Swordsmanship refers to the skills of a "swordsman". It is a modern term mainly used to refer to small sword fencing. But it can also be applied to any martial art involving the use of a sword. The English word "swordsman" is parallel to the Latin word "gladiator". This was a professional fighter who fought against other fighters and others for the entertainment of spectators in the Roman Colosseum. The word "gladiator" itself comes from the Latin word "gladius", meaning "sword". 