Kung Fu 100-percent soft style. More properly called "wushu," it's the first known form of the martial arts. Wushu encompasses tai chi, another soft-style martial art that teaches you to gracefully deflect your opponent's energy without being aggressive. If you find a tai chi or kung fu school that you are interested in, ask  what techniques are practiced; speeds vary widely.

Kickboxing 100-percent hard. Developed as an American sport, rather than an Eastern martial art, it focuses on kicks and punches, including elbow strikes. Most Americans use it as a form of exercise.

Tae Bo Billy Blanks coined this term to describe his workout style, which blends tae kwon do and boxing. No "hard" or "soft" percentage is listed, because Tae Bo doesn't seek to teach self-defense.

Muay Thai 100-percent hard. Actually Thai kickboxing, the national sport of Thailand, muay thai is true hand-to-hand, as well as leg-to-leg (or chest) combat. Fighters using this technique kick and strike their opponents in every way, at close range, and in most areas of the body.