Adder wrote: Why not!! As far as I know swords are not prohibited in QLD, though I did recently hear about someone getting shot by Police for coming at them with a samurai sword. From the little I know you just need a good reason to have it in public
:S
So I guess the only risk is if its taken off you by thugs.... then I guess the options diminish. Great if you work at the dojo and can carry it everyday to and from work!!! But as mentioned previously, its seems disproportionate for an aggressor with anything less then a sword (from a legal standpoint if claiming self defense), and ineffective against anything longer ranged like a gun, IMO.
Hence the benefit of not carrying a weapon so that the inequality of force can be reversed. To entertain your question, it's very difficult to find appropriateness to carry a sword in a case in public, especially a crowded space. But to get back onto the topic, practicing combat is essentially the physical, and psychological practice to deal with conflict. Therefore, very imperative not as a Jedi, but as a person.
There are other means of achieving the outcome, but combat training is a very effective and efficient means.
