One of the reasons Karate has kata is for grading purposes. Kata add to the mix of assessable skills associated with each belt. Kata also train and re-enforce combinations but I take the point that they may not necessarily add to an individuals fighting skill. What is the definition of a effective martial artist anyway?
I agree with Ensatus that the practitioner’s intent is important and there is a difference between internal and external styles, the point about muscle memory is a good one. External styles are focused on a collection of specific techniques. And having said that I also know of several internal martial arts that also seem to have an endless list of technical layers in the way of forms etc. e.g. hsing i.
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