Shauijiao and sanshou has a more reliable and objective criteria when subject to the concept of "pressure testing i.s. (seeing how the opponent stacks up to 'unknown" variables and how he reacts to said variables in the fight arena.
As a simple practitioenr, when I mention to CMA fellows that you have top train 'hard' and 'soft', I beocme the clown because I do not have lineage so if that lineage is criteria for non martial skill, then so be it.