What is a Martial Art?
Martial Arts must have both self-defense application as well as a life-improving philosophy to be an art. Without esoteric value, any combat system cannot be classified as martial art - just street fighting.
As stated by the Father of Modern Karate, Master Gichin Funakoshi from Okinawa (a Shorin-Ryu karate practitioner), "The purpose of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the Perfection of its Participants". This not only suggests that martial arts must improve a person both mentally and physically, but also indicates that sport is not part of martial arts.