As my instructors says the only way to learn how to fight is to fight.
He did teach akidio techniques and some jiujitsu techniques as well.
Katas don't teach how to fight.
I think the difficulty in fighting is that you have to fight someone else at the same time someone is fighting you.
Most blows are close in.
In other words a nice pretty round house kick to the head doesn't have much of a place in a real fight.
A kick to the knee, groin, would be more effective. Perhaps a thumb or blow to the neck.
Long pretty punches and kicks are very unrealistic in real fighting.
Michael