# Hard or Soft?



## Scout_379 (Jul 10, 2004)

There are hard styles of MA's and soft ones.  Which do u belong to? And wat are your opinions on the benefits of each?  I'm considering trying another MA in addition to Karate, so is it boxing or Tai-chi?  Muay-thai or Aikido?  lil help pls!


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## tshadowchaser (Jul 10, 2004)

Depends on what you want and what you want to do to get there.
Hard styles offer you a vigorous workout, a good cardio workout, and the knowledge of what you body can withstand. This dose come with bumps, bruises, scrapes, possible broken bone, but they are little thing.
Soft styles may teach you to control your breathing, channel energy to parts of your body, to look at things in a flow rather than chaotic sense, have health benefits rather than injury possibilities.
Both have their merits and both can be found in many arts.


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## midnightninja (Jul 10, 2004)

Picking just one probably wouldn't benefit you as much as an equal balance of the two. I think that's why hard and soft styles are typically combined because it gives you more of a well-rounded development in the martial arts. Rather than deciding on just the hard or soft style, what kind of MA do you want to study? I'd do research on the different MA's because each one will offer different approaches to the hard and soft styles. It just depends on what approach you benefit from the most


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## MA-Caver (Jul 10, 2004)

Over the years I've studied both hard and soft styles. Right now at my age and experience I'd prefer to study a soft style and stay with it. Main reason for it is because I feel that I've outgrown the "hard" strikes and kicks. It's something that I personally don't feel comfortable doing anymore. I would prefer to keep the attacker/assailant/antagonist away from me and if necessary subdue them with a lock until they decide that it's not in their best interest to keep messing with me. Knocking the crap out of someone with one or several combination of punches and kicks just doesn't hold that appeal to me anymore  :idunno: .  However, I will (and still can) strike if the need calls for it.           
I said leave me *alone!!*  :whip: 
I'm more interested now in the soft styles of Hapikido and Akidido than anything else, but EPAK still holds my attention at this point in time. 

 :asian:


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## Ceicei (Jul 10, 2004)

Both hard and soft. I study American Kenpo and Judo. The two styles complement well. I like the strikes, kicks, and locks of Kenpo. I also like the throws, pins, and chokes of Judo.

- Ceicei


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## Scout_379 (Jul 10, 2004)

Many thx for all your comments. My style right now has a fairly equal balance of hard and soft techniques, and i can't help but agree with u all. Hard styles build an exterior strength and mental toughness, but I am very interested in the core strength and mental calm of a soft style. Although I would like to experience the extremes of each, I think i find the end result of the softer MA's more appealing, (eg. still jump kickin at 80!)


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## Mark Weiser (Jul 10, 2004)

I currently Study with Trevor Haines and James Ibrao both incorporate Kenpo with the soft art of Whu Shu. Great Combination

Mark E. Weiser


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## Ippon Ken (Jul 12, 2004)

I don't think we delineate in the Okinawan styles. All Okinawan karate is a combo of hard and soft. You can't be complete unless you understand how these concepts work together, not separately. That's my take on the whole "neijia/weijia" thing.


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## Gary Crawford (Jul 12, 2004)

since I study JKD,I do both hard and soft.At 41,I prefere not to do any more hard style than I have to.I prefere being elusive much more than confrontational.In simpler terms-I'd rather not being there when my opponent attacks than endurung a hard clash.


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## Scout_379 (Jul 12, 2004)

Ippon Ken said:
			
		

> I don't think we delineate in the Okinawan styles. All Okinawan karate is a combo of hard and soft. You can't be complete unless you understand how these concepts work together, not separately. That's my take on the whole "neijia/weijia" thing.


True, most styles of Karate are a combination, but some are harder or softer than others. 
What do you mean by complete?


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## hippy (Jul 23, 2004)

it depends on what differentiates between hard + soft styles

generally, the 'hard' styles are the taekwondo + karate + grappling styles (jujitsu, aikido etc)

whereas the soft styles are the kung-fu + tai-chi variants.

a lot of people reckon it is to do with how much the style can 'flow'

but a good karate practitioner can make his style flow nearly as much as most kung-fu styles. and visa-versa (poor 1980's film), those who have seen tai-chi done fast can vouch for how hard it feels and looks.

nearly all styles have hard + soft technique and katas/forms, there isn't the same kind of divide these days, now that more and more people are understanding more about their style and techniques.

i tend to feel that techniques that are force-on force are the hard ones,
whilst the techniques that use your opponents strength against them would be the softer ones.

my main style is wado-ryu. generally treated as a 'hard' style. but very much an all-rounder i feel.


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