I'll talk about training methods and goals. This idea was inspired by an argument between Kate and Sasha in another thread
Imagine this: A girl studies karate (one of hundreds of its styles, let's not get hung up on the name), and she practices a set of formal exercises, the so-called "kata." She trains a lot. She's learning to perform swift turns and precise transitions from one stance to another. She's honing her speed and balance, building her endurance and flexibility. Her goal is to participate in competitions, where she'll demonstrate her skills in performing complex movements.
Another girl studies Thai boxing, also known as Muay Thai. She also trains a lot. She works on her shins, practices her punches, trains her abdominal muscles, and learns how to take hits on her body. She sparres every training session. Her goal is to step into the ring and win.
Both girls are very goal-oriented. They both spend the same amount of time on training.
Who do you think would win if they had to meet in a real fight?