The problem is this. We cannot practice full out fighting without either killing someone or going to jail. We have to think up ways of simulating it as realistically as possible without too much risk.
One camp goes the sports way. They take out "deadly techniques" (like strikes to the throat etc. etc. just read the "banned techniques" section from the rules), wear protective gear and then go at each other. Hence various forms of kick boxing, wreslting and MMA. They develop great fitrness and the ability to apply their techniques against a resisiting opponent. OK, the "killing" techniques may have gone, but they still use stuff that can cause you all kinds of hurt and unconciousness.
The other camp involves keeping these killing moves in, but the practice is less realistic. There has to be some form of compliance when training with other people, and they rely on dummies and punch bags to get full power training. Some of them don't even do this, hence fight guys in cammos.
The best training involves taking the best out of each camp, and how you do that depends on your understanding of a real fight as well as your commitment. Get people doing the full contact work AND the more specialised military strikes type stuff and you're on the way. For self protection you have to put all kinds of other stuff in the mix to (again things that the sports people don't include). Things like fence work, the pre emptive strike, conversaiion management, awareness etc.
As a last note be aware that the majority of training in the McDojo world of today actually takes the WORST of the two approaches. They get rid of the most deadly moves AND train what's left in a flicky kicky twisty wristy manner. They're the ones who march up and down in sports centres in their pyjamas, with elderly grandparent black belts traiing alongside their 10 year old black belt grand kids.
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