David Burgess has excelled across the sport of fencing as an athlete, coach, and armorer.
Burgess began working with the Triton fencers in 2002 as an assistant coach and armorer. Not only one of the most acclaimed armorers in the United States, but in the world, his unique expertise keeps the Tritons' equipment in tip-top shape to enable fencers to bring their best to the strip throughout their rigorous and demanding season.
A tri-weapon fencer, Burgess started his fencing career at San Diego State University where he trained and competed under Fencing Master Heizaburo Okawa (1978-1981). He won a silver medal in Saber at the 1981 Western Intercollegiate Championships. While at SDSU, he served as an armorer for the Orange Coast Division in California and for the San Diego Fencing Club.
From 1981-1992, Burgess relocated to Alaska where he helped establish the Anchorage Fencing Club and served as one of the club’s two coaches. During those years, he not only won Alaska state championships in all three weapons, he also developed athletes who collectively won seven individual state titles in all three weapons (between 1991 and 1997) and earned a silver medal at the 1997 National Division II Foil Championship.
Burgess joined the staff at the Cabrillo Academy of the Sword in 1993 and continues to serve as an associate coach and armorer.
Burgess’s armory expertise has served the fencing community in San Diego, nationally, and at the international level. He continues to be the Head Technician at National Events for the U.S. Fencing Association (1995 to present), the Control for FIE International Tournaments (1997 to present), and an Equipment Repair Specialist for Swordmasters, Inc. (2001 to present).
Burgess won a bronze medal in Saber at the 2001 U.S. National Veteran’s Championship.
