Mutationis said:
as for the issue of Karate not having having a "real life application"? i feel sorry for you that you only think Martial Arts can have some value if it teaches you to fight. you've missed the (in my opinion) most important thing: the mental aspect of Martial Arts. the focus, discipline and respect for others that you learn is most definately applicable to "real life"
If i wanted that, i would do tai-chi.
.... and we don't spar in long fighting stance...
And what you do in sparring is not what you learn when you're standing in line. When you do your stupid head or stomach level punch, bringing the fist from the waist up in to the head.. you can't do that in sparing. Sparing is sporadic and relies very little on anything that you learn in Karate. Besides, it is very 'contained' and assumes that people don't fight dirty; they do.
A person who does Karate (at any level) would have no chance against a Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, Aikido, Tae Kwon Do practitioner or otherwise. Karate has no take downs, no joint locks, no pressure points or throws. It simply has ambiguous strike methods, which is why it's an outdated martial art (especially GKR, which is commercialized).
Karate comes from a time when people stood still when they fought. They then observed animals (cranes, praying mantis etc) and built upon this basic premise that karate has.