A Essay -- The Knight vs. the Samurai

[Cougar]

Very interesting essay on the classic fighters of two very different cultures.

http://www.thehaca.com/essays/knightvs.htm

 

[LGodamus]

that is like asking who would win an armored guy with a sword or an armored guy with a sword..

Knight and samurai and synonyms actually...the same class from different cultures

 

[Cougar]

Did you read the essay or was that a snap reaction?

 

[Cougar]

Just out of curiosity, why did this thread get moved? Posting a link to a site that contains many excellent essays on historical combat does not seem "off-topic" to me. I would have emailed whichever moderator moved the thread, but there was no post about who (or why, for that matter).

 

[Nifft]

A Katana could cut right through the Knight's lance, armor, and the horse!!!

j/k -- I voted Knight.

-- N

 

[Dark Jezter]

d00d, the samurai would win because the katana is the kewlest most badass sword evar! I heard that a katana can cut through a machine gun barrel, while european swords are dull and weigh like 20 pounds.

Just kidding.

I, too, voted for the European knight.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I went with a draw - skill is the key and both were highly skilled, people seem to forget that with a knight.

 

[RangerWickett]

Now here's the rub: What if you have Samurai with longsword versus Knight with katana?

 

[Dark Jezter]

Those who think the Medieval sword and shield was and is just a “wham-bam, whack-whack” fight are as greatly misinformed as those who imagine the katana was handled in some mysterious and secret manner and can cut through anything as if it were a light-saber. Those who presume the use of Medieval long-sword merely involved a brutish hacking are also under a tremendous delusion.

Yes! One thing I really like about the Knights vs. Samurai article is that it dispels the myth that katanas are superweapons while european swords were basically metal clubs used only for hacking and chopping. It also dispels the myth that samurai were much more highly-trained and skilled than knights were.

 

[Cougar]

I thought that was cool too. I liked how they focused on their equipment and what it was designed to do (and not to do) and how the styles were completely different.