The REAL Difference Between Traditional Martial Arts and Combat Sports 

Point of Clarification (that I should have put in the video): Virtually every art is going to have SOME process elements and SOME results to look at. The difference in categories is in whether process or results is more important. I.E. Is throwing out the process to get better results a good or bad thing? Should you go off script in a sales call, in order to close the sale? Yes! Therefore, (most) sales is results-oriented. Should you use non-approved parts in order to repair an aircraft in a more timely manner? NO!!! Therefore, aircraft maintenance is process-oriented. Combat sports have processes, but those processes only exist to get better results. If something else can get you better results, you are free to throw the process out the window, and you get congratulated for innovating (or at least you should). In other martial arts, they make you do the move in a specific way irrespective of whether it seems to be working. I promise you that those classes exist. I've taken them. If you can discard the process in favor of results, it's results-oriented. If you can never, EVER discard the process, then it's process-oriented. Every martial art will have elements of each, but it will almost always definitively fall into one category or the other.

Wow this young man gives me hope for the future. He’s absolutely right; as a coach what I’ve seen even in combat sports a fighter’s style never looks like what you’ve shown them ten minutes ago. What he is describing is the difference between coaching and teaching. I teach children and new students and I coach the guys with no neck that moves as fast as Olympic sprinters because you can’t teach Beast Mode 😂 great video brother

A note on the crossover between process and results based learning. My jiu jitsu coach teaches largely with positional sparring. For example, you'll be put in half guard, and be given a goal. "Pass" for the competitor on top, and "Sweep or submit" to the competitor on bottom. Once you've shown someone a few options to pass guard, they'll try them all, and learn all the permutations of what works in what scenario. This is called "environmental learning." You learn from information provided by your environment, rather than trying to repeat what a coach shows you. Trying to copy a 9 step triangle choke is hard. It also falls apart the moment your opponent resists, because they interrupt you at step 2. Alternatively, you can drill trying to sweep or submit someone from your guard while they try to pass, for 5, 2 minute rounds. You learn what works for you much faster this way. Getting every step of the triangle before they try to use it is not an effective way to learn it. Isolating the aspects of the technique entirely from all the wild, unpredictable, exhausting, intimidating variables is what Aikido does, and that is why it's so renowned for being ineffective.

I was training at a judo dojo in Los Angeles - a fairly old school one, taught in a relatively traditional Japanese method compared with the more “modern” approach used by the dojo in my home state. A lot of strict collar-sleeve grip action, a lot of complaining about “weird” grips and techniques used in competition, etc. And I noticed that, unlike the judo school I train at in my home state, the head instructor would try to impose his style on us a lot more. Like, if I was doing something slightly unorthodox, I would hear him shout “USE THE STANDARD GRIP!!!” From all the way across the giant gym and somehow know he was talking to me. But I noticed that he never made those comments if someone’s unique strategy actually worked. Like, if I abandoned my traditional collar sleeve grip to get an unusual grip and got a throw, he wouldn’t complain. Only if I grabbed onto my opponent with a non-standard grip and just held onto it for fifteen seconds without getting a throw at all. My interpretation was that he was a teacher who highly valued the basics and structured curriculum of traditional judo and maybe was a bit stuck in his ways, but that on some level he recognizes that results matter more than sticking to a mold. That focusing on winning ultimately trumps being a slave to the process

To be fair, as a beginner, you absolutely need a process based approach. If you are the strongest/baddest/heaviest/fastest guy in your gym, you can squash everybody based on your already existing attributes.

Av, just gotta say the teaching style of your videos is literally the BEST I've seen. As someone with ADD this really helps. I offically award you a black belt in teaching ADD people like me

Good explanation! 100% proper form and technique often goes out the window when you're in fight-or-flight mode, and someone is repeatedly punching you in the head or threatening to stab you. Many martial arts teach you a false sense of security, because you've never actually tested these techniques under pressure, stress or resistance. Choose a results-based approach if you're learning martial arts for self-defense and competition, and a process-based approach for recreation and fitness.

This will forever be my choice in nomenclature when describing the goals of varying martial arts. I believe in being results oriented and I have no problem with varying processes, so long as they contribute to the efficient obtainment of the results. Thanks for this, it really is a great way to clarify the traditional vs mma debate.

I wonder if this idea of focusing on process could have it's roots in preparing for warfare. We think of martial arts as being individualistic in either fighting for self-defense or competition, but there is a context under which you need to operate as part of a larger organization

I've had two BJJ coaches, one was very traditional and the other isn't. The first one corrected his son for demoing a technique differently than how Royce showed how to do it. The other shows three different variations of a triangle and says pick one or combine then shows you how he does it and explains why, then tells you to go play with it. I do triangles differently than him. He doesn't care. The first coach did care if we did something differently than the specific drill. He didn't like talking or for students to discuss the technique. You were to learn from him or approved people, and that depended on the day. The other couch (which is my current one is) has no problem with students discussing things, and helping each other. He encourages it. I've gotten in trouble at 2 different schools (which led to me getting kicked out) for going off script. Students would ask me questions and I'd answer and it wasn't always the "approved" answer. I started at his school and again, lower ranked students started asking me questions. Being gun shy, I went to talk to him about it. He said, you've been doing martial arts for almost 10 years and BJJ for almost 4 if you can't answer a white belts question than I've failed as an instructor and if you say something wrong I will correct it. If you're tapping people, he's happy.

This video was super useful in explaining so many things that I've been mulling over with HEMA for a while. Like there's even a move in HEMA make it more process orientated when traditionally it's been more goal orientated (the goals being sword well and work out what the manuals are saying). Also it helps explain why things like krav maga seem more like traditional martial arts than anything else.

I'm a 40 professor of communication in groups and organizations. I may assign this video to my students.

Holy shit, dude, you never miss lmao. This explains a lot of my mindset changing from Karate to BJJ

Great video, as someone who trains mma and japanese ju jistu, I've said before that if you have a goal of simply winning fights, go to combat sports, but If you're interested in history of techniques from a specific art and culture then have fun exploring the tradition, just be honest with your goals

Love this. A major part of my day job is business process & systems analysis. You just fired up some serious synapses LOL I will probably see combat/martial arts training through this lense from now on. ~Moonlight Martial Artist😉

I was so lucky with my taekwondo gym, the instructor there is training kickboxing as much as tkd and he teaches us proper tkd techniques but in sparring he loves when we land uppercuts and knee strikes when the distance gets tight, praising innovation. And constantly slapping our ears for lowering the guard in mid distance. I train both, boxing teaches me how to fight effectively with my hands while tkd makes sure my legs also get a proper workout + improved my footwork in boxing immensely. Plus boxing alone becomes a bit boring over time, to the point where 2 months of kyokushin karate and their weird ways to punch were an amazing innovation, despite being highy ineffective in sparring

One of your best videos yet. Less of a rant and more of a well thought out and reasoned lecture. Thank you!

Right on the money again! You cleared the misunderstanding between martial arts & combat sports/self-defence with a straightforward analogy! Since the 80's there has been this mistaken belief that martial arts are a way of self-defence until MMA became more & more mainstream when became clear that martial arts are exactly that, an art, another way of expression! Self-defense has to be simple & effective.

I comment on your videos because I think you're doing really helpful work and I hear tell commenting helps your videos get seen more. Thanks man, already looking forward to the next one.

Now all I can think about is whether or not a process focused art would be the right tool for teaching groups how to fight in a coordinated way.

Hey thank you for all the effort put into delivering such amazing videos

Brilliantly insightful and well articulated, as always. Thanks for another great video!

Boxing can be very "process oriented"! Depends on the coach

This video is exactly why semantics matter.

This is the simple and best answer I've seen to this question.

Holy shit, YES. This is such a great exploration of this topic Every time I see one of your little think pieces I’m blown away by how well you’re able to express these concepts. Seriously, just keep up the good work man 👏

Now I have to think of a reason to play this video during a work training event

This is a very good video @armchairviolence and I hope you don't mind that i give my 2cents on that as a reaction🙌. Although I agree with almost everything you said (as a traditional m.a.) I think there are also a couple other perspectives I'd like to share. Much respect for that one❤️

Your channel is pure gold. Thanks!

I have been looking for a way to describe the difference between traditional and modern martial arts for a while and this video just gave me the response for this question. This chanel is amazing, thank you for this.

YES. holy shit, every time I see one of your little think pieces I’m blown away by how well you’re able to express these concepts. Seriously, just keep up the good work man 👏

Every time I watch one of your videos I end up bringing a bunch of them...

I enjoy video essays like this, and your thoughts in many ways mirror my own. One thing that I would like to add is that cooperation and predictability are very important in Stage Combat.

i thought i had seen every nerdy martial arts video on youtube but you really take it to a new level- you are a genius

Omg, I am glad this channel popped up on my recs

I wonder what your tier list of combat sports (unarmed), would look like. I really enjoy your content. More videos please. Thank you

Glad you're posting videos again. I've missed you, bro. Hope you're doing well.

Holly shit i just learned something. Thank you very much. This channel will help me alot

Honestly, this is true for many different activities / pursuits in life. Great topic of discussion.

Fantastic content!

This is a really good way of differentiating the two approaches and it highlights something that often gets forgotten when the "TMA vs combat sports" discussion begins. There are no clear distinctions! Most martial arts involve both aspects. Muay Thai is result oriented, but has a very clear syllabus of techniques and even scores points for proper execution. So it is almost equally process and result oriented. Same goes for Judo, Boxing, BJJ, freestyle wrestling, etc. Process and result are clearly intertwined here. That's why the term "TMA" is stupid! Pretty much all martial arts are traditional to some degree.

Love your videos. Finally someone who talks like a scientist of the sport.

100% agree with what you said, very educational, very informational video

Wow, what a beautiful way to explain this age-old conundrum.

Fair point, buuut: If a new guy joins a result oriented gym, you still need to show him how to punch (a process). And if the new guy is a really good athlete, he'll pick up the 'process oriented moves' really fast, faster than you, which is gonna sting cause you remember how much it took you to do the same. There's a process to fighting, and yes, innovation is important, but if a student innovates by fighting with his hands behind his back and using just one leg because he's really really good with that right leg, then you do need to teach him the process of throwing a punch. There's room for both mindsets in martial arts. The difference you seem to be making is spar/competition based martial arts vs no spar/competitions martial arts.

Empirical knowledge beats a priori knowledge. Great video.

Great video bud, well thought out and clearly communicated points, easy subscribe. keep up the good work👍🤝.

If something is stupid but works, it isn't stupid :)

I feel like BJJ and tradtional Muay Thai are somewhat processe oriented. You can lose a fight in thailand if you don't look muay thai enough. In bjj they partially care more about proper form then results.

What about martial arts like Judo that follows a process to learn how to rotate and move the other person (and as a matter of safety for the guy being thrown so they can fall properly) to get to a result-based system. Belt promotions in Judo can be earned through competition. If you want to innovate, show your results. Show your wins by being promoted. Because there needs to be a baseline level of skill at each belt to get the wins necessary to get promoted. Unlike BJJ where some schools might use competition to see progress, where others use a "did he show up enough" approach. Depends on the art, depends on the school/academy.

Nice work!! If our goal is to be a future leader, or if we are already a coach, instructor, or gym owner, then this method of critical analysis will help anyone in their decision-making abilities. Each day, workout, session, or whatever we need to ask ourselves, "How are we doing? Do we need to spar more? Train more? Cardio? Footwork? What am I missing? Where are we strongest? How do we improve?..." The answers will take us in either a process, or results-oriented direction. How do we know which direction to go? We don't, and so we start one way and see the result and then make adjustments, and then check the results, and after a hundred intuitive steps or so each day, creating a results-oriented process, as we log our progress and come back the next day and start all over again. Wash, result, repeat...

Man you have got this so right.

It all comes down to ones personal goals. I just want to learn something new, while keeping fit and have a good time, without getting hurt. So i've decided to go the traditional route.

thank you for clearly articulating why TMA don't know how to fight

Not just combat sports. Even in tennis the process say to hit a forehand you have to step across with you left foot (for righties). Meanwhile not a single pro player does this and instead remains open for forehands. Backhands are different. Don't start me on "correct" grip for different shots. This is why Brad Gilbert called his style "winning ugly".

This reminds me of “scrubs” in the gaming community. A “scrub” is a player who judges skill according to their own artificial criteria rather than simply winning. A good example is the Tekken player who spends hours on practice mode learning complex moves and combos, but then gets beaten by a guy who just does flying kicks over and over. The scrub player bitches and whines about this, how that’s “not what the game is about” and how he has “real” skill.

A student from a process orientation got into a street fight and lost he was disappointed I informed him what he was being taught was not for self defense. You are absolutely correct in saying a performance base vs result

In self-defense, I think the advantage that process oriented martial arts have over results oriented arts is that process oriented arts give attention to ethics. In other words, what is socially or legally permissible. This is something I’ve been focusing on. Hence, my comments on @ramseydewey video on traditional martial arts and your video on scenario training.

This was a great explanation, thank you. Question: Do your fingers hurt from all the air quotes? 😂

Really cool video and what a great skill for analysis! Now i see why big martial arts schools put people in uniforms... because it is not about individual success at all, but robotic following of rules. This video will be used to skip leg day because leg day is not an outcome, its a weakling process focus.

9:27 : Someone can be a better athlete and better at sparring and still not be a better coach/teacher. There’s also plenty of room for arts that teach using both methods. Process oriented for learning each technique and results oriented when it’s time to spar. Great stuff per usual; even when I don’t agree with you your take is always well thought out well reasoned.

well said sir

This is a great video and it definitely is an accurate representation of the way most observe “traditional” arts, but: Truth be told: The processes inherent within “Traditional” arts is supposed to be beginner level drills solely for providing one who is new and doesn’t know, a template of how. Once one now understands and can achieve the result on a more consistent basis he is encouraged to lay all “form” by the wayside and focus on the outcome. In other words: •Beginner level = Form > Function AND •Intermediate and Advanced levels = Function > Form Which falls in line with the results based arts such as “MMA.” The problem lies in the fact that many who claim to be “MASTERS” don’t understand the true purpose of those “Process” oriented arts, so they are presented in the way that they have been presented for decades which lends to the belief that they are “ineffective.”

Is this why some people look really confused when I compliment them after they kick my ass, and why other people just immediately start teaching me how they beat me instead? lol

This is why having sound epistemology is so needed in all areas of life

When any traditional Martial Art is combined with other traditional Martial Arts including Boxing, it becomes a hybrid Martial Art

Process-oriented is more of a learn the basics and get familiar with it. Result-oriented is more of now you know the basics and is familiar with it, be creative and add your own style to it.

Reading the comments, I think many still didn't get the point. Imo the point is LIMITED in sparring/ competition. If you must fight using specific move, it's process oriented. If not, it's result oriented. Example: Aikido(no sparring) is process oriented. Aikido(with sparring) is result oriented. MMA is result oriented. Although Aikido with sparring is controversial subject since, some might review the sparring as . . useless/fake. Am I right?

i do understand the distintion between procees and result oriented aproach and i agree that some traditional martial arts do have that kata for example... but there are also places and arts that use both, example, start with the blocks or punch, then practice it with a partner, or in the pads, then practice it on the form so its more natural then practice it in sparring and in between you can inovate and maeby suceed on it or fail on it. so... i think mix is pby the best, yet i dont think traditional or combat sport is a full division in those two terms

I have always considered 'traditional martial arts' as... exactly that. An art. An art that keeps the history of a culture alive. While some dojo's advertise it for self defense, those are moreso outliers. As the vast majority of dojos are established for cultural reasons. Ninjutsu for example. Keeping the art of the ninja alive.

Consider this though -- There are times when you need to give yourself over to process even in a results-driven activity because you, as an individual, do not understand how best to achieve the desired result. Your characterization of results-driven training as a room full of individuals just experimenting until they figure out how they fight best is not realistic for two reasons. First, human beings generally don't learn anything by teaching themselves from scratch -- how could society progress that way? Even the most creative innovators start from a base of institutional knowledge gleaned by observation or instruction and then adapt or expand on it. The reason you've joined a gym at all, the reason you've chosen an art to study is because you desire to acquire the knowledge of that institution, so you will (at least for a time) submit to their process. Even the most hard core MMA workout is going to include a modicum of process-based drilling because that's what sets the building blocks for the individual's personal style. Secondly, there are some things in martial arts that are universal because they're rooted in human biomechanics. All the experimentation in the world cannot get me to see out of my ear or bend my knee in a different direction. Process-based learning often delivers results faster. My point is that your argument only really works for students who have reached enough maturity in their art to make a decision (conscious or unconscious) about what direction they want to go after the fundamentals. In total, I'd argue that the distinguishing criteria is not process vs results-orientation, but application vs cultivation -- am I doing what I'm doing to make myself fighter, happier, whatever or am I doing it to apply it in a fight (whether sport or self-defense). You can have process vs experimentation in your mode of study with either goal.

Thank you this is something I’ve been trying to communicate to my students for years now. Something that’s really bothered me as of late is Karate Combat. The way that they try to blend “traditional” with “combat sports” just doesn’t work. When you’ve trained in traditional karate all your life and then try to bring it into a combat sports environment it leads to a lot of lead hook knockouts as they don’t keep their hands up. Fans of the promotion will always say that people just don’t understand karate and you’re supposed to do it with your hands down but that just goes directly against the evolution of a combat sport. Adaptation is essential when pressure tested

You have just described the gentrification of Jiu Jitsu.

This is gold

I have done both Traditional Martial arts and Combat Sports. My taijiquan teacher taught me boxing moves. taijiquan is process oriented such as doing the best structured and coordinated front kick. Kravmaga is results oriented in throwing out a punch or kick with speed and power. The difference is that Taijiquan is focused on form and balance while Kravmaga is focused on beating people up. In Kravmaga , we do core exercises to increase strength and speed. Both my Taijiquan and my kravmaga teachers told me never get into a fight.

I consider myself an "armchair" martial artist. I'm someone who'd much rather discuss techniques, counters to said techniques and body bio mechanics over a coffee than to actually compete. In fact I am someone who dislikes competition in general. In this sense I kind of enjoy the more "process oriented" martial arts, but I am under no illusion that in a real fight I'd end up dead pretty quickly.

Yes and no. The major problem of competitive martial arts is the rules. When I started doing Judo, the problem was I was told (i) points are deducted if you're not aggressive (2) you're not allowed go strike or even fake a strike. Thus, in the dojo I was always losing. When I did actual 'stress testing' the black belts couldn't throw me and when they tired I could get them on the ground. So combat also has some 'process' oriented factors.

Getting an ethics lecture for free

If we follow this analogy, TMA is like going to school and having to explain your answer, and combat sports are real life where you just use a calculator, which is not very far off from reality anyway

Good video.

one key difference between martial artists and a fighter was exemplified when that fighter was challenging china's traditional martial arts masters to bouts and kicking their ass. when he challenges a wing chun guy, he trains against wing chun fighters to defend and counter wing chun attacks... when he challenges a tai chi guy, he trains against tai chi... but when the wing chun master was challenged, he only trained in wing chun with other wing chun fighters, same for the tai chi master.

There's a lot of confusion about "traditional" martial arts. A lot of them are not even remotely "traditional" to begin with, but even when they are… - Many can be easily attributed to the type of their typical practitioner and his typical opponent. If you're wearing heavy armor, combat getups are rather low priority - if you're down in a static position, it's usually game over. On the other hand, if you're not wearing armor, but your opponent does, you've to focus on bringing him down ASAP, etc. - Most TMAs had a "combat" and "practice" branches (IIRC, that was an original distinction between the likes of "-jitsu" and "-do"), latter having more restrictive rules for friendly dueling, while former focusing on mercilessly maiming the opponent. Even some synthetic newcomers like Sambo have a "sport" and "combat" branches, although most of the old TMAs have lost that distinction and mostly teach "sport". - Don't forget many centuries of sales BS. The issue of "feel good" dojos is not new.

All I know is when making IpMan Donny Yuen said he was shit scared of Mike Tyson as he knew one punch would kill him.

This is a great video cause yeah no one would consider wrestling a traditional martial art yet, I think it's literally older than any of the traditional martial arts still practiced and Karate is younger than both boxing and kickboxing.

We need more shattered egos - everywhere.

Hapkido turned out to be a bit hard for me personally, but when it comes trad arts I admire it’s balance between the art and the fighting. The higher up the black belts were, the more anything-goes their techniques got. The principles of the “art” were still there and didn’t get in the way of the fight And the dojang I was at was really innovative; they canceled kicks that involved turning your back to the opponent, took influence from BJJ etc

While I agree on this very useful distinction I still see the value of process oriented martial arts for innovation. Yes, you are more encouraged to innovate in result oriented training, you are also constricted by the results you are trying to achieve. If the context changes and the result becomes something else, like changing combat sport, you might need something you had not changed and thus you don't have as much adaptability. The process arts give you a different perspective where things can be taken from and honed into new ways of reaching your goals, if you do the pipeline.

Do you think capoeira is an effective martial art for self defence or mma?

What is needed is a synthesise. Refine the process throu results. And use results as a guideline for the prossess. In a way we need systems big systems that cover the whole of what is taught and small systems for drilling cues. To responed with Habitats of motion that are faster then thinking on your feet.

Awesome stuff as always. Wouldn't you say being process oriented sometimes is the first part of teaching someone to be results oriented, meaning you make sure someone gets every step of the triangle right before they try to implement it in rolling?

I'm totes late here, but, it seems to me that either approach has merits, and arts can be said to practice poorly when they process where they want results, look for results when they really need process, and french fry when they want to pizza. E.g. I can watch Sylvie von Douglas-Ittu both fight for titles and train around those fights (a results orientation) and do shadowboxing with a mirror to better form, or work with a great through elements of their particular style and acquire a feel for them (a process orientation). To watch her talk about it, it's like she carries a training culture which uses either approach clearly, when it is clearly appropriate.

Both are good for different things I really appreciate Sumo for saying no to modernization and remain the same for I think a thousand years. Also some people don't want the results that badly do things like traditional martial arts are great for that. I do tai chi cause it's calming and BJJ and Muay Thai for results and I'll probably practice Tai chi long after I can't practice Muay Thai and BJJ because of the results oriented nature of them.

I’m only 5’3 and I have very small arms. I can’t use techniques that work for taller people. I have to get low and in range to strike. Striking from the outside and reaching high to punch or grab someone doesn’t work for me. I have to go for the lower limbs and strike to the torso. It’s all about body type and fitness level.

Well, I guess there are exceptions, and sometimes result-oriented guys can be a bit dogmatic and obsesss about the process, like the guy who insisted that you train with a GI despite you only doing it in an MMA context, or the garbage old-school self-defence moves BJJ guys will show, despite the fact that they've already taught you 7 better ways to deal with shit, only they didn't put it into that specific context. You have a great video on palm strikes as well that shows the same dogmatic thinking in mostly result-oriented striking arts that flip straight into process-oriented when it comes to "self-defense". I think that it's simply a matter of ignorance/lack of experience with fighting and violence in general that gets people locked into the process-oriented mode in martial arts. Not one martial art was originally created to be a "glorious process of self-improvement in and of itself with no aspirations towards violence", it's just that people later figured out that you can use that type of training regime to get other results - strong and healthy body, self-confidence, spiritual improvement, etc. Hell, even dancing got watered down into Zumba classes when people turned to it for "self-improvement" rather than to become a good dancer. My issue with all this is that the process of learning how to become a competent fighter/dancer is a much more honest and fulfilling one that dissolve the strongest egoistic tendencies real quick and leads to profound physical, mental, and spiritual improvement a whole lot faster. You need to orient yourself to an end goal to have a point of reference and gauge progress, and THEN you can enjoy the process without obsessing over every minor detail. Othervise, it's like looking at a master wood carver, admiring him for his strong forearms, incredible concentration, and the ability to relax for several hours consumed by his project, and then deciding to start whittling sticks down into nothing every day. Sure, after a few years, you'll have big forearms and sausage fingers, and you'll be able to shut your mind off and chill, but you would have gotten so much more if you actually practiced whittling figures and making something tangible. Not only because you'd have great art to show for it, but you'd be more creative, more confident, and feel accomplished, with further perfecting of skills to look forward to in the future.

A true warrior poet

traditional martial arts such as Shotokan Karate and Taijiquan are focused on form, coordination, with structured technique. Traditional arts are also concerned with kata's, balance and straight posture. Combat sports like Kickboxing is focused on hitting the opponent while meaningfully defending yourselves from relation. For example, always have one hand up to guard your face when you punch or kick. My kravmaga class is kicking and punching as fast as possible. And in sparing, the focus is on defending your face and attacking the opponent with punches and kicks.

The problem is that nowadays the majority of traditional martial arts doesn't even understand the function of what they're doing. I do traditional martial arts and we are both guided to process and results cause one thing will depend on the other. But my shifu understand the way of what we do and through the process we aim the results one doesn't need to be away of the other

I love this distinction. Though the reason why traditional martial arts are labeled traditional comes down to the goal which is to preserve tradition. With that in mind, that tradition can be very selective and arbitrary.

Are martial arts a nessasry in a confrontation? Does fighting entail winning or losing?

Any competition is bound by rules, so I think it's important to acquire the basic process. If your only goal is to beat the enemy, the most effective way is to quit the gym right now and use the money to buy a gun.