At DSHF, we work to improve ourselves as fencers by learning the historical art through modern training paradigms. We hold to the techniques and martial philosophies of KdF not only because of a reverence for its beauty and historical value, but because of its effectiveness as a fighting art. The men and women who developed these systems did so in an environment where real combat with real swords was a relatively commonplace event. This meant that their art was tempered and improved by an ever-present motivator that is absent from our experience of fencing: death. In this way, their fencing systems are superior to anything we could create in a safe, modern training environment.  For those who wish to excel as fencers, attempting to learn and master the historical KdF is primarily a pragmatic training philosophy.

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However, the methods we use to learn KdF are not limited to those that would have been seen in historical fencing schools. We try to make use of modern training approaches in our practice.  From our emphasis on sparring games and drills inspired from Olympic style fencing, to half of our classes being devoted to developing fundamental skills, to our adoption of modern training gear, we make efforts to utilize the best of modern training modalities to better understand and apply these ancient fighting techniques.  

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Our modern training environment also differs from older modes of thought in the following way: we do not discriminate against any students or potential members due to gender, race, sexual orientation, country of origin, or religion.  These arts belong to anyone who would learn them, and we do not tolerate the presence of those who create hostility in our training environment through bigotry. 

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If these training philosophies appeal to you, please click the link below to sign up for a class, or contact us with any questions you might have.