Not exactly, the teacher can teach him all the moves and explain as much as he wants "why" or "how" and be perfectly correct and effective(for say, an adult) however, the kid might not effectivly understand how to apply such knowledge. And that is not the teachers fault.
I think most of you seem to forget that the kid trains in Sport Karate, not traditional. Most likely, he's wouldn't understand the application of most of the moves he performs, because he's probably never been taught. Leave the kid alone, and let him show off to the judges, Sport Karate/XMA/whatever you want to call it is about dynamics, not self-defense.
And exactly when was the last time you saw somebody using something remotely similar to a bunkai in sparring? I beg to differ. Sport karate seems to me to be a much better preparation for self defence than a lot of solo practice and bowing.
I beg to differ with you. Street self-defense means "If hes a threat to me, i do everything in my power to get away safe." I understand where your coming from, your saying that your expirence with fighting oppoents has made you more capable of taking care of yourself on the street. However, non-sport karate can do the same as well. It all depends on the commitment of the person at hand.(So basiclly sport MA does not prepare you BETTER than non-sport MA) If the guy just wants to learn self defense, i dont see why he would go out for a tournement. And besides, sport karate or sport MA has certain rules. If the guy wants to ram you or head butt you he sure as hell will if he sees the oppertunity. So it all comes down to the skill level of the person and the situation at hand.
although sport karate can better physically condition a person's body for a fight, too many schools that teach sport karate neglect teaching the students which techniques are practical in a real life scenario. if sport karate were taught alongside traditional karate, i truly feel both sides would benefit.
