**Generic Knight vs Generic Samurai **
Although their armor is a component on the field, I’m going to interpret things a little differently and suggest the Samurai will win.
Both warriors are trained to use their weapons to block, but it seems to me that the key is in their respective strategies of when. The European knight will take a blow on the shield or let his armor protect him, but it’s important to understand that the impact of the weapon on the armor or shield does not go by unnoticed. Those hits are transmitted to the body just like a swing that’s blocked still transfers energy into the hands and arms. My fellow fighters here will undoubtedly agree that receiving attacks is as exhausting (if not more) as dishing them out. Meanwhile, the Japanese combatant is trained to use his armor as a tertiary defense: Avoid the attack if you can, block if you must, and take a glancing blow if your avoidance fails.
So the two men would be hacking and slashing at each other, the westerner boldly receiving attacks on the hands, arm, and armor and the easterner cleverly avoiding what he can, blocking what he must, and receiving partial damage from what still manages to find him. There’s argument above on whether or not the Japanese armor is lighter or less cumbersome. All in all, though, I imagine the samurai would wear the knight down and the latter would eventually call a halt to yield honorably.
Specific French Knight versus Specific Samurai
Well, now, if you’re pitting representative icons from each milieu against each other, then I think we’re looking at a hardware advantage. For the Japanese, the commonly acknowledged epitome of samurai skill was Miyamoto Musashi. My apologies, but the only French icon I can think of for the Europeans is Sir Lancelot of Arthurian legend. [Joan of Arc may be a better choice, but I personally know less about her history/legend, to the point that I’m not even sure if she was a knight/warrior per se.] Recast this in a separate response if you wish, but I’ll have to go with those two because it’s the best I can do without so much more research that this thread will be a zombie by the time I can respond.
Musashi was a late-comer in the Japanese feudal era, and was more of a duelist than a field soldier. As such, legends tend to suggest he did his fighting sans armor so that he and his opponent were testing their weapon skills rather than their armor toughness. (This is easier to do as a duelist because you’re not worried about some new recruit sneaking in a cheap shot from the side while you’re staring down your main opponent.) Lancelot, of course, was the ultimate in knightly combative skill and chivalry whom none could best without an enchanted sword.
I imagine Lancelot riding to the dueling grounds and finding Musashi there in the middle, kneeling in seiza before a low table. Musashi would invite the challenger to sit and enjoy a cup of tea before battle, then demonstrate his calmness and etiquette at sa-do. After tea, while cleaining up and moving the tea implements aside, Musashi would casually* observe, “You are wearing armor, while I have none.”
Being the honorable epitome of chivalry, Arthur’s best friend would graciously remove his metal skin in order to even the playing field. The two champions would then face each other and draw swords.
But Musashi was legendary in the Ni-To style of swordsmanship: He used the Katana in his right hand and the Wakizashi in the left. Lancelot is a master-at-arms, but was known to use one at a time. The sword-and-maine gauche schools wouldn’t arise until Western metallurgy made European swords stronger, lighter, and smaller (e.g. spadroons, rapiers, sabers, cutlasses, etcetera). This would put Lancelot at an arms-and-technical disadvantage, facing two swords to his one. Furthermore, even if Musashi were to drop the Wakizashi, Lancelot’s habitual reliance on knightly armor to absorb incoming blows would turn into a fatal liability.
European versus Japanese Armies
This is getting long; I think it should be taken to another thread for debate about that one.
–G!
Better see if you’re holding
The Wrong Edge of the Blade
…–Steve Perry (Journey)
…Edge of the Blade
…Frontiers
*Of course it’s not a casual observation. Just like arriving early and offering tea, it’s part of the overall strategy.