If you can't do this, playing on PvP servers is good practice. I played on a couple CTF servers, and I used to play single player a lot, where I would take out my sword, leave all other items in chests at home, and go kill some mobs. This helped a lot to improve my PvP skills.
I am that type of person, and as you play the Survival Games more often, you will be able to do this too. On my first time playing, I died quite quickly. Then some people taught me to look for chests around the map while spectating, and I did. I found a nice route for me to use, which is quite uncommonly used by other players. You can find one of these, and there will probably be a sword or the materials to craft an iron sword in them. Then you can go to a workbench on one of the main roads (there are lots, so it's really not hard to craft a sword). Also, I head to the cornucopia before nightfall and the chest refill, in order to stand a chance at getting some items.