I remember play-testing this game, and feeling almost certain that they "dumbed-down" the AI between builds as it was too hard for us to beat.
Also had a few scary moments - such as that time our build crashed every few seconds, on a Friday!
Sounds like it's just a load of blokes bashing each other with scant regards to finesse & technique (and even safety).
Plus, it's not like a blunt sword can't maim or kill. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58NVoTocUOk