Because I'm trying to find a martial art and I like what I see from Judo but Judoka talk about Judo from a sport perspective only and not as a martial art. They keep bringing up the Olympics, when MOST people will never be able to qualify for the Olympics. Further, that gives the feeling Judo is a young person's game only. Whereas a sport is something most people play when they're young competitively, a martial art is a lifelong pact and relationship between an art that has an unlimited ceiling of growth and mastery. Sport gives off the feeling that Judo is merely a game. They even call Judoka "players".
This emphasis on sport rather than martial art is making me consider other venues and not pursue Judo because as a sport, instructors will naturally give more attention to those who can PLAY that sport at a competitive level, and that usually includes young kids or teenagers, and not 29-30 year olds like me. If I'm not going to get full attention from teachers, why bother?
This confusion could be really useful to help me figure out what to do, but i honestly believe that this distinction is one of many ways that harms Judo's name and image from people pursuing an ART.