As Iron Sharpens Iron

There is an old proverb that goes....."As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another".
While your fellow martial artists may be your friends, they are also valuable tools to keep your technique sharp and your strikes on target.
I have seldom, if ever, participated in a class where I did not pair off with another instructor or student and work on a two-person form, or the yahk soak deta, or simply strikes and blocks (those are SO fun!). Forms that are seemingly simple, such as Il Soo or Chil Bo, require hundreds of repeats with another person in order to develop the necessary flow of movement, shifting of balance and targeting. You can learn the forms alone and even practice those attributes mentioned above, but you can only achieve the subtle and not-so-subtle nuances of the form by having a physical opponent(as opposed to an imaginary one).
Pick a large opponent, a small opponent, a tall one, a short one, the most intimidating one, the most humble, PICK THEM ALL, develop, develop, develop, sharpen, sharpen, sharpen... You get the picture.
You may be 'using' these fellow students, but hopefully, they are there to reform and refine themselves as well.

I started with a proverb, I'll end with a Psalm..
Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle."

P.S. Remember, technically all forms are two-person (or more) forms.
TCB