[quote]I don't kind the point loss. Gives you something to fight for, especially if it pertains to keeping/advancing a rank.[/quote]

That's all well and good for those with more experience in the arena. But I don't see it promoting growth in the less experienced. I feel like it would end up confining people to battling within their range of aptitude, where that stand a chance of beating their opponents; this goes especialky for the newbies that might join in, who may wind up stuck at the bottom rungs because they can't challenge the people higher up without having to fear being dropped down to zero. 

Which, by the way, what would happen if someone reached zero? Negative points?

The way I see it, a system built on rewarding efforts has advantages. People can still get points and ranking can still be determined. At the same time points awarded would be able reflect/be reflected by a critique of a player's performance.

Perhaps we could make a hybrid point system?