Criteria for effective martial arts?

[Euripides]

I always find it funny that these "too deadly, no roolz!" people think that sports fighters are helpless against slight modifications of stuff that already do during training.

Your kick is aiming for my groin? Oh no, all my experience avoiding inside leg kicks is useless!

Your hand is aiming for my eye or throat? Oh no, all my experience dealing with a variety of punches just flew out the window!

You're going to try and strangle me or gouge out my eyes while in my guard? Gah, if only I hadn't wasted all this time training to break postures and control limbs!

Oh, you're going to try to hammer my balls while I have dominant position on the ground? AIIIEEEEE!!!

I think this view is an extension of the justification for katas and compliance.
The only way people can justify spending a decade of their life and untold money practicing forms with no real application is that they not only HAVE TO, since the form is so deadly, but they know it'll work since fighting scenarios just turn you into a Robo-Cop-esque autopilot warrior where you repeat your training.

So many of these hillarious threads have people claim if you practice punches you won't be able to eye poke lol Hello, Jon Jones? It's called opening your hand when you jab... Or If you practice BJJ or Judo you won't be able to actually break limbs in a self defense scenario, because applying more force is unheard of and we don't regularly see technical submissions in grappling and MMA tourneys lol

And like you said, you not only have easy applicability for defense, such as avoiding an inside leg kick, but anyone who's sparred a bit also knows how easy it is to accidentally kick someone's nads with an inside leg kick or knee. Imagine how much better your nut crunching abilities would be, OP, if you practiced kicking full force and against an evading opponent in a sport setting... When you'd finally get in a fight, all you'll need is a slight redirection to become a regular Laurena Bobbet