Fencing Master Michael Knazko

Maître d’armes Michael Kňažko is an expert pedagogue at the Sports, Rehabilitation and Movement Centre of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and the Prague Conservatory, where he teaches 19th century classical fencing with the French foil and the Italian sabre. He started with sabre fencing in the 1980s at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague under fencing master RnDr. Pavel Plch, whose aim was to combine stage fencing with real fencing, to gain authentic insight from duel fencing applicable in theatre practice. Mr. Kňažko gained further fencing experience and knowledge under the tutelage of the fencing master Jan Kostka, who studied fencing under the tutelage of the fencing masters of the TJ Lokomotiva club in Pilsen in the 1970s.

For the last ten years Mr. Kňažko followed fencing master Leonid Křížek, a certified sabre fencing instructor. Under the tutelage of master Křížek he studied fencing with the Italian military sabre (Luigi Barbasetti lineage), and the bayonet. In 2023, under the guidance of master Leonid Křížek and master Josef Šolc, he passed the exam and received the title of fencing master maître d’armes.

He is a fencing master (maître d’armes) at the Czech Lands Fencing Hall, La Salle d’Armes, Prague, the home La Salle d’Armes of the ARS DIMICATORIA school of historical fencing and the BARBASETTI MILITARY SABRE (since 1895) club.

From the historical weapons he teaches fencing with the French foil and small sword, military sabre, bayonet, Polish sabre and Spanish rapier.