AFAIK what soldiers are usually taught is neither art nor philosophy. There are several standard situations in close-handed fight (like attack from behind, release from the neck-lock etc.) so for each one such situation a soldier is taught only one trick. In training he repeats and repeats and repeats this trick until it becomes completely automatic. That is all. No dancing, no improvisation, no meditation. But each soldier should have his own series of tricks so enemy does not know what exactly to expect from the randomly selected soldier.

The usual fight in the battlefield consists of one trick from each of the adversaries. And those whose trick is more successfull survives.