@ Goldendawn: In terms of find a good TKD school, you'll be extremely hard pressed. Too many of them are plain ol' McDojos. Often times even ones in Australia affiliated with the World TKD Federation are questionable. They can be rather too competition-orientated, too focused on sloppy patterns (which are often not the official ones....) for gradings (talk about counter-productive....), lack expertise and experience in technique, or generally just bad or money-focused.
@ the whole black belt thing: Personally, I find the frenzy to receive your first black belt is highly overrated, particularly here in Australia. If you're ready to receive one (in most cases, this could mean very talented, and completely mastered the basics), you should be eligible to receive it when you are. Not after a bogus designated time frame of training. The first black belt should be regarded as the real first step in one's training as a martial artist, but shouldn't be the main focus of one's psyche when doing a martial art. As comparison, a normal 1st dan black belt in TKD in Korea can often be received at the Kukkiwon after a year's worth of training. Colored belts are often only given to children.
@ Kumite and Kata: If by "kumite" you mean sparring, then I don't understand how you can possibly say it doesn't directly help your understanding of a real-life fight. Though it may not be necessarily a real life fight, its as close as you'll get and get a feel for the application of the skills that you have so far acquired. I can't imagine anyone being able to applicate much of the self-defence techniques within kumite, unless its a MMA-orientated spar. And even MMA, which is probably the best as you can get in terms of practical fighting, won't save you from every real-life situation at hand.
What other form of exercise could you possibly deduce would be better for you to understand the application of your skills, and the timing, etc., required for a real fight than kumite/sparring? And if there are a few skills that you can't use for kumite, but would be useful for a real life situation fight, then practice it outside of sparring. At least if you've had some sparring practice, you'll understand the pace a fight can go at, and better applicate those techniques which you've learnt outside of kumite.
In terms of kata, although it should not be the focus of one's training, it does have its uses if done with utmost accuracy to each skill, footwork, and balance. Being able to execute an array of skills in different sequences (where they have been based on the premise that you are fighting imaginary opponent(s)) can better help one understand one's required footwork, balance, control, fluidity in comboing, accuracy in technique, and application possibilities for each skill. Some martial arts do not require this at all, because they rather have a concise set of techniques, or already have other avenues in which to learn how to combo the techniques one learns. The idea of the kata has been used for so very long, and for good reason, and although shouldn't be the focus, shouldn't be neglected either.
@ Taichi: Anyone that takes a simple glance at something like Yang-style taichi and scoffs at taichi's (as a whole) application in a real-life fight is purely ignorant, and should really research the other styles of taichi that are also in application, and how other martial arts (eg. Bagua) had taken influence from taichi. Although it is true that it is often said in China that "One man learning Xingyi can defeat an adversary in a year. Whilst a man learning taichi can take 10 times as longer to do the same." it's true and false. One has to completely understand the philosophy behind it first to become a true practitioner, but in the end the result is the same (well, in terms of application of the skills for the specific purpose of defence).
But really, I think there's too much emphasis these days on martial arts to be an invincible tool for one to fight people. Although it was created for that original intent, it does have its value as something like a sport - for physical improvement in a huge amount of ways, mental stimulation, aesthetic value, cultural value, enjoyment. Often times, martial arts teach you different ways of life, which often times are instrumental to the art, or your particular fighting style. And, in the end, any man, no matter what their training is like, can be easily be killed by the barrel of a gun, or a well-feinted knife wound, or an ambush, and how often do these things occur? Unless you are directly involved with having to deal with violence, we won't exactly come across these situations every day. In fact, much of the time, it should be considered a bonus to one's own ability to defend themselves when that sort of thing does arise. Even then, when that time does come, it all depends on that person, and how well they take advantage of everything available, not just what they learnt in class on Thursday.
@ Capoeira: Well, it was meant to be a disguised martial art, for the slaves of South America to become able to learn a way to fight whilst not being detected, thus it was disguised as a dance. To this day, you see it practised as a dance, and, although one could try to put it into combatitive usage, its a martial art more for other purposes now. Loads of people take inspiration from Capoeira for tricking, and self-improvement in general coordination and mobility.
@ Karate: Kyokushin rocks. Not only has the master of the art proven its effectiveness among karate-ka after defeating the major dojos in Japan, and started by a fellow countrymen
, but its the very basis of today's K-1/Pride environment. Though, I do find the lack of punches to the head sucky. As much as for protective reasons I can understand, flinching every time you get punched in the face because you're not used to the impact, and not learning to tuck in your chin when up against that kind of assault, can be extremely horrendous.
And as a side note, with all the mixed martial artists that are around these days, I find it retarded that one says "this striking martial art is horrible against this grappling martial art". Well, besides the fact the chance of you encountering someone else doing that particular art could be very small, and that each style of martial art often has many different forms under it, just go and learn some grappling and counter that grappling shit that could cause you trouble, and continue with your dominant style. Why does one have to sacrafice their preferred art just because people simply say this art beats out another? Its up to the martial artist, and only the martial artist, to how one will win the fight. To think in such rigid terms in the MMA competitive sense, is truly backward.