Although in Karate there are many different schools that have evolved from its origin in Okinawa in the early 1900's (and the father of modern day Karate, Gichin Funakoshi) in general these styles can also be classified in a either 'hard' or 'soft' style, or even a mixture of both.
Hard karate style is where a large emphasis is placed on strength and large heavy blows or strikes to disable an opponent. Power is generated through stiffness & strength in the muscles.
Soft karate style on the other hand is more focused on being able to use an opponents own strength and momentum against them, with more emphasis on yielding type moves or small actions/techniques that can unbalance an opponent. Power is generated here internally via strong rooting of the feet to the floor and then being able to spiral energy through the body. 'Strength' or hardness may then still be applied but more often at the very end of a move to generate force - this technique can also greatly enhance the speed at which one can execute a move.
As well as classifying a type of Karate in a hard or soft style, one can also however classify a fighter in the same way. A very good example of this is when considering the journey from a beginner to a very experienced karate-ka who has undertaken years of training.
In the beginning when first learning techniques, an individual will be very deliberate or even clumsy with certain moves and will also lack the control that comes with many years of practice. The ability to relax and use other techniques or parts of the body to generate power is also substituted for direct force in the early days.
With experience comes the ability to be much more subtle and efficient with basic moves (e.g blocks or strikes becoming much smaller and effective), and the ability to read an opponents actions, balance, strengths and weaknesses
Individual fighters may also have a tendency towards the hard or soft depending on their own physical make-up, strength and even mental attitude. Personally I probably fit into this category (which is also why I have this Black Belt project!) and so trying to train in a more soft style can be as much a mental challenge as physical. Some karate-ka may also have trained for many years in a hard style (e.g. Shotokan), these traits becoming ingrained so when faced with changing clubs to one which may focus on more soft style, this can also be a challenge to adapt.
So what's best, soft or hard style? The answer is there probably isn't really one but that it depends on the situation and your opponent. One could imagine that in a situation of immediate 'threat' by an attacker, a stop at all costs approach might be appropriate with a strong strike to disable them. In other scenarios soft will be more effective for example in a 'close quarter' confrontation where the ability to apply a large heavy strike would be limited.
Clearly level of skill is also a big factor as a karate-ka will only be able to apply the softer techniques with the appropriate expertise. In a heated confrontational situation an individual may therefore have a tendency to revert to hard style. Again, speaking from experience I have definitely found this in sparring, and can also become more pronounced when tired!
I think this final point demonstrates why it's so important to develop those soft karate skills, to really make sure they become embedded in your karate so they become automatic when in a challenging situation.
Clearly level of skill is also a big factor as a karate-ka will only be able to apply the softer techniques with the appropriate expertise. In a heated confrontational situation an individual may therefore have a tendency to revert to hard style. Again, speaking from experience I have definitely found this in sparring, and can also become more pronounced when tired!
I think this final point demonstrates why it's so important to develop those soft karate skills, to really make sure they become embedded in your karate so they become automatic when in a challenging situation.
