I see it as being used for entertainment purposes- we all need our heroes to be larger than life, don't we? Although I have often wondered, with adrenaline dumping gobs of go-juice into the bloodstream along with the very real fact that one could die that day if one did not commence with the killing- with that sort of cocktail, would it be so far fetched to see such feats in such a battle? Even in these tests, there is no fear of reprisal or backlash, no one is fighting to the death (something that, I think, changes a man, at least in the moment) - when the exercise is over, everyone can sit down and talk about it, expound on theory but overall, it lacks the requisite punch that would be associated with real battle. Maybe not necessarily cutting an enemy (or a helm) in twain but who knows? We're used to a uniformity in armor due to modern materials and workmanship but would all warriors in period be dressed in similar quality armor? Wouldn't an old, cheaply made pot helm be less likely to maintain structural rigidity than a well forged one? Wouldn't a rusted, old hauberk be more likely to fail than one of higher quality?
Having never been in such a life or death situation, I can only speculate but I'd be willing to bet that those of us who serve or have served in the armed forces in wartime could expound at length in greater detail.
