Well, I've been studying swordsmanship full-time for nearly a half year now and I'm amazed at how deep and practical this system is. I recently had the chance to do some partner drills with dull replica swords of an authentic weight and balance and was surprised how easily transferable the skills were, how little modification was required (none, really, except being slightly more careful). I think that it really helped that I do a lot of solo drills with a heavier, longer wooden sword, so the additional weight was not a problem. My wrists and forearms are much stronger now. My forearms are huge. Anyone that says that swordsmanship doesn't require a lot of wrist strength isn't doing swordsmanship. That goes doubly for one-handed swords.
The practise swords that we use are great. They have less bend to them than the synthetic (fibreglass?) swords that I've used, stick a little when binding, but can absorb a lot more power upon impact. The tip is also much larger and safer. We get bruised quite a bit, but with a head guard, gloves and possibly light chest-protection, there should be no major injuries. When my Master was learning from his master, they didn't have this modern equipment. It was a lot of pain and suffering. I'm impressed that he has achieved this level of skill the hard way, with no safety equipment besides a winter coat and a wool hat. I honestly can't imagine doing that. I just wouldn't.
Another thing that keeps coming up is just how much of unarmed and armed combat is the same, at least in Chinese styles like Baguazhang and Taijiquan, XYQ. It's clear that past masters were true warriors, even just a generation or two ago. My Master searched high and low and studied bits and pieces from masters all around China, after his own master died, trying to preserve as much as possible. He says that there are still a lot of masters of unarmed combat, even some much younger than him, from most styles, but very, very few that have preserved knowledge of weapons usage. It was absolutely forbidden, even more so than unarmed combat, not long ago, but these days the government is more concerned with guns than swords and spears and the rise of HEMA in the West and Kendo from Japan has sparked renewed interest
Still, there's not much left to preserve (as in the number of masters that can fight with weapons) and those knowledgeable like my Master are few and far between. It's much easier to just learn Kendo or HEMA in the big cities, even if the instructors learned from fucking videos. It's obvious to me that these arts were specifically designed to be used both armed and unarmed. It's a shame that they aren't really trained like that today, but for most it just isn't practical. I, however, have found that it has improved my unarmed fighting a lot recently, both in increasing my power and improving my timing and reaction. And if the shit hits the fan I can pick up any sword-like object and use 90% of the techniques to some extent. The length, weight and balance really don't matter as much for two-handed use. We've used a number of different training swords, the lightest at 350g and the heaviest well over a kilo, and the biggest difference is that it becomes harder to wield with a single hand the heavier it gets (and correct balance plays a larger role). Still, with a bit of training even those problems can be overcome as long as it's not balanced like an axe. Some of the techiques in my Master's system come from the massive Baguadao and even the staff. Many of the techniques are almost identical, with just the slightest modifications, like the way the blade is gripped on a narrower blade versus a thicker blade.
Lastly, I want to touch upon something interesting and that is the strategy of swordsmanship. I feel that unarmed combat involves a lot of strategy, but not at the same level as swordsmanship. It may be because you start further away from each other and have more time to think or that you have a piece of steel between you and them and so many different options at your disposal (especially with our two-handed style that also frequently switches to one-handed and switching from hand to hand). At first we learn how to attack with single techniques and quickly progress to two-technique combinations. Nowadays I have been learning many three or four-technique combinations. These are all designed to force the opponent to react in a certain way and then create openings. Unlike unarmed combat, you can't just trade blows and take a beating. Death is always around the corner.
My Master is very sneaky. I've learned a lot of feints and tricks from him. Lately it's been very interesting. We both try to trick each other and the first to discover what the other really intends to do is the victor. The satisfaction upon this realisation and the instant gratification of the sound of the sword hitting their head or thrusting loudly into their throat is pure joy. I've never laughed so much when getting my arse kicked. Today I fought the most skilled of my fellow disciples. At sword-fighting we are about equal and our battles are epic. It's like a very dramatic game of chess. I love it. I recommend it to anyone, even to improve your unarmed game. Sorry for the long rant.