Using a smaller blade as a symbol is quite suicidical, I think. There's always something that goes wrong, and giving even MORE chance to the opponent is just crazy. So I'd bet the bodyguard version.
Btw, in my experience, with anything longer than 10", the longer-than-average form of a weapon is the more difficult to use. I mean, if the "average" is, say, 20", then it's average because most fighters chose those. Which means that it's a well-working form-lenght combination. Anything longer would be slower, and would need more calculation while fighting, as well as more power behind them to move as fast.
So, if the size is the symbol of skill, then longer-wider-heavier would mean better. It's easier to get someone with a longsword than with a huge greatsword which has a hilt only a bit longer than the longsword's, isn't it? (Btw, I love twohanders)
I don't like the "compensating for something"-part... it's just like as Clements wrote in the "politically correct way of learning swordsmanship". Back then, who would've cared about that?