Samurai and Western late medieval/Renaissance armor sees to leave the back of the legs bare. Would this not be a vulnerable place?
In late Medieval plate armor, the "Greaves" generally covered both the front and back of the legs. This may not have been always true for jousting armor.
Here are some examples:
http://steel-mastery.com/en/plate-armour/cuisses-jambs-poleyns-and-sabatons