Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2019 November 13

= November 13 =

Do real swordsmen still exist?
I have read a lot about swordsmen like Miyamoto Musashi and Hans Talhoffer. This made me wonder if actual swordsmen (that is, people who have had actual brawls with sharp weapons) still exist. I am a practitioner of Kendo and Kenjutsu, but I am fully aware that training and actual usage of a weapon are two very different things. As far as I can see, most modern “swordsmen” are simply sportsmen who have no actual experiences in using swords in physical conflicts. But are there still “real” swordsmen around? Do they still exist or have they all died out?--2A02:120B:C3E7:E650:18C8:AAB0:523A:9250 (talk) 01:13, 13 November 2019 (UTC)


 * In the Rwandan genocide, the machete was a common weapon. That can be considered a type of short sword. I'm sure some of the victims fought back, so in that sense it was "combat". SinisterLefty (talk) 01:26, 13 November 2019 (UTC)


 * To what purpose? I presume it takes a long time to train a swordsman, and all that time and expense could be easily wasted (in two senses of the word) by an itinerant archaeologist with a gun. The rare circumstance where a sword would be superior to anything else is just too improbable to justify honing that particular skill (unless there are underground tournaments to the death til there is only one). Clarityfiend (talk) 07:48, 15 November 2019 (UTC)


 * Another possibility is that somebody who wears a sword for ceremonial purposes and has been trained in swordsmanship, may be attacked and use it to defend himself. That would be one-sided, with the attacker having some other weapon. Still, that could be called using a sword in combat. (I picture this being a high-ranking officer or leader, perhaps the target of an assassination attempt.) SinisterLefty (talk) 09:10, 15 November 2019 (UTC)


 * Not really a sword, but the Gurkha troops still take their kukris into action and aren't afraid to use them, this chap being a recent (2013) example when he used his on a Taliban fighter near Lashkar Gah. Alansplodge (talk) 13:30, 15 November 2019 (UTC)
 * And you may be interested in the last sword duel in history, France, 1967, so within living memory (I was 8 years-old). The swordsmen were politicians Gaston Defferre and René Ribière who were fighting over a shouted insult in parliament, an example that would enliven Prime Minister's Questions no end. Alansplodge (talk) 13:35, 15 November 2019 (UTC)


 * Related: SCA armoured combat, Association for Renaissance Martial Arts and Swordsmanship. Gråbergs Gråa Sång (talk) 08:24, 16 November 2019 (UTC)

Good picture for article
I'm trying to find a good picture of Sarah Gilman on the Internet. The picture is for the article about her. When I looked at some pictures, I learned they may be subject to copyright. I have absolutely no intention of infringing anything. But I need help in finding the right picture for the article about Gilman. Could somebody help me, please? Thank you.142.255.72.126 (talk) 06:47, 13 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Have a look at Image use policy and . --Viennese Waltz 08:12, 13 November 2019 (UTC)
 * I still hope somebody could help me find a current but good picture of Sarah Gilman to go with the article about her.142.255.72.126 (talk) 11:34, 13 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Maybe they will, but the idea would be that you follow the links in the second page I provided and look for it yourself. --Viennese Waltz 12:08, 13 November 2019 (UTC)


 * You might try Free Image Search Tool (but it's not very user-friendly).  2606:A000:1126:28D:ACE6:2740:A539:DB21 (talk) 07:36, 14 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Nah, according to your word.142.255.72.126 (talk) 19:47, 14 November 2019 (UTC)

Identify actress
There's a viral meme on the internet that goes like (image is safe for work).

Who is the actress, what is the movie?C est moi anton (talk) 12:58, 13 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Nicole Kidman from Rabbit Hole. -- Jayron 32 13:00, 13 November 2019 (UTC)