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I don't agree with anyone that says it is impractical. That is like say martial art is impractical and that would be a shame that so many people here waste their time playing.
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That's the reason I drew a clear line between "practical" and "beneficial." Sword fighting
is impractical. Look up the definition of "practical" and you'll see that's true. HOWEVER:
Beneficial is a different animal. Practicing sword arts can have a host of benefits, and that's for each individual to decide. I mean in the end, if the only thing a person wants to do is dress up in a hakama and wear a samurai sword around and they find true happiness in that - COOL! Happiness is a tangible, valuable benefit. More power to them. Where Bodhi and I agree completely and without exception is that it is dangerous to confuse "practical" with "beneficial." If you think that the practice of medieval swordsmanship, longsword and buckler, or samurai sword arts is going to have an immediate and direct practicality, you're functioning under dangerous assumptions.
I am not saying that practicality should be one's only consideration in choosing an art, mind you. I think personal fulfillment should outrank it by leagues. However, if you decide that practicality for modern combat IS your priority, then choosing a sword art to fulfill that need is a little, well, dumb.