Structure without softness means the bigger, stronger guy with better frame dominates
Softness without structure means the bigger, stronger guy with better frame dominates
WSJ used to refer to the 63rd trigram, Jiji, hard and soft inter-penetrated. You absolutely need both.
In the way in which I was taught, this corresponds to the hard work initially of jibengong building the right shenfa/ frame. This, done properly also develops softness, folding of the joints, rotation etc. but it is not stressed at this stage. Once you start to develop the softness a bit more deliberately you find that this sort of training has already been working it into your basic movement patterns. It also means that you are used to both expressing and receiving force so that the softness isn't "empty" (in the bad sense of the word )