Do I need to buy extra gear for my child?

Yes, your child will need some basic protective gear, but you don’t need to spend a ton of money to obtain it! The necessary pieces are reasonably priced and available at stores such as SportChek, Walmart, and Canadian Tire. There are also three fabulous used-equipment shops in Vancouver: North Shore Sports Swap, Sports Junkies, and Cheapskates. While we have some spare gear for use during class, we can’t guarantee enough supply for everyone, or that what is available will fit your child perfectly. Fencing masks, swords, and archery equipment are provided by the school and sterilized after each use.  

Required Gear:

• Groin protection (Jock strap and cup are required for boys and a Jill strap is recommended for girls.)
• Rigid plastic elbow and knee pads. 
• Shoulder and shin guards are recommended, but not required.
• Padded gloves, such as hockey or lacrosse gloves.

How easy is it to get to Academie Duello?

For transit users, we are very close to the Waterfront Skytrain Station, West Coast Express, and the downtown Seabus Terminal, with many families walking, biking or scootering to our studio. Conversely, with our curbside drop off and pick up at our front front door, commuting by car is far easier than you might expect.

Is this program only for boys? Will there be any girls in class?

In our programs, girls are not a minority and are just as excited and capable as boys! Approximately half of our students and instructors are female. 

How do you practice martial arts safely?

We use martial arts to teach fair play, discipline, and respect for self and others. Many kids play with swords at home and our classes teach them to do that in an inherently safe, considerate, and respectful way. Minimizing injury risk is a top priority for us, so we have designed courses and protective gear requirements such that our classes are very safe, with all activities supervised by a professional instructor. The fundamental emphasis in Knight Academie is on care, compassion, and virtue.

What if my child is really shy?

That’s ok! We welcome all types of kids and have had many of them start out very shy and unsure. Some have been almost too afraid to step through the door at first, but they have all ended up having an absolute blast in our classes! If you’re concerned about your child feeling shy or fearful, we invite you to call the front desk (604.568.9907) to arrange a tour to help your kid feel comfortable in our space. We do this for families quite often and it really helps kids to see how welcoming the school is. Once they get inside, their shyness is less of an issue as they become enthralled at the sight of all the cool stuff that they’re going to get to use in class! 

Will this be too easy/hard for my child to learn?

Each class will have beginner as well as intermediate level instruction so that no matter their experience level your child will always have fun and appropriately challenging activities.