You know basic Karate was sort of exposed as being too hard and overcommitted by Bruces and other kung fu practitioners explots of the time,they offered a much more balanced ground owrk to begin building from.

That laid a ground work of spite from some of the hard Japanese based styles although they did change and did adapt the softer more flowing sections of other and their own advanced practices into their base work.
I think because modern competition has been opened up to all styles it has been a matter of learn, adapt or die off.

Scrap; I would still like to know the answer from your friends who are world karate champions whether they consider they would win against Ali in a no rules affair..
I think they would have him down and out of action in the first round personally.
But I think they would get their asses handed to them in a boxing match with rules,as would 99% of the other fighting styles.