Soft technique?

I wonder if that is correct that it is suppose to be soft for you? I don't see it as a soft art either unless we are talking about some of the grappling techniques where you are suppose to relax and feel your opponents movements and then react. That you don't necessarily need strength but technique. But if this was the case then BJJ is a soft art as well. Very confusing?????

Just to clarify, strength is an important factor besides technique. When I weight lift I don't need to get tense to use my muscle strength to move the weight I just have to use the technique to move it while using that muscle and therefore I don't need to burn myself out. The same goes for the grappling. You can use your strength with technique while relaxing to move your opponent in the direction you want. Sorry ... probably go a little off topic.

Would still be curious to know why a soft art as I don't see it either.

as i stated above,soft in this instance means using more ki,less muscle.TKD is a "hard" style.it uses more strength.to see the difference,look at a video of mas oyama and one of O sensei.it is then easy to see hard vs. soft.hope this is clear.great question.

What is soft? What is hard?

Gozo Shioda's Aikido is said to be harder than O-sensei's. Still, his art is Aikido and Aikido is supposed to be soft.

In my opinion, JJJ is different from person to person sometimes. What you are shown now, I believe will grow softer as your techniques gets better and better. Like in Goju-ryu. At first you block hard, when you reach 1st Dan, the blocks becomes parries accompanied by grabs.

-Taison out

You can be really hard by being soft..........

Isn't that the goal..

Agreed.

This hard/soft business, it's just an illusion anyway. In the end, all arts tend be pretty much the same with hard accompanying soft, and soft followed by hard in an ever changing cycle.

-Taison out

In translation, Jiu Jitsu is a gentle art.

Gentle in energy, in mind.
Blending, flowing. You won't see two energies opposing each other purposely in JJ. You must learn to blend with energy. Feel it. Be aware of your energy and the opponents's.

Gentle in the way of a 100 lb. female tossing a 215 lb. male through the air without breaking a sweat.

A lot of science is dealt within. You find yourself analyzing movements piece by piece. Everytime you see it, you learn a different ingredient.

Blocking in Jiu-Jitsu has many elements to it.

Coming UP from the ground. Rising into the punch and changing levels. You never want to face an energy dead on. You'll get knocked down. Your hips should face your block. Always move your feet. Tai-Sabaki movements.

It might seem like your fighting the punch. But in reality, you're altering their energy while it's building. In this case, moving it upwards. You're taking their energy, blending with it, hijacking it, and changing the level of it. There are so many ways to do this. Change it to the side. See the punch late, step back, take the energy in and have fun with it. Redirect it. Or just knock them out with their own energy. The attacker always choose his fate. He decides how much pain he is going to receive.

Soft as in yielding like water or a willow. Not soft as in tofu.

Ummm, maybe it's soft like tofu but not brittle like tofu.... more like firm tofu, not the silken variety.

It would help if you specified what kind of jujutsu you are learning.

Jujutsu is jujutsu because it utilizes grappling moves as opposed to kenpo/fist moves. You might have hard blocks in there but overall the idea is to use very little force to overcome an opponent who may be much stronger than you by using body mechanics against them.

It wasn't meant to mean gentle or soft on the person receiving the technique. Gentle and soft as in the energy you use to perform them. Also on the mind. You're not as tense when doing an arm bar as your first class.

But yup, I agree in your post.

Glad you agree. I don't think, however, that "easy method" indicates anything about "soft" or "gentle". It just means that it's the easy way to get the job done.