What are some softer forms of Martial Arts?

Question

Just gained my black belt in Tae Kwon do, and need to move to a different type with my dad, and little brother. We were thinking of something like Tai Chi, Krav Maga, but are unsure.

Help!

Answer 1

Krav Maga isn't really soft. It's not really even a martial art. It takes bits from multiple styles, yes, but has no indigenous pieces. It's more of a system of doing things at full speed and high intensity, and using whatever it takes to get the job done quickly and keep you alive.

Tai Chi is an internal art; it's based on forms rather than combat. But this doesn't mean it can't be used in combat.

I don't think martial arts get much softer than Aikido. For something along the same lines, but more combative, try Aikijutsu (this may be hard to find in the United States). Judo also.

I can't seem to think of anything else right now.

Answer 2

Tai Chi is a very soft form. Krav Maga is actually pretty aggressive but they use a soft form while doing it if that makes sense.

Other arts you may consider are some forms of Kung Fu like Wu Shu or Shaolin.

Most Japanese styles are hard not soft.

Tai Chi is probably the softest of the list so far. It is a great art and esp for excersize. A Billion China men do it every day!!

Answer 3

Tai chi is a very good soft art and is a very good complement to a hard martial art.

one of the great things about tai chi is that you can do it at any pace or intensity.

mostly you learn it slowly and focus on technique and style.

there is nothing stopping us from practicing at your own pace and trying to get lower to make it harder. you naturally progress that way once you get further into it as well.

once you master it you can also do it with iron rings on your arms, ive seen some people do it and it certainly is incredibly hard work.

tai chi is also of great benefit to any other art you are learning or know, it helps to develop power in your stance and can teach you some very good breathing techniques.

it also helps with generating and releasing power.

where i train i learn both kung fu and tai chi, they are considered to be the left and right hand of chinese martial art training.

learning tai chi is learning to build chi and learning kung fu is learning to release chi.

the two styles complement each other, giving a total yin and yang training experience.

if your going to do it, try and find a teacher who teaches chen style : )

Answer 4

Tai Chi is done soft in America.

In China, it is practiced properly, using the principles of Yin Yang.

This means that your movements go from slow to fast and vice-versa, and soft to hard and vice-versa... they rise and sink and so on.

Whenever you see it being done slow is when they teach older people or when the practitioner is an elderly person who has many years of practice and can rattle your brain with a shake of his/her body.

This is so for all the Neijia arts - Hsing I, Pa Kua, Lui He Ba Fa, and also the Hakka arts such as Southern Mantis and Chow Gar; Chu Gar, etc.

krav maga is nothing compared to these arts.

Answer 5

Softer forms of Martial Arts typically refer to internal arts. Internal arts focus more on effeciency, using opponents energy, leverage, chi energy, positioning, etc. as opposed to external arts which focus on strength, conditioning, power, brute force, etc. As a side note, internal arts often have some external in them and vice versa. Examples of internal chinese martial arts would be Tai Chi Chuan, Bagua, Hsing-i. Some other soft martial arts would be Judo, and Aikido. Don't be fooled by their softness or their philosophies. When trained for martial purposes, they are all devestating arts in their own right.

Answer 6

Qi Gong - it is similar to Tai Chi. I did a couple of sessions and found it relaxing and also could see the self defense value of the movements.

Answer 7

Both are good, but Krav Maga will teach you weapons.

Answer 8

Nerf boxing