In martial arts

Martial arts

Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....

, the terms hard and soft technique(s) denote how forcefully a defender martial artist counters the force

Force

In physics, a force is any influence that causes an object to undergo a change in speed, a change in direction, or a change in shape. In other words, a force is that which can cause an object with mass to change its velocity , i.e., to accelerate, or which can cause a flexible object to deform...

 of an attack in armed and unarmed combat. In the East Asian martial arts

East Asian martial arts

East Asian martial arts:*Chinese martial arts*Japanese martial arts*Korean martial arts*Indian martial arts*Thai martial arts-See also:*Asian martial arts *History of East Asian martial arts*List of Asian martial arts*South Asian martial arts...

, the corresponding hard technique and soft technique terms are 硬 (pinyin yìng, Japanese gō) and 柔 (pinyin róu, Japanese jū), hence Jujutsu

Jujutsu

Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....

 (“art of softness”, “way of yielding”) and Judo

Judo

is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...

 (“gentle way”).

In European Martial arts the same scale applies, especially in the German style of grappling and swordplay dating from the 14th century, the use of the term hard and soft is otherwise translated as strong and weak.
In later European martial arts the scale becomes less of a philosophic concept and more of a scientific approach to where two swords connect upon one another and the options applicable to each in the circumstance.

Regardless of origins and styles hard and soft can be seen simply as opposing or yielding; neither is better than the other as each has its application and must be used in its own way, and each makes use of specific timing principles and biomechanics

Biomechanics

Biomechanics is the application of mechanical principles to biological systems, such as humans, animals, plants, organs, and cells. Perhaps one of the best definitions was provided by Herbert Hatze in 1974: "Biomechanics is the study of the structure and function of biological systems by means of...

.
A hard technique meets force with force; either with a head-on-force blocking technique, or by diagonally cutting the strike with (one's) force.