Samurai vs Western knight

There is a never ending discussion about fencing skill of the samurai and western warriors and who would win in a duel. Such  duel actually happened and the winner is western warrior.

Alexander Lexo Saichich was born on 5 August 1873 in the village of Vinicka in Berane.  Lekso graduated from high school in Dubrovnik from where he went to Belgrade to study at the Infantry school in Serbian Military Academy. After Belgrade he spent three years serving in Montenegro .  He wanted to improve his military skills and gain more experience and progress  headed for Istanbul to join the Turkish army and served as one of the  Emperor's  personal bodyguards  where he also spent three years.  When Japan declared war to Russia , Serbia and Montenegro as a support to Russia declared war to Japan and send each several companies of voluntaries. Alexander Lekso Sajčić  joined  Montenegro units with a rank of lieutenant . He was one of the bravest soldiers of that war and many stories of his bravery and skills are still told in Russia , Serbia and Montenegro. He was wounded 4 times , two times in the head , once in a chest and once in the shoulder but never missed any combat operation and he was always in front of his company leading his soldiers.

In Eastern Manchuria, near the city of Vladivostok on Sypingayskih positions, during the second year of the conflict  armies were about to clash.  While Russian tacticians were searching for the best way to win after series of defeats, a rider came forward from the opposite side. The commander of the Japanese addressed the Russians through his messenger. He demanded that they send one warrior for a duel against his samurai. Russians were confused by the unusual request from the Japanese General who demanded that before the battle they arrange a duel between two of their champions. They knew how much significance this duel had for the upcoming battle. Reputation of the samurai and their sword skills were very well known among Russian soldiers and no one wanted to face fierce Japanese duelist, no one except Alexander. As soon as the request for a duelist spread across the camp, tall and slim lieutenant showed up at the commander's tent entrance requesting a permission to fight. Seeing young lieutenant so skinny the commander refused him at firs but young warrior didn’t want to leave the tent without permission to fight. Commander ordered to find him the best horse and gave him a sabre

Two man met in the middle of the battle field and the duel started. After taking several serious blows (he never fully recovered from these wounds), Saichich somehow managed to defeat the samurai. Samurai’s horse has swept away, dragging his masters’s dead body whose feet stuck in the stirrup. The corpse of a samurai knight fell a hundred meters before the first rows of the Japanese troops. Saichich drove up to the opponent, bowed and went galloping back to his. After winning the duel, Aleksandar Lexo Saichich became a Knight of the Order of St. Anne, the highest Russian award, and the owner of many other differences. In addition, the Russian government has identified him a good amount of gold Napoleons 40 annually for life. In the distant Manchuria, he was promoted to the rank of captain until the end of the war he commanded a squadron of horse-Amur Dragoons. Sabre, which he defeated samurai, now kept at the Military Museum in Moscow

After the war he went back to Montenegro and served in a court of the King Nicola.On  April 7, 1911.  in Cetinje hospital “Danilo I” died captain Aleksandar Lexo Saichich from the effects of falling from the top floor of the Royal Palace saving himself from a fire. In the funeral procession, which two days later, while attending State Orchestra and the honorary squad moved to the cemetery, along with the palace and the diplomatic entourage, silently walked mass of people.

At the head of the procession, as a kind of document of the deceased, on several pillows lay orders and medals: Russian Orders of St. Vladimir, with swords and ribbon Grade II, St. Anne’s I and II, St. Stanislaus with swords and ribbon II and III, Russian medal for being wounded , Montenegrin medal for bravery and Danilov Order IV degree, the Italian cross and many more

 In 2006 Montenegro and Japan finally sign a peace treaty and ended more than a century long war.