The difference between Skill and Technique

[NotaNuffian]

Well someone in NUF posted something asking about Sword Skill vs Sword Technique in Herding Gods and no one answered, I myself suddenly have the same question as I often find authors have their own takes and make them swappable. A quick google search had the two differentiated. The former is quantifiable while the latter is more on refinement of current process.

Still doesn't make much sense until I sort of hit Omni Magician, a CN that you need to read lightheartenedly, there are sections that it tried to quantify the levels between mages and swordsmen (the only two classes that exist in that world) and somewhere in the literature, I read something along the line like "sword skills are the cool effects one can do with the sword, while sword techniques are long dead as they are seen as flashy and impractical than just a Power Slash at the enemy." Then MC gets a "practical" sword technique with moves that emphasize on from being at the optimal position to strike the opponent to footworks that featured rolls and cartwheels that actually works.

What I am implying is that Sword Skill in this case is like the number of method you can use to do your thing while Sword Technique is about efficiency. Kind of fits the bill of google though.

So what is your take on the difference between the two.

 

[Deleted member 29316]

I just looked it up in the dictionary so...

Skill is the expertise on something while Technique is a way of doing things.

We can say that a skill is a compilation of techniques, just like what @flucket is implying. (Skill is broad, technique is precise)

 

[NotaNuffian]

I mean I think it varies between specific context but my personal take is:

"Skill" is broad, "technique" is specific. You can having "painting skill", aka the basic skill to be able to paint, but impasto is a specific "painting technique" that lends texture to painting.

In the same way, "sword skill" is the basic ability to hold and swing the sword with proficiency, and a "sword technique" would be the riposte.

I just looked it up in the dictionary so...

Skill is the expertise on something while Technique is a way of doing things.

We can say that a skill is a compilation of techniques, just like what @flucket is implying. (Skill is broad, technique is precise)

Question - ToHG: Sword Skill vs Sword Technique

I can't remember the distinction the author makes between weapon skills and weapon techniques in Tales of Herding Gods. Can anyone remind me of the...

forum.novelupdates.com

Here is the NUF thread, so from the both of you two's context, skill is broad, like sword skill is just knowing how to swing a sword, be they arming or bastard, while sword technique is like knowing how to swing a bastard sword like an arming sword.

Going by the context of THG, it feels weird, because in layman terms, MC Qin Mu knows how to do a shit tons of Getsuga/ sword beam spam and his Junior (who is old enough to be his uncle) learns and adds on more sword techniques (there are seven sword techniques and all of them created by the Qin Ancestor), increasing the number to the current twelve. in the case of techniques, they are more like groundworks/ basic movements/ alphabets of any sword skills created.

 

[The_LivingLegend]

I always thought that skill was your general, ya know, skill at whatever subject; how good you are at it, while technique was how good you are at using that skill. Sorta like the difference between wisdom and intelligence.

 

[NotaNuffian]

I always thought that skill was your general, ya know, skill at whatever subject; how good you are at it, while technique was how good you are at using that skill. Sorta like the difference between wisdom and intelligence.

Then I get whacked with the mana breathing technique with no mention of mana breathing skill.

 

[Discount_Blade]

Then I get whacked with the mana breathing technique with no mention of mana breathing skill.

You're trying to find quality and logic in CN/Xianxias. STOP IT before you hurt yourself. They are the bottomfeeder fiction for a reason.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Then I would assume that the mana breathing technique is like, a specific way of breathing mana. Like, everyone knows how to breathe. We all have the skill called "inhaling and then exhaling". But in meditation techniques, there are specific ways of breathing to specific rhythms that aid in meditation because of blah blah oxygenation blah blah science. A common example is the 3-2-4 (inhale 3secs, hold for 2secs, exhale 4secs). So we can assume that the "skill" of breathing mana is whether or not you're capable at all, and the "technique" is a specific style/rhythm of breathing it in and out.

Also I tried reading THG once and I just couldn't really get into it so my eyes are glazing over at that thread, sorry.

Nah, THG got me good because of the nostalgia with the Condor Heroes and I ends up reading more. So Skill is what you can do and Technique is how well you can do it. That actually kind of sucks because in most LitRPG they just put up skills with small mentions to techniques via level up, it kind of killed the Technique industry as to who has the higher level therefore they can hit harder.

 

[NotaNuffian]

You're trying to find quality and logic in CN/Xianxias. STOP IT before you hurt yourself. They are the bottomfeeder fiction for a reason.

Yeah... kind of sad actually, it is like I am trying to quantify the notion of double jumping IRL (Kyle Hill did that), the thing is that while their topics are absurd, the notion of mana/ chi/ whatever wind you are sucking is can be as interesting as the working mechanism as those of Omni Directional Gear. I like to get technical in order to find out its strengths, improvements and of course weaknesses.

 

[Deleted member 29316]

Question - ToHG: Sword Skill vs Sword Technique

I can't remember the distinction the author makes between weapon skills and weapon techniques in Tales of Herding Gods. Can anyone remind me of the...

forum.novelupdates.com

Here is the NUF thread, so from the both of you two's context, skill is broad, like sword skill is just knowing how to swing a sword, be they arming or bastard, while sword technique is like knowing how to swing a bastard sword like an arming sword.

Going by the context of THG, it feels weird, because in layman terms, MC Qin Mu knows how to do a shit tons of Getsuga/ sword beam spam and his Junior (who is old enough to be his uncle) learns and adds on more sword techniques (there are seven sword techniques and all of them created by the Qin Ancestor), increasing the number to the current twelve. in the case of techniques, they are more like groundworks/ basic movements/ alphabets of any sword skills created.

I don't know with xianxias, but from what I understand, the skill is the ability, and technique is how you use the ability.

Like, I'm skilled in drawing/illustrations. But when it comes to digital illustrations, I suck. My drawing technique lies in traditional pen-and-paper (and scanner).

 

[Discount_Blade]

I don't know with xianxias, but from what I understand, the skill is the ability, and technique is how you use the ability.

Like, I'm skilled in drawing/illustrations. But when it comes to digital illustrations, I suck. My drawing technique lies in traditional pen-and-paper (and scanner).

Probably the best example for the differences here between skill and technique.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Hmm, for me I'd say LitRPG skills vs. technique would be something like "fire magic" is a skill, but "fireball" is a technique. Fire magic is, broadly, the skill of fire-element magic, but fireball is a specific technique execution of fire magic (and even broader than that, fire magic is itself a "technique" of "magic skill").

Like I said at the start, I think it largely comes down to context. Other authors may interpret it differently. I think what matters less is not whether or not you are given a concrete definition of what these words mean, but more like that there feels as though there is a solid internal logic and clear conveyance of lore - and based off what you've said in this thread, it sounds like you're not being given that internal logic by the story. Like, the "mana breathing technique" suddenly being introduced when before that moment, you weren't given any indication of the concept of "mana breathing" at all.

If I'm getting this correct, it would suddenly be like having a character taught how to fire a gun, when before then there was no indication that firearms was a technology of the world? So I think it's less "what is the difference between these two concepts" and more like "how well is the internal logic of the story in the way it personally uses these concepts conveyed to the reader".

Sadly as of now, I am still banging my forehead on the desk because the whole broad to specific and specific to hyper-specific is tearing me apart, while @HansTrondheim 's explanation is there, a bit like drawing skill vs drawing technique, then to me it somehow spiral down to when does the skill ends and the technique begins? Like punching, punching is a skill, you twist your hip and throw your shoulder and arm out like a whip. Then you can break it down to techniques of hip twisting without dislodging your spine and straighthening arm to ensure proper enegery transfer BS. I somehow am back at Herding Gods' Sword Skill vs Technique again...

 

[Deleted member 29316]

It's like this...

Skill answers the question, 'What'? Like, what is your expertise? What is your skill? (Example: What is my expertise? Answer: Drawing/Illustration)

While, Technique answers the question, 'How'? Like, how did you do that? (Example: how do you do your drawings? Answer: By pencil and paper)

So in martial arts...

"What is your expertise?" "In punching."

"How do you dispose of your enemies?" "By doing the one-inch punch."

Hopefully it clears your confusion.

 

[Ral]

For me, skill is how well you do something while technique is how to do/create something.

Take Drawing:

If I asked of your drawing skill, I'm asking as to how well you are able to make a drawing. Leonardo Da Vinci for example is really skilled at drawing, I'm not.

If I asked about techniques then I'm talking about how you create the drawing. Hatching, laying down parallel lines to imply tone, for example is a technique. Stippling, is using numerous dots to build your drawing, is another technique.

Of course you can ask how skilled you are in applying the techniques. Like how skilled you are in using the hatching technique to build forms in your drawing.

Another way to think of this is that skill can be rated (like 1 to 10) while techniques can't. Of course being unskilled results to a lower rating and highly skilled a higher rating. Technique is just how the stuff is done. Laying down parallel lines with your pencil is hatching technique, that is it.

 

[NotaNuffian]

So, to quantify what is actually unquantifiable by following another rabbit even though I am still not done with this one. This time in Murim Login! A KR talking about... xianxia. !%@&$*#

So the Jin House foot technique... my god. The naming sense is killing me already.

Following @flucket @HansTrondheim @Ral the foot technique is in this case should be referring to the footworks skill and because murim is a cesspool, everyone has their own techniques to feet placement. Please tell me I am correct so that I may remove my genital from the vice, I am not joking, my left ball has been throbbing in pain since the start of this topic.

 

[Deleted member 29316]

So, to quantify what is actually unquantifiable by following another rabbit even though I am still not done with this one. This time in Murim Login! A KR talking about... xianxia. !%@&$*#

So the Jin House foot technique... my god. The naming sense is killing me already.

Following @flucket @HansTrondheim @Ral the foot technique is in this case should be referring to the footworks skill and because murim is a cesspool, everyone has their own techniques to feet placement. Please tell me I am correct so that I may remove my genital from the vice, I am not joking, my left ball has been throbbing in pain since the start of this topic.

I haven't read the excerpt. Can you give me one excerpt from THG?

 

[NotaNuffian]

I haven't read the excerpt. Can you give me one excerpt from THG?

Err, no, because I cannot copy the text from Webnovel. Also, there are loads of people hating on the work. I really cannot blame them because I myself did skip some walls of texts and the ending is ambigious, just like the author's previous work. In fact, I got drawn in because of the previous work and might be riding the nostalgia of the finished old work plus my childhood Condor Heroes. And that since a long long long time, an author actually tried to quantify cultivation.

 

[Deleted member 29316]

Err, no, because I cannot copy the text from Webnovel. Also, there are loads of people hating on the work. I really cannot blame them because I myself did skip some walls of texts and the ending is ambigious, just like the author's previous work. In fact, I got drawn in because of the previous work and might be riding the nostalgia of the finished old work plus my childhood Condor Heroes. And that since a long long long time, an author actually tried to quantify cultivation.

Tis fine. I guess you just got confused with how the author used and jumbled 'skill' and 'technique'.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

Difference between technique and skill according to Asami-hime.

Technique is understanding from a "technical" point of view. You achieve a scientific understanding of the process reproducible through practise and training.

That is technique. Technique provides you with instruments, with tools.

Skill goes beyond that. Skill regards the application of technique depending on external circumstances. Technique itself is aimless, without purpose, but skill introduces technique into a broader picture.

Example, a simple block with a sword. That is a technique, but why do you block? Obviously, to defend against an incoming strike.

Technique teaches how to block, but not when. If you are on the defence blocking is a good move, but not if you are on the offence. If you press your advantage and try to maintain momentum and initiative, blocking is a wrong move.

Skill is basically another word for situational awareness and decision making.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Judging from this... I'd say it's a technique because it's a specific type of footwork, not just generalised "footwork"?

But I think you're like, going about this the wrong way. I thought you were posting this thread to ask for a generalised take on what authors consider to be skill vs. technique, since this is the author discussion subforum of an amateur writing website, but it sounds more like you're asking us to clarify what the specific author of this specific novel, and the specific translator who translated this specific novel, meant by those words which... nobody can do, except the novel author+translators.

I said at the start "it depends on the context", which is an annoying an unhelpful answer, but it's kind of true! You're asking us to explain the words as used in the context of a novel we've never read. Sorry. I cannot help you, I doubt anyone can (except the aforementioned parties).

I think you need to take Discount_Blade's advice and just turn your brain tf off and stop trying to figure it out. The novel uses the words as it wants to use them, and whether or not there's an internal consistency, I have no goddamn idea. I dropped the novel myself because, frankly, it just wasn't all that good.

Edit: I want to just add something: I do not personally know enough about the forms of Chinese as languages to say for certain, but it is also possible that in the original Chinese texts, the author used words that did not have direct 1:1 translations into English, and so the translator made a decision to pick words based on, say, aesthetic value, since they could not present an accurate translation anyway. Again, I don't know. I don't know any forms of Chinese, I have not seen the original text, but remember that translators do take these liberties sometimes. Especially, not to be rude, but especially on a website like Webnovel given their translation standards. Your confusion may not be coming from the author, but because the translator decided "technique" sounded """cooler""" in certain scenarios.

So again, it's better to stop trying to figure it out.

Yes, thank you, I know I am being a pain right now and I do agree to your answer. And then shit takes a left in my brain when I tried to decipher whatever text I am reading instead of tabulating the proper sum for the company's expense and I have fucked up so, so bad somewhere.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

Well someone in NUF posted something asking about Sword Skill vs Sword Technique in Herding Gods and no one answered, I myself suddenly have the same question as I often find authors have their own takes and make them swappable. A quick google search had the two differentiated. The former is quantifiable while the latter is more on refinement of current process.

Still doesn't make much sense until I sort of hit Omni Magician, a CN that you need to read lightheartenedly, there are sections that it tried to quantify the levels between mages and swordsmen (the only two classes that exist in that world) and somewhere in the literature, I read something along the line like "sword skills are the cool effects one can do with the sword, while sword techniques are long dead as they are seen as flashy and impractical than just a Power Slash at the enemy." Then MC gets a "practical" sword technique with moves that emphasize on from being at the optimal position to strike the opponent to footworks that featured rolls and cartwheels that actually works.

What I am implying is that Sword Skill in this case is like the number of method you can use to do your thing while Sword Technique is about efficiency. Kind of fits the bill of google though.

So what is your take on the difference between the two.

Skill=efficiency. Technique = methodology.
Skill determines your efficiency in whatever method you choose to use