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I've been in martial arts that advocate such an approach, and I've also watched demos of groups more recently that advertise such things. I never say this directly to them, but I no longer believe this is a very good way of approaching martial arts training, particularly in a "self-preservation" senario. I disagree. I think that this is just as good as any other way to approach martial arts. The thing that has to be considered is that the main benefits of any martial arts training is NOT what most people think they are learning. The main benefit of martial arts, in my experience, is the increase in confidence and awareness of what's going on around you. This is a benefit that can be accrued from practicing any martial art. Other side benefits are better physical fitness and a general increase in one's sense of responsibility. Whether someone could actually defend themselves in a street combat environment is totally irrelevant to the vast majority of martial arts practitioners as they'll never find themselves in that situation. Therefore, it is my opinion, based upon my experiences only, that any martial art, when pursued diligently, is just as good as any other as far as self-defense is concerned.