They found ways of imposing their will on Creation. Charms create effects that Exalted can use to their ends. Spells of Solar Circle Sorcery can directly impose the Exalt's will on Creation rather than achieving it indirectly.
Terrestrial Martial Arts can channel Essence Floes to alter the nature of conventional martial arts to enhance them. Celestial martial arts change the nature of martial arts themselves. Instead of empowering attacks and such like they determine the nature of such attacks such as Flying Mantis Kick and can even alter the Exalt's body temporarily such as with Form Charms. Sidereal martial arts sometimes transcend the idea of simply being fighting styles such as Border of Kaleidescopic Logic Style and raise combat to new arenas such as identity or perception.
However martial arts and shapeshifting are a means to an end. As the level of sorcery rises they become closer to achieving that end directly culminating in Solar Circle Sorcery. Sorcery where they can achieve the effect they are attempting.
This isn't exactly on the mark. Part of the beauty of sorcery is that it achieves it's aims obliquely through unusual methods.
