A person who put down combat skills for a millenia wouldn't be a level 1 fighter at all. He would have to redo a part of his apprenticeship before he possessed the proficiency of a level 1 fighter.
OK, but what is he? He didn't sit in a dark room with no other sensory imput. He did other things during that time, so he would be
something (in terms of an RPG: some profession/class). The fact that he was alive and active in the world for the thousand years means that he was doing things and living life, which means that he learned something of some profession, which means he is some levels of some profession, even if it isn't the one he started out in.
I do have to ask a question though. Why do you think real world comparisons have no place in discussing FRP rules systems? I happily agree that there is no real world parallel to concussion hits, experience points, levels, etc. FRP's however tend to include elements of both fantasy and reality. Spell Law is pretty much pure fantasy where ARMS Law is clearly an effort to take knowledge of real world weapons and armor, and turn that knowledge into a rules system that allows you to as realistically as possible resolve armed combat in an RPG. Arms Law could not have been created without considering real world weapons, armor, fighting styles, methods of construction and the skills necessary to use them. Any debate about rules in ARMS Law would likely also have to draw on such knowledge. Obviously in real life if someone smacks you with a two handed sword you don't tally the concussion hits, but the form and function of a Scottish two handed sword as opposed to a Japanese Katana is relevant to FRP rules.
I totally agree here; we live in the real world so everything we draw from is from the real world. Gravity makes you fall - unless you use a spell or other power to counter act gravity (real, then fantasy)
Personally, I do not like systems that go so abstract that they loose any feal of realism. Big example: D&D - in just about any form - you are totally fine until you take the one hit that drops you, way too unreal for me. Yes, you can be stratched then hit so well that you drop, but not
everytime! In all of the various dangerous situations that the characters will get into, many times they will get hurt so that they will have limitations on what they can do. (Just a pet peeve, sorry for the rant.)
I would say that even in Spell Law much of the description is based on how they imagine it happening
for real. A
Fire Bolt streaking across the battlefield and boiling a warrior's flesh off while melting his plate armor. Things we all know fire capable of doing. It is just the delivery system that is fantasy.