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Are we giving the european armour a little too much credit. Philopino stick fighting was designed specifically against plate armour and that was bloody effective. They were just sticks. Why couldnt an extremely hard, sharp blade be used the same way? Sheilds could be as much of a hindrence as a bonus. It protects you from harm but also blinds your vision. If an agile opponent moves the blind side your fucked. Anyone who has trained martial arts will tell you fighting isnt just about trading blows. It is about being in the best position to execute the correct attack and best defence. The faster fighter could move around the opponent and merely push them off balance. It is easy when you have the right angle. If you can get a fully armoured opponent on the ground its game over. The samarai did wear armour but admittidly it was abizmal. I would go for the samarai not only for these reasons but they would rather die fighting than flee and live. Sun Tzu always said attack on 3 sides. If you dont give your opponent an avenue of escape they will fight heaps harder because they ahve nothing to lose and thus can conquer their fear. It is like a cornered animal will fight a hell of a lot harder if they know they are cornered. Samarai trained for that type of mentality through all their life. Knights didnt.
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