Fighting with combat arts is not the only way that combat martial arts can improve your life.  Nor is it only a method of physical protection or self-defence.  All martial arts by their very nature improve mental as well as physical functioning and help in self-defense situations.  But unlike combat sports – a martial art has a philosophy and a moral code.  It intuitively connects the practitioner with the laws of nature allowing them to contemplate the world from a different perspective.  With heightened awareness and the ability to act decisively, the talented martial artist is a warrior not to be reckoned with.  The judo expert or grappling fanatic is simply a sports opponent who likes a good challenge.