Neil Diamond Attacks Jimmy Kimmel With a Sword! (VIDEO)

Singer Neil Diamond appeared on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' (weeknights, 12AM ET on ABC). And the guest managed to reverse a fairly common dynamic. Talk show guests often complain about being "attacked" during an interview. But the opposite took place tonight. Host Jimmy Kimmel faced a spontaneous attack... from a singer/songwriter with a sword.

Kimmel asked the singer about his '70s album 'Hot August Night.' The album's cover shows the artist in a fairly racy pose. In response, Neil said he missed his 1970s-era hair. Okay then. It seemed like Jimmy was actually pointing out how the cover emphasized Diamond's crotch, not his hair ... but either way.

The 69-year-old singer may be losing some hair these days -- but there's one thing he hasn't lost. Can you guess what that is? (And no, this has nothing to do with Neil Diamond's crotch.)

... Well, Neil Diamond hasn't lost his fencing skills! (If you guessed right, then we're impressed.) Diamond got into college by winning a fencing scholarship to NYU. He gave up the sport after landing a recording contract in his senior year; but he still warms up before concerts by practicing his swordsmanship skills. Tonight, he showed off those skills by slashing at Kimmel's chest with his saber -- over and over again.

Jimmy didn't seem totally comfortable with the sword attack. Neil told him not to worry: "[The sword's] got a rubber tip on the end." But this failed to relax Mr. Kimmel: "Yeah ... that's just fine ... nothing more protective than rubber."