Article: Knight vs. Samurai

[Oleander Ardens]

I frankly don't understand the last two posts. The Katana was never the choice of the Samurai against armoured opponents, given that Yari and Yumi were the main weapons of the samurai in times of war. A longer bladed weapons, usually called Tachi was also very often worn, as well as the Aikuchi or other Tantos. The latter was especially important, because given the ineffectivness of cutting swords in general against metal armour a fight would often involve various techniques of unarmed combat with both sides trying to finish the other of with the dagger. As in Japan, serious students in Europe would be given in-depth lessons in unarmed combat in and without armour.

Plate armour can allow for swifter movement that mail. Far more techniques are possible with the long sword than with the katana. A Katana is a excellent swift cutter with good thrusting ability, while a longsword is usually an excellent thruster with a wide range of cutting techniques. Halfswording and Mordschlag are attacks unknown in the japanese martial arts, which arose because of the challanges of (plate)armoured combat.

Every unframed comparision will poisened to fail.