Reason for the fracturing of the klingon empire

[FaxModem1]

Longswords aren't that hard to use in an enclosed space-- in those circumstances, you use them as short spears, basically, and they have a secondary function similar to a staff, in which you can use the flat of the blade between your hands to help you wrestle your opponent.

As for the Klingons and swords... *sigh* I don't have much issue with the bat'leth being some sort of ceremonial weapon, and it should be noted that they do have secondary weapons such as the mek'leth and the dagger, which are MUCH more useful. The mek'leth is basically a fancy kukri, for example.

I think it should be noted that Worf switched preferences from the bat'leth to the mek'leth(mostly because Michael Dorn wanted a weapon that was easier to use). And he had a reason for his preference for it:

(Dax and Worf are fighting. Worf is using a semi-bat'leth the length of his forearm. He breaks Dax's bat'leth and puts his weapon to her neck.)
WORF: E-cha!
DAX: Movek. Okay. I see your point. The mek'leth definitely have its advantages. But I still think the bat'leth, with its longer reach, is usually the deciding factor.
WORF: That is a classic argument. However, I find using a large and intimidating weapon like a bat'leth often leads to overconfidence.
DAX: So you think that I was overconfident?
WORF: You were overconfident. You thought by distracting me with your outfit you would gain an advantage.
*snip flirting*

It's also worth noting that in the spar before this conversation, Worf uses pressure and with a simple twist to break Jadzia's bat'leth. Worf did a similar trick with his bat'leth against Duras using a sword while thrusting at Worf in their duel to the death, instead closing the distance to physically hit Duras. Duras also didn't seem that experienced a combatant though.

I think the bat'leth is great if you're a very experienced duelist and used to pulling off fancy disarming tricks against an opponent. I wouldn't be surprised if Dahar masters wielded the bat'leth after years of practice, people took notice of how often the Dahar masters were winning with this weapon, pulling off the occasional fancy trick. This made a lot of young bloods start using the weapon, only without the finesse and discipline of years of practicing, making them easy opponents to beat.

Worf, entranced with the culture, but separate enough from it, seemed to have the necessary distance to look at things with fresh eyes to critique things that didn't make sense to him. This is probably why he won fights from that point onward with his preference for the mek'leth.

And we know from Enterprise and Discovery that the Klingons are huge about following the traditions of their people, to a fault. I wouldn't be surprised that they would need someone from the outside to make them change their ways regarding their traditions occasionally, because of their preference for said traditions.