Too serious?

Maybe I'm being too serious with the kind of training I'm looking for? As I look online and ask around to get myself involved with martial arts related things I've definitely come across some interesting groups, but they sound better "on paper" (like reading about them online) than they look in person. I'm just being scared perhaps? Afraid of really getting my feet wet? I don't know. Maybe. All I know is that there is a lack of "realness" with a lot of training out there. I mean, it may look and sound real; the shouting, the militaristic all-in-formation stances, the punches and kicks. But "realness" to me isn't something that can be put on display like for entertainment. Doing fancy looking kata may be crowd-pleasing but when it comes down to that kid having to fight to prevent further harm to their body, do they understand that they too will also get hurt? Do they understand that unless they have been trained for the situation that they will not know how to act? It's far better I think to have one's martial fantasies come tumbling down in the dojo than it is to have it ripped apart in front of your eyes on the street. There are mean and vicious people out there. You will get hurt. You're training has to be as safe as possible, but if it's so safe that you don't know what it feels like to get punched in the face or knocked down to the ground, I don't see how you can expect to be prepared for real life. It's more like you are preparing yourself for a choreographed fight on a movie set. The world is in need of real, honest and genuine martial artists. Not a bunch of tough guys with mean faces and little manners. Not a bunch of loud-mouthing "masters". But just real people with real experience willing to teach the rest of us lay-people what it takes to maneuver through violence in our modern world. Put your belt away, hang up your uniform and ask yourself honestly, "Am I prepared for violence?" A simple honest assessment can possibly save your life. Or at least bring you back down to earth.

 Elbow SMASH.
- Hiji Até