Knight school at DES

David Cvet, a summer resident of Smith’s Cove and founder and president of the Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts, kept a gym full of kids in grades 4 to 6 spellbound as he showed them how a knight of 14th century Italy would by armored and armed.

The armor might have been reproductions, but donning the leg, arm and torso protection was an orderly and intricate arrangement, and when Cvet finally donned his helmet, the comparison to a modern tank was appropriate.

Cvet’s Toronto-based academy is a non-profit school focused on the research, practice and training of a fighting art called as documented in a comprehensive treatise from 15th century Italy.

This summer, he offered an introductor training course in Smith’s Cove. Although most of the course students were in their 20s and 30s, Cvet says the original knights began studying at the age of seven to be fighters. It was a point that momentarily silenced the youngsters in the Digby Elementary gym as most were older than that.