I can attest to the fact that something as subtle as an inch or two of arm length can make a difference in the Shinai, but when we do some fighting for fun I use a set of short swords and can make fairly quick work of others that are using long, or broad swords as well as pole arms. So blade length isn't everything. And no I don’t make a habit of attacking people with weapons but I am a member of a group that does historical combat.

I have also seen people, that have been trained in knife combat, who are able to close the gap on attackers with longer weapons and get inside. In the end however I think that this was designed to build in some suspense to the scene and drive the plot. Is this type of fight impossible to win for Scratch? I say No. Should CJ have the huge advantage described by SmokeyZombified? I would say yes.