I've been practicing Kendo (Japanese Sword Art) for almost two years now, and practicing Iaido for a little too. Kendo in a way is like Japanese fencing, but our head instructor is very knowledgeable about how you would use the sword in combat, at least more then your average Kendo instructor. He points out why certain things matter, from small to large. He's also done jyu-kendo, which in a way is a type practical experience.