The knights of medieval Europe and the samurai of the Japanese shogunate shared a number of similar characteristics, such as a strict code of behavior that emphasized honor and loyalty , and both were mounted warriors who relied heavily on their swords. However, the Samurai also had an obligation to commit ritual suicide if they dishonored their daimyo and the knights had metallic armor of iron or steel to protect them from archers and long swords, but the samurai wore much lighter and more flexible armour. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The difference between longsword and katana is that the longsword is a type of sword used in medieval Europe for cutting and thrusting and is suitable for two-handed use in combat, but some can also be used with one hand while the katana is a type of Japanese long sword, with a single edge and a slight curve. The term longsword is ambiguous and refers to the bastard sword. From the 14th century knights wore metal armor made of iron or steel plates that covered their entire body but was very heavy and difficult for them to move. Samurai also wore full armor, but it was made differently than the metal armor worn by knights; samurai armor was a combination of leather and metal. It was held together by silk cords and was much lighter and more flexible than that of knights. Both samurai and knights had a code of conduct, in which they established certain rules that they had to follow as warriors. Both had to make promises of loyalty and honesty to their lords. The code of conduct of the samurai was called "Bushido", while the code of conduct of the knights was called "Chivalry". Bushido was the code of conduct of the Japanese warrior classes from perhaps the 8th century to modern times. The principles of bushido: emphasize honor, courage, martial arts skill, and loyalty to the warrior's master above all else. The Code of Chivalry was a moral system that went beyond the rules of combat and introduced the concept of qualities of chivalrous conduct idealized by medieval knights such as courage, courtesy, honor and great gallantry towards women. The Codes of Chivalry also incorporated the concept of courtly love. There were different types of knights who fought in an army during war or performed guard duty in a castle. The largest group was made up of household knights, those who permanently served a specific lord and rode with him to war. Then there were those who were obliged to serve a lord as a knight as a form of feudal service. Young male nobles would be trained in the use of weapons from around the age of 10, become squires from the age of 14 and then be formally nicknamed knights at 21. spear and how to fight using swords and wooden shields. Samurai trained with swords, a bow, and a weapon called a naginata which is a spear-like weapon. During training, samurai also used wooden weapons for practice. The samurai used wooden weapons to fight each other and used metal weapons on wooden or straw dummies, they could also practice their techniques on prisoners or slaves. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion Both knights have a strict code of conduct, both are strict and true to their code. The armor and weapons were a little different as the knight's sword was.