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Comment by pluto9 | Hacker News Reader

I can believe that individual slashes and stabs are ineffective against metal armor, sure. But this video makes it seem like a knight could take down a whole crowd of enemies by himself. This is what fighting that many people at once actually looks like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CmRo7uECEg

Several people knock or drag the victim to the ground while the rest take turns beating him. In the movies when the hero goes to fight 20 dudes, at any given time 18 are standing around doing nothing while he lays waste to them two at a time with flawlessly executed martial arts moves. That's pure theatrics, and no amount of armor or training or general badassery can make it a reality.

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The video you linked to is a basically a brawl in the street in the 20th century with non armed combat. Apple to Oranges. I also agree with you about martial arts movie where a single guy takes on 20 people, not very realistic. (however have a look at how a guy can hold off multiple opponents in non armed combat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8_zWBQXZj4)

Here we are talking about a fully trained knight in his peak condition with really good armor and sword. The bandits/peasants in the video are not very well protected and don't seem to take advantage of their numbers due to inexperience/fear factor. Also in the video he does fight 3 or 4 people at once and they do try and make him fall to the ground, but again he is trained and knows how to keep his distance and stay upright and he also takes damage.

You could argue that it might be not 100% realistic, but I think it does show the effectiveness of knights. I mean think about it, if a knight could be taken down by a bunch of peasants, why did invest so much time and money on knights and armour.

Here is the video review by Skallagrim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x80hOR42szg

It's really not that different. Armor and swords or not, you can't fend off vast numbers of opponents by yourself for long. That street fight you posted lasts only a few seconds, it's just that the video has been edited to stretch it out to two minutes.

Taking advantage of their numbers doesn't require experience. Kindergarteners gang up on each other. It's instinct.

> if a knight could be taken down by a bunch of peasants, why did invest so much time and money on knights and armour.

For the same reason we invest in soldiers today. As a group, they can be a formidable force. But if a single one gets mobbed by 20 enemies up close, chances are he's going down no matter how elite or well trained he is.

Also as metatron's video points out, a knight probably has battle experience, so he knows what works and what doesn't

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=622e3hBcb7s

I'm not sure I understand your argument. Are you saying I should defer to the expertise of the knight in your video? I would, but unfortunately he's not a knight. He's an actor.

no the youtubers, (metatron and skallagrim). They seem to specialize in historical swordfighting, so I think its worth listening to what they have to say on the subject

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