technique usually is applied when the attacker is off-rest, thus the defender achieves the "maximum efficiency" ideal posited by Kano Jigoro (1860–1938), the founder of judo. The Taijiquan (T'ai chi ch'uan) histories report "a force of iv taels being able to move a thousand catties", referring to the principle of Taiji — a moving mass tin can seem weightless. Soft techniques — throws, armlocks, etc. — might resemble hard martial art techniques, yet are distinct because their application requires minimal strength. (run into kuzushi)
- In Fencing, with a parry, the defender guides or checks the attacker'south sword away from himself, rather than endure the strength of a directly block; it likely is followed by riposte and counter-riposte.
- In Classical Fencing, other techniques appear in all forms of swordplay which fall into the soft category, the near obvious being the disengage where the fencer or swordsman uses the force per unit area of his opponent to undo and modify lines on his opponent giving him an advantage in the bind.
- In Blank-knuckle boxing or Pugilism, with a parry, the defender guides or checks the attacker's blow away from himself, attempting to cause the aggressor to over commit to his blow and allow an easy riposte and counter-riposte.
- In Judo and Jujutsu when the attacker (uke) pushes towards the defender (tori), the tori drops under the uke, whilst lifting the uke over himself, effecting the Tomoe Nage throw with one of his legs. The technique is categorized every bit a "front cede technique" in judo and jujutsu styles. The push from the uke can be direct, or it can be a response to a push from the tori.[ citation needed ]
- With martial arts styles such as T'ien Ti Tao Ch'uan-shu P'ai the soft style is also in keeping with the Taoist philosophy, the idea that the technique can also be applied in mental terms equally well every bit physical.
Soft techniques can exist used in offense but are more likely to appear in defense and counter criminal offense. Much like hard techniques they are effected past pes work and skeletal alignment. Where a hard technique in defence oft aims to interrupt the flow of attack; a soft technique aims to misdirect it, move around it or depict it into over commitment, in counter offense a soft technique may announced equally a slip or a vault or but using the momentum of a technique against the user. Soft techniques in offense would usually only include feints and pulling motions only the definition and categorization may modify from one fine art course to another.
Soft techniques are also characterized as being circular in nature and considered internal (using Qi (Chinese) or ki (Japanese and Korean)) by martial arts such as t'ai chi ch'uan, hapkido and aikido.
Principle of Jū [edit]
The principle of Ju ( 柔 , Jū, Yawara ) underlies all classical Bujutsu methods and was adopted by the developers of the Budō disciplines. Acting according to the principle of Jū, the classical warrior could intercept and momentarily control his enemy's blade when attacked, then, in a wink, could counter-attack with a force powerful enough to cleave armor and kill the foe. The same principle of Jū permitted an unarmed exponent to unbalance and hurl his foe to the ground. Terms similar "Jūjutsu" and "Yawara" fabricated the principle of Jū the all-pervading ane in methods cataloged under these terms. That principle was rooted in the concept of pliancy or flexibility, as understood in both a mental and a physical context. To apply the principle of Jū, the exponent had to be both mentally and physically capable of adapting himself to whatever situation his adversary might impose on him.
There are ii aspects of the principle of Jū that are in abiding operation, both interchangeable and inseparable. 1 attribute is that of "yielding", and is manifest in the exponent's actions that accept the enemy's force of assail, rather than oppose him by meeting his strength directly with an equal or greater force, when it is advantageous to do so. Information technology is economical in terms of energy to have the foe'due south forcefulness by intercepting and warding it off without direct opposing information technology; merely the tactic by which the force of the foe is dissipated may exist every bit forcefully made as was the foe's original action.
The principle of Jū is incomplete at this indicate because yielding is essentially only a neutralization of the enemy's strength. While giving fashion to the enemy'due south force of attack in that location must instantly be practical an action that takes reward of the enemy, now occupied with his set on, in the form of a counterattack. This second attribute of the principle of Jū makes allowance for situations in which yielding is impossible because it would pb to disaster. In such cases "resistance" is justified. But such opposition to the enemy's actions is simply momentary and is quickly followed by an activeness based on the first aspect of Jū, that of yielding.
Distinction from "external and internal" [edit]
There is disagreement amidst different schools of Chinese martial arts about how the two concepts of "Hard/Soft" and "External/Internal" apply to their styles.[ citation needed ]
Among styles that this terminology is practical to, traditional Taijiquan equates the terms while maintaining several finer shades of distinction.[2]
Hard styles typically use a penetrating, linear "external force" whereas soft styles normally use a circular, flowing "internal force" where the free energy of the technique goes completely through the opponent for difficult/external strikes while the energy of the technique is by and large absorbed by the opponent for soft/internal strikes.[3]
See besides [edit]
- Aiki (martial arts principle)
References [edit]
- ^ Fu, Zhongwen (2006) [1996]. Mastering Yang Way Taijiquan. Louis Swaine. Berkeley, California: Blueish Snake Books. ISBN1-58394-152-five.
- ^ c.f. The martial arts FAQ, built upwards over years of discussion on rec.martial.arts. In office i, at that place is an entry for hard vs soft and internal vs external.
- ^ TanDaoKungFu, TanDao Fight Lab #2 Difficult & Soft Palm Strikes, Tandao.com, archived from the original on 2021-12-xix, retrieved 2019-01-19 Youtube, July sixteen, 2010 Lawrence Tan
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_and_soft_techniques