Martial Artists Don't Like To Fight

I started out as a kid training in traditional martial arts. In my late teens I got into combat sports. Having spent many years in boxing and kickboxing gyms, I learned that most martial artist don't like to fight like other combat sports. The average martial arts student goes to class 3x per week (some are the exception). They usually don't do as much physical conditioning as other combat athletes, nor do they spar as much. Lastly, they don't compete as much. A boxer will start competing at 8 years old and by the time he's a teenager, can have 200 to 300 bouts. If he's good, he will have competed against some of the best his his region or in the country. A black belt can be a student who just comes to class and has no competitive experience. Yet, he or she is supposed to be able to defend themselves. Martial arts like Tae Kwon Do and judo will have big tournaments (i.e. Nationals etc.). Because they have USA TKD and USA Judo in addition to being Olympic Sports, they have a larger number of competitors compared to Karate (which is spread out over too many groups). So, next time somebody tells you they are a 4 degreee in a style, take it with a grain of salt.