Anyone who has been in the martial arts for any length of time has heard this question. Probably more than once and usually from someone who has no training.
That one question is actually several questions.
For me, the answers to those questions would be: No. Yes. Yes.
So lets look at those one at a time and see if we can get any insight here.
No, I've never been in a situation where someone was determined to injure or kill me. The thing is, that is in part because of my martial arts training. The first rule of self defense is...don't go looking for trouble. The second rule of self defense is...keep an eye out for trouble and avoid it. If people follow those two rules, fights are very unlikely.
Some people do get in tight situations through no fault of their own, it's true. But those situations are rare.
Yes. But not for a long time. In my twenties at a convenience store. I was riding a motorcycle at the time. I pulled up and parked and walked into the store. Some guy I'd never seen apparently didn't like motorcycle riders. He started talking trash. I ignored him. I lived in a small town in New Mexico at the time. Everyone there knew me. I worked as a police dispatcher at the time, though the wandering jackass didn't know that. So, ignoring him and getting what I wanted (a soda, I think) I just walked past him. Then walked back to the checkout counter. The people in the store saw and heard him being a jackass. They called the cops, which neither he nor I knew at the time. Maybe ignoring the guy upset him more, I don't know. But he tried to shove me. I saw it a mile away and sidestepped. He bumped into the counter, not hard, and started swearing. The police arrived (the station was one block away) and started talking to the guy. They asked me what happened. I told them, then I left. That's it. End of story.
Not very exciting, was it. Some trash talk. One shove. Sidestep. Done.
Was it a physical use of the martial arts? Absolutely. So what “martial arts training” did I use? Well, keeping calm in the face of hostility. And the sidestep. And remembering my goal.
So could I have hit him? Could I have kicked him? Probably. But why? What would that get me? My goal was to get through my day without getting hurt and without any major interference in my daily routine. Mission accomplished.
Yes. All the time. That is why I have so little trouble. That's the whole point. Sure, part of martial arts training is to help you in a fight, but that's not all there is to it. A big part of the martial arts is understanding how to get from “where you are” to “where you want to be”. In that one time in a thousand where you are actually being attacked, the goal is to get out of that situation, unhurt. But a better goal is to avoid those dangerous situations to start with.
When people hear this, the usual next question is:
Again, lets look at what that question really means. It means, how do you know you can kick someone's ass. How do you know you can beat anyone who attacks you.
Ok, tough love time. The answer is I don't. You don't. Nobody has that guarantee. And any martial artist who tells you otherwise is lying.
Whoever the toughest guy in the world is (no idea who that is...but it sure isn't me)...anyone can be decked by a sucker punch. Anyone can lose their footing and break their neck falling.
Martial arts training (or any kind of fighting training) doesn't give you any guarantee. None whatsoever.
Superman only lives in the comic books.
If that's the case, why bother with the martial arts?
Consider this. If you have never learned anything about fighting...nothing at all. You don't even know how to hit with a fist without injuring your hand and wrist.
Now you learn to punch. You learn to make a stable fist. You practice on a punching bag. You learn to hit with more and more force. You learn to hit so that it doesn't twist and injure your wrist.
Are you better off now if someone attacks you? Of course you are! Are you now invulnerable to harm? Of course you are not.
The point is, you have improved your odds. Maybe not much, but somewhat.
Everything (practical) that you learn improves your odds.
Would living through vicious, violent encounters raise your odds even more? Yes, it would. In the military, veterans of battle have a higher survival rate in subsequent battles.
But you'll notice that the military still puts their recruits through basic training before that first battle...and with good reason. Basic training works. It improves that soldier's odds in battle.
And martial arts training (if it's not from a faker) improves your odds if you are attacked.
The important thing to remember for anyone who trains is that no matter how much you train, no matter how many fights you've been in, … you … can … lose.
No matter how long you've trained, no matter what color belt you wear, no matter what style you've trained in, no matter how athletic you are, don't get cocky. Fighting is dangerous and to be avoided if possible.