>> I don't know many parents whose goal is for our children to learn to fight.

Try asking parents whose kids do karate. I’m guessing a large number of them will say “self defence”, especially parents of girls.

1.) You are guessing.

2.) If you need to explain yourself to strangers who demand to be explained why your kid does this or that sport, you will say something simple and socially acceptable. Neurotypical people wont start explaining in nuance.

3.) No one ever asked me why my kids do dancing or swimming. It is simply not question anyone asks normally.

You are right that ‘why’ is rarely asked directly - it seems like a blunt interrogation.

But, it’s quite common for people to ask questions like ‘how did they get into that?’.

Also, why does it have to be a ‘stranger’ asking the question? Again I agree that would be odd, but it doesn’t seem odd for a friend to be curious.

Also: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27817729

> But, it’s quite common for people to ask questions like ‘how did they get into that?’.

No, I never had that question asked about dancing nor swimming or any other sport. I think it can possibly come out if someone finds the sport to be odd, but at this point Karate is not an odd sport. It is extremely common sport.

> No, I never had that question asked about dancing nor swimming or any other sport.

Or it could be that your experience of disinterest is not universal.

I know plenty of people who express interest in what other people and their kids do, whether they are odd or not.

My children did karate - as well as being exercise, I liked it terms of giving them the experience of how they could get better at something with practice and discipline, especially as they aren't typically sporty. 'Being able to fight' was never a motivation.