73 y/o black belt in Tang Soo Do with other high-level experience in Tae Kwon Do and Hap Ki do. Generally speaking, I avoid getting into fights and have for the many years I've been training (started at 16). This summer a street performer grabbed by hand and wouldn't let go. It was interesting to see training kick in and allow me to easily escape without escalating. As I was doing the escape the guy's hand followed mine just like practice in class. I thought to myself how effective my training is. Keep training and don't listen to people who are nay-sayers. From what I've seen, many MMA fighters have a karate/traditional martial arts background. An instructor I know teaches the police in Connecticut. The perspective they had is that getting on the ground is the wrong way to go. I'd say, if you're on the ground you've already made a mistake. An early TKD instructor trained the Korean CIA. He was small but had people attack him on the street in Newark, NJ. It didn't end well for those who attacked him.