Types of Soft Martial Arts

Having had a go at defining hard vs soft karate styles, I thought it would be worth trying to identify some of the main martial arts that are normally defined as soft style (so not just karate), the various techniques used and key differences between them. So here's a quick overview of some of the main soft martial art styles out there (in no particular order)........

Chinese Martial Arts

There are too many different types and styles of Chinese martial arts to really mention in detail on soft vs hard scale, however many soft styles use the same principle of Neigong, in martial terms is about developing internal power and focus on breathing in co-ordination with the individual's body. This offers the benefits on increased relaxation and helps the body move faster and more freely. The concept of qi or ch'i in Chinese martial arts is also important as this relates to an individual's inner energy, muscular and skeletal alignment....also important for generating power, balance and speed (not an expert in this one yet so probably need to read up a bit more!)

Key Chinese martial arts to note here are Kung-Fu (though there are many styles, Wing- Chun in particular is a good example of soft style close range) and Tai Chi

Quite a good guide to Kung-Fu styles can be found here:
http://martialarts.about.com/od/styles/a/kungfu.htm


Japanese Martial Arts

Many Japanese martial arts have are derived from their Chinese counterparts, with techniques and styles being adapted over the years. Key soft style Japanese martial arts are as follows:

Akido
Akido is a form of martial art which uses the momentum of the attacker and various strikes,grabs, locks and throws to overcome an opponent. Emphasis is also placed on absorbing or redirecting an attack rather than blocking or parrying

Judo
Also meaning 'gentle way' judo is characterised by various throws, grappling techniques and groundwork, using an opponents strength and weight against them. Specialist pins, holds, arm locks and choking techniques are also utlised.

Jujitsu
Both Akido and Judo have their roots in Jujutsu. Jutjitsu places emphasis on throwing, immobilising and pinning, joint locks, choking and strangling techniques, together with using an opponents own force or strength against them.

Karate
I found quite a good summary of different Karate styles on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karate_styles

Most styles use a combination of both hard and soft techniques, although a few including Goju-ryu place much more emphasis on the soft approach and the use of close quarter techniques, grabs and locks (more on this later when I cover Chin-na)