It also can be a family event, with family members attending tournaments to cheer on and encourage the participant, if not participating themselves. As you can see, each focus has a totally different goal. Along with different goals come radically different attitudes, training procedures, rules of engagement and standards of conduct. These differences have a profound effect on what you learn. They also have a profound effect on whether or not you stay at a school.
Many people come to a school wanting to learn a particular focus.
They leave feeling frustrated and betrayed because they were taught another. Have an idea of what you want to get out of such training before you sign up at a martial arts school. Now that you know the difference between the focuses, you can more easily find a school or course that fits your needs and wants. If you walk into a school where the focus is different than what you want, you're in the wrong place. It may be a great school, but it's not the right one for you.