Why are all best sword fighters high born?

[Hodor the Articulate]

A common mistake here: Many think i only mean: Peasents, but great houses like Starks, Lannisters, Baratheons for example have plenty of household guards. I don't know how many, but Lannisters seems to have hundreds in duty all time and their only work is to be a soldier. So these men should have time to train? At least in winterfell I think Eddard let them train with Ser Rodrik. Surely some of this men should rise to be very good fighters.

They may well be great fighters, but how often do they get the chance to prove themselves?

Really, saying the "best" sword fighters is kinda misleading. The most famed warriors in Westeros aren't necessarily the best, but they are the most celebrated, because they win lots of tourneys and/or are already well known. In other words, highborn warriors have a much better chance of getting public attention than a lowborn.

[devilish]

High born tend to give their children a lot of training especially in terms of hitting stuff with a stick and fighting into one to one fights. However how many would do well in a real war? How much experience will they ever get in real warfare and would they win against seasoned sell swords and hedge knights who may suffer slightly in terms of armor but have a lot of battles under their belt?

Also does sword fighting really matter in a fight? Can you see Jamie Lannister in all his pomp coming out alive from a barrage of bolts (every idiot can fire a crossbow) or break through a spear wall of Unsullied soldiers? There's a reason why there was a time when crossbows were banned and someone like the Mountain would make a massive target.

In reality the true highborn noblemen (ie a family such as the Lannisters, Starks or Baratheon) rarely fought at all. They would stay at the rear guiding their armies in the slaughter. If things go wrong they would be the first one to leave the battlefield. They would only risk their lives if they are caught in cross fire or if its a win or die situation when living in a defeated state is worse off then dying.

[Make Shadowbabies Not War]

Lack of decent equipment or trainers will handicap many people, as well as the fact that high born people eat better and have access to the best (although not great) medical practices.

It's all a matter of training. Some kid in Africa could have the talent to be the next Adrian Peterson, Calvin Johnson, Peyton Manning, or JJ Watt. But without the free time to play football, access to experienced coaches to teach him how to play football, and some way of getting into a position to play football, he's never going to realize the athletic talent.

I got confused , and had to Google the names to find out you meant American football, rather than what we in England call 'football', but you call 'soccer'! :laugh: Off topic, but I personally find it incredible (in a good way), how two languages can start from the same point, and slowly drift apart in such a way that ours are doing.

[King Gendry Baratheon]

Is Thoros the best fighter in Brotherhood without Banners? I don't remember any other '' first class'' warrior there, well ofc Beric when he still was alive.