[BlueTrain]

Yes, that's pretty much correct. Of course, a lot of these more or less social rules that were as binding as something carved in stone were not written down, at least not until long after they ceased to have any meaning. There are still such rules.

In England those of the lower classes were still expected to be proficient with weapons. They made up the armies that were raised on demand, there being no standing army. In particular, proficiency with the longbow was the thing. There were local compeitions to encourage practice with the longbow and it generally paid off. Commoners also practiced with sword and buckler. This is where the militia tradition came from.

Generally speaking, only those of gentle birth could carry swords, although they were not really always practical battlefield weapons. You may not the way a gentleman's sword shrank over the years. At the time of the revolution, it had almost shrank to its present size, though if you've ever seen one, they were clearly still lethal. A small sword today is much too flimsy for real combat. Same thing happened with knives, although a few folks believe there's a real need for a Bowie knife, apparently.

All of this only applied to men.