If it works in training, it works
A common belief is that if something works in the dojo, it has been proven. If it succeeds against training partners, it is assumed to be reliable.
The problem is not that training is meaningless - it’s that training always contains hidden agreements.
Partners share distance, tempo, and expectations. They protect each other, even when resistance is present. They react in ways shaped by the drill, the rules, and the culture of the room.
Methods can “work” inside those agreements while depending on them. When the agreements disappear, the method may disappear with them.
This is why good-looking success can be misleading. It may prove only that something functions in practice, not that it functions under the conditions it claims to address.
Training is still essential. But training results should be treated as information, not proof.
A method has not been validated because it works in training. It has only been validated for the training that produced it.
Training results are information, not proof.