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Virdare Fencing
was established by Duane Burchick to provide a club for fencers of all
levels to improve their competitive fencing skills. The original club was
locaed in Clinton, MD and has operated more or less continuously since
the 1980's. The Virdare Fencing system has produced Nationally ranked junior
and adult fencers since it's inception based on a system of solid fencing
fundamentals, athletic training and high standards for personal conduct.
Don Davis, one of Duane's students, established Virdare North in late 2002 to carry on the tradition of Virdare Fencing in Howard County, Maryland.
What are the Virdare? The Vidare were a Scandinavian tribe that first entered the consciousness of civilization during the Viking era. They came from the Varund in southeast Sweden, and adventured east on the Baltic Sea and down the Dneiper river to the Eastern Roman Empire. There they excelled in the Varangian Guard of the Byzantium Emperor. As the Barbarian age gave way to the Medieval, the Knights of the Vidare became celebrated in their prowess with swordskills. They usually carried two personal swords: The Svaerd (broadsword) and the Maekir (thrustsword). It was this skill with the Maekir that quite possibly was the first use of the supinated attacks that are the basis of modern fencing. It is in their honor that the modern Vidare Fencers assemble to practice the Joyous Lore. The weapons used in modern fencing are the foil, epee, and saber. The foil was developed in Medieval Italy as a practice tool for the rapier. This thin device was called the "fioretta" meaning "flower", which the English shortened to the "foil." The French developed the epee to be the optimized sword for dueling. The Hungarians retained the cavalry saber for their dueling, from which modern saber fencing is derived. In the words of Michael Alaux, the former US Olympic Coach: "For most fencers, fencing is a unique combination of quick thinking and elegant athletic movements. Whatever the reasons for taking up this sport, those who do will enjoy a combat sports that, unlike boxing or wrestling, does not require body contact but rather the use of a weapon. Pure strength, although not useless, loses its intrinsic value against the more efficient element of physical and mental reflexes. These reflexes are intimately involved in giving the fencer the kind of balance that will allow reaction at a speed that makes fencing action barely visible on a television screen. At the time of action, a fencer has 1/20th of a second to carry out the action. The demand for instant analysis, decision making and speed in carrying out the action require almost computer-like responses from the mind." - from the
Manual of the Virdare Fencer
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