I don't know much (anything) about Kyokushin karate, but in Shotokan they separate you whenever a point is scored. More like fencing than a fight. It encourages a blitz-style strategy where you jump in to score the point, knowing you're safe afterwards because the referee will separate you. It doesn't really translate very well to continuous fighting sports like boxing or kickboxing and isn't effective for self-defence. It was good for fitness and balance when I was young though, meant that I picked up kickboxing quicker than I otherwise would have done.

The main problem with Shotokan was that you only ever practiced against people who were also fighting with the same style. I totally would have frozen up if someone started swinging haymakers at me.