by Joshua Peacock

Created on: May 23, 2009

The martial arts are as diverse as people. After all, it is people who created them, and, it seems that everyone time one person takes a style and modifies it, he establishes his own system. What is important to understand is that even though every system is a little bit different than the next, they all share similarities.

There are two basic kinds of martial arts: Internal and External (or, "hard" and "soft"). Hard styles are characterized by physical conditioning and the use of speed and strength. Soft martial arts focus more on pure technique over strength, often relying more onsensitivity and whole body mechanics. This is generalizing though, because, in the end each style is thriving for the attributesfor the other. In this way, all martial arts are very similar-or at least are moving towards the same goal.

There two more basic kinds of martial arts. Those are circular, and linear. Circular martial arts your more round techniques, like hook punches, swing kicks, etc. Linear movements are techniques that travel a straight line, like straight punches, front kick, side kicks and palm heel strikes. Stereotypically, hard styles are known to use linear techniques, while soft are known to use circular. But this, again, is just generalization, and not very true. Most martial arts styles havea balance between the two.

When most martial artists think of a hard style, Karate comes to mind. Shorin-ryu is one of them, as well as Goju-ryu; though, like I mentioned before, both work towards soft elements. These styles use hard body conditioning, hard, unyielding strikes, and bone crushing blocks (except for Goju-ryu, which uses some softer, circular movements for blocking). Shorin-ryu uses straight forward, linear techniques, while Goju-ryu uses a balance of the two. Tiger Claw kung fu is another example of hard style, which uses all attack and no defense.

Taiji Quan (or Tai Chi Chuan), is a circular, internal style. It is generally practiced slow to build technique and sensitivity, and is known for using the whole body as one unit, creating the allusion of super human strength. As opposed to linear styles, Taiji redirects attacks rather than blocks them, then uses that energy against them. The concept is to yield first and then strike. Another style, Xingyi Chuan, is also internal, but is a linear style. Instead of yielding and them striking, Xingyi is characterized by explosive, straight attacks that advance right in on the target.

There are also styles that are both internal and external. Two examples of these highly sophisticated systems are Wing Chun Kung Fu and White Crane Kung Fu. They contain both sensitivity and explosive power, as well as the brutal strength of external styles.

There is also a difference between grappling and striking martial arts. Examples of these are Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Aikido and Shuai Jiao. These martial arts are based on locks, take-downs, breaks, chokes, escapes, throws and wrestling. Aikido is an internal grapplign art, based on blending with energy liek Taiji, then changing it to your advantage. Japanese Jujutsu is a type of grappling system that also has strikes.

As you can see, each martial art has its differences, but they all share similarities.

Learn more about this author, Joshua Peacock.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.