with exchanges going down - trading is same as gambling imo - or even worse 
Comparing the risk of gambling with exchange down is not reasonable, if you are afraid your funds in exchange will be lost because the website is down then you simply put back your trading funds in your personal wallet and send back to the exchange if you are start to trading. Gambling is not only high risk but also often gives bad effects to the mental especially if you can not manage the emotions themselves, But whatever choice there is gambling or trading I really respect it.
Transfer funds from the exchange site to you personal wallet? How could someone do that if the site is DOWN? I think you don't know what you have just posted. But it is true that if you are going to store your bitcoin in an exchange there is a possibility that it would be lost, that is why if you do have bitcoin in an exchanger site, because of profits that you have made on selling your Altcoins, then better withdraw it right away, than to lost it forever.