David M. Cvet

Canada

, B.Sc., born in Canada, is a graduate of the University of Toronto with majors in biochemistry & genetics, and computer science. He began his work career conducting six years of diabetes research at the Banting and Best Institute which introduced him to the application of computing in the analysis of protein sequencing in the field of diabetes research. Following this, he pursued a career as an information technology (IT) professional for the next 25 years. His IT career spans from the earliest days of systems engineering on mainframes and super-computers to architecting and designing computing environments for international financial institutions, to ultimately achieving positions as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for a number of advanced-technology companies including startups. His work provided opportunities to live and work in various countries in Europe and South America during his career. He retired from the IT profession in February 2004, and turned his attention to his long time passion of historical martial arts and focused on the resurrection and reconstruction of historical European martial arts.

click to view full achievement
Armorial bearings of David M. Cvet
including cadet arms for his two sons

 

His passion in the research of the ancient arts, fired David's desire to pursue the development of a formal medieval martial arts training program and founded the Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts (AEMMA) in 1998, a non-profit corporation dedicated to the resurrection, reconstruction and formalization of medieval martial arts training systems. He is also the Academy's Provost and continues the research and development of training curriculums that include armoured and unarmoured training systems, while furthering the mission of the Academy. More recently, he founded the AEMMA Nova Scotia chapter in 2008. His first opportunity to combine research on Fiore dei Liberi and its physical application to training was in Milan, Italy, in the early 90's employing steel weapons in longsword techniques. He has also participated and contributed to various organizations dedicated to studying the Middle Ages. In addition to his study and practice of historical European mediaeval martial arts for almost two decades, previously, he had also studied and practiced Asian combat arts. This experience was instrumental in understanding the concepts as it was documented in the mediaeval treatises on the subject.

Royal Ontario MuseumAssociation for Historical Fencing
Royal Ontario MuseumAssociation for Historical Fencing

He is a board member (Director) of the Association for Historical Fencing (AHF), and is involved with the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in an advisory/consultant capacity for matters related to the medieval history as it pertains to arms and armour. He also volunteers in and develops a variety of ROM programs oriented towards education of children and adults on the various aspects of the medieval period. He has also earned the Coaching Association of Canada (NCCP) Level 1 theory, a national coaching certification program of the Coaching Association of Canada.

Electronic Journals of Martial Arts and SciencesNational Coaching Certification Program
Electronic Journals of Martial Arts and SciencesNational Coaching Certification
Working with representatives of other martial arts disciplines, David was co-founder in creation of an online journal entitled the "Electronic Journals of Martial Arts and Sciences" (EJMAS), dedicated to promoting scholarship in various martial endeavours. He is the executive editor of the "Journal of Western Martial Art", one of the journals that comprise EJMAS. He is also a member of The Medieval Academy of America, De Re Militari (The Society for Medieval Military History), the Society for the Study of the Crusades and the Latin East, the Society for Slovene Studies and member of the Canadian Slovenian Chamber of Commerce. David was awarded Commander, Royal Order of the Intare (Lion), a dynastic order of the Rwandan Monarchy for his technical contributions towards furthering the mission and objectives of HRH Kigeli V.

Royal Heraldry Society of Canada
Armorial bearings of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada

 
David's second passion is the study and practice of the art and science of heraldry. Through his work in historical Western martial arts, he has organized “live” medieval tournaments, pas d'armes and trial by combats in order to recapture the excitement and experience of these medieval events by the inclusion of all things heraldic creating a unique experience for spectators in the 21st century. The Academy also promotes heraldry for their senior students (scholars) so that they may display their achievement while participating in the tournaments as combatants. As a result of this interest, David became a member with the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada (RHSC) in 2003, and took on the role as the Society's webmaster. He had donated his time and expertise to completely re-design their website while encouraging and soliciting input from team members who were members of the Board of the Society. This interest further developed by his petitioning for the honour of a grant of arms, including arms for his two sons with the Canadian Heraldic Authority or CHA. The armorial bearings were later granted and conferred to David at the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada's annual general meeting in October 2004, by the Chief Herald of Canada himself (the arms are depicted above right). David was later nominated and elected as 23rd President of the RHSC in October 2008 and served the Society as its President for six (6) terms. In the following year, he was conferred a fellowship of the Society with the award of Fellow (Hon) of the Society. He is also Past President of the RHSC Toronto Branch. With growing interest in heraldry, activities extended to Slovenian heraldry where he has delivered lectures and presentations on Slovenian heraldry in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and is collaborating with the Narodni muzej Slovenije (National Museum of Slovenia) and the Heraldic Commission furthering the interest and practice of heraldry in Slovenia.

Memberships include the Marine Animal Response Society (MARS), a charitable organization dedicated to marine mammal conservation in the Maritimes through rescue, education and research, Equestrian Nova Scotia, Canadian Association of Rocketry.

David was also involved in various film/video projects including:
  • Ocean Mysteries: Dives near Shag Harbour searching the sea bed for evidence of the Shag Harbour UFO incident of 1967. The dive teams included Celine and Fabien Cousteau (2018)
  • Docu-drama entitled "Battle of Bannockburn, 1314", participated both as a medieval advisor and as the role of King Edward I ("Longshanks") in the film. The film aired on History Channel UK (2014)
  • Documentary: M5 Weapons of War – The Damascus Sword – provided domain expert (swords and sword fighting) (2010)
  • Discovery Channel, Daily Planet: Natasha Stillwell takes a behind the scenes look at “armizare” with AEMMA founder and president David M. Cvet (2006)
  • Discovery Channel: Examining the resurrection of European medieval martial arts in Canada, co-hosted by the Royal Ontario Museum (2001)

Other interests and activities include: diving (SCUBA: tech, wreck, cave, deep (to 40 m)), cycling, chivalric orders, honours, horses and riding, archery (longbow, recurve, crossbow and compound bow), firearms, gardening and hurling with trebuchets. He and his wife Gail, are also owners/operators of Wine Kitz Digby, Wine Kitz Bridgewater, Wine Kitz Yarmouth stores in Nova Scotia and Director-at-large with the Digby & Area Board of Trade. David is also co-founder of the Atalanta Hospice Society whose mission is to establish a residential style hospice (Fundy Hospice) in the Cornwallis Park area to serve the counties of Annapolis and Digby.

Honours


 
 
Updated: January 15, 2023