He's a temple boy so he gets any of the temple duties he can handle, and while he is also a channeler, that doesn't mean he does not sometimes have to pick up a mop when things get messy, or a sword when things get tense. On a side note, Alps can no better use a sword than Kita can get the cereal off the high shelf. This is for looks and intimidation only. And he's not so good at that either.