The Renaissance period is making a serious comeback. Between Game of Thrones, Skyrim and Lord of the Rings, our generation seems to love everything involving this time.

So it may come as no surprise that a Renaissance-style Knight School has started up in Ellensburg.

The Knight School, held every Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Mt. Stuart Elementary, teaches small groups of students the ways of the knight. The class is $45 a month with training weapons and fencing masks provided.

People interested can contact Parks and Recreation to sign up.

Led by the Knights of Veritas, this non-profit organization teaches both the lifestyle of the common knight and also about medieval arms, armor, combat and chivalry through comprehensive and interactive courses that physically and mentally engage students.

Eric Slyter, the director of the Veritas Swordplay Academy, said that Knights of Veritas was founded in 2004 to highlight the historically-rich style of swordsmanship that is key to being a knight.

Through their classes that have been offered all throughout the Pacific Northwest, the Veritas Swordplay Academy has dispelled myths that are often associated with knighthood, according to Slyter.

Most of the students are male and in their 20s, but the ages range from teen years to around 50 years old.

“We practice an historical martial art based closely on surviving period manuscripts of how personal combat was performed in the late middle ages with a variety of weapons,” Slyter said.

Through repetition and application these students are given the opportunity to create a deep understanding of what it meant to be a knight in the day of the renaissance.

“The focus is on excellence and faithfulness to how the art was practiced historically, not merely a bunch of people trying to whack each other,” said Slyter, who has had many years of expertise in this style of martial arts.

William Gull, a 40-year-old instructor at his own school of medieval martial arts in Nashua, New Hampshire said, “It’s not for everyone, but it is a healthy, educational system that gives people a dose of history and fitness.”

A key aspect in their regimen is something this community calls the Code of Chivalry. This code is essentially, a set of traits that a knight must maintain to hold their title.

Mainly, they must have the courage to fight for what they believe in, show courtesy to all no matter their position in society, have faith in who they are and the strength to maintain that in times of hardship. Additionally, humility, generosity, justice, honor, loyalty, and having a personalized prowess are taken very seriously in the Code of Chivalry.

There are many misconceptions to what this period of battle was like. The Knights of Veritas’ goal is to expose these to a modern audience through teachings of this historical fighting culture.

Gull confirms that there are many things that aren’t seen on TV in regards to accurate portrayals of the art that is sword defense.

“There are very few shows or movies that show accurate combat because most of the time accurate combat is quick and dirty. Throw a thrust to the face, or the groin, or the armpit. Fight over,” Gull said.  “Most of the time, you didn’t want to kill the other person fighting. You wanted them to surrender. They were worth a lot of money in ransom.”

In particular, he condemns Spike TV’s hit show, “Deadliest Warrior” in which they pull in experts that analyze the weapons and fighting styles of ancient kingdoms and communities.

“Half the experts were not even experts, just folks that used the weapons in the movies or TV,” Gull said.

The website for Knights of Veritas states that, “Television, movies, fantasy literature and games have perpetuated many fanciful and erroneous misrepresentations of the middle ages.”

Knights of Veritas are sure to use authentic swords that have been weighted and detailed by experienced professionals, Slyter said. This helps people to have fun and learn about the actual fighting style of knights during the renaissance period. This enables the class to experience the art form in its  entirety which is of utmost importance to this organization.

Often times a duel between two knights would come about from a debacle over leadership or property and sometimes would result in death. Men were expected to learn to fight in case they were needed to defend either of these very important aspects of their lives.

Aging all the way back in the 1350’s this form of defense was initiated by Johannes Liechtenauer.

Along with the opportunity to delve into the culture of this fighting style, participants get to actually put on the armor and handle the weapons that would ordinarily be used in the time of the renaissance.

Sometimes these students will go to events and competitions that help them to test the skills they have learned from Slyter and the other instructors.   

“What I find to be the most satisfying is that there is a way to practice how weapons and combat in the middle ages actually worked, for those who are interested in the reality rather than the fantasy,” Slyter said.