JW: Maybe TMI, but eh - nice to keep us in the loop. Hope she gets better soon.<br/><br/>On the sword discussion, that would be true if (larger) swords were actually as sharp as a good modern utility knife. A gladius, or really any sword derived from that, is indeed a stabbing weapon. Larger swords are not so much intended for that - their mass and balance is designed to make them impact weapons, rather than thrusting weapons (although in the latter middle ages and early renaissance, swords developed towards thin, sharp-pointed weapons again, so as to be able to take advantage of the plate boundaries and joints of plate armor.