Although I have used the Godai analogy to describe the 4 AFA that makes up STMA, it is also true that each Art can manifest the 4 elements.
Each element is a manifestation of your inner feeling:
Earth - confidence
Water - fear
Fire - Anger
Wind - compassion
The physical postures, called kamae, and movements are manifestations of these feelings in combat.
It is a MISTAKE to believe you can select to be one element and fight that way as you need to adapt and respond as the need arises. The only element you should try to be is Ku - The Void.
Let's look at an example of a specific AFA using the 4 elements.
Eskrima - though we classed Kobudo as the wind element of STMA, fighting with a weapon can use any of the 4 elements.
In a weapon attack the opponent comes in with a #1 strike, the caveman strike, the natural strike of the Human animal.
Let's see how you respond:
Water - you defend. You roll back into largo, removing yourself from the path of attack and strike at his hand to make him drop his weapon. You can then respond with a counter to his head once he has been "defanged".
Fire - you attack. You crash the line with a roof block, burning through his attack and taking his head off with a powerful strike of your own.
Earth - you intercept. As he steps in with his stick in caveman chamber you step forward to meet his intention and deliver your strike on the half beat. You neither attack or defend, you just use the appropriate move with proper distance and timing. This is based on the confidence that you were never in any real danger.
Wind - you evade. Moving with triangle footwork you sidestep and attack his hand. Unlike Water, you are not retreating and being defensive, you simply move sideways and he strikes empty air. Then your own strike hits like lightning.
