Johannes Georgius Bruchius

Johannes Georgius Bruchius
Born	ca. 1630 Zweibrücken, Germany
Died	1717-1718 Utrecht, Netherlands
Occupation	Fencing master
Influences	Salvator Fabris Gérard Thibault d'Anvers
Influenced	Johann Andreas Schmidt
Genres	Fencing manual
Language	Dutch
Notable work(s)	Grondige Beschryvinge van de Edele ende Ridderlijcke Scherm- ofte Wapen-Konste (1671)

Johannes Georgius Bruchius was a 17th century German fencing master. He was born in Zweibrücken, Germany in ca. 1630, and by 1653 he was working as a fencing master in Heidelberg. In 1655, Bruchius transplanted to Utrecht, Netherlands, where on 6 March the city council authorized him to teach public classes; the official record notes that he was requested by a number of German nobles. In 1660, he accepted a position as fencing master at the prestigious Universiteit Leiden, where he taught for at least eleven years. Some time between 1671 and 1676, Bruchius opened a new school in Amsterdam where his students included Johann Andreas Schmidt, a fellow German who would himself go on to be a fencing master and author.

In 1671, Bruchius published an extensive fencing manual entitled Grondige Beschryvinge van de Edele ende Ridderlijcke Scherm- ofte Wapen-Konste ("Thorough Description of the Noble and Knightly Fencing- or Weapon-Art"). It was published in Leiden by Abraham Verhoef, and treated the use of the single rapier after the German manner, which was itself heavily influenced by the teachings of the Italian master Salvator Fabris.

In 1680, Bruchius returned to Utrecht and his activities thereafter are unknown (though it's likely that he continued teaching fencing). He appears to have died in Utrecht between 1717 and 1718.

Treatise

Rapier

Illustrations	Dutch Transcription by Deandra de Looff	Modern Dutch Translation	Modern English Translation
	Inhoud van’t Eerste Boeck Aengeande het Enckel Rapier beschreven in ordre, als volght. Ten eersten, Van de Generale Fondamenten. Het Fondament bestaet voor-eerst in dese navolgendde stucken, uyt welcke alle andere bewegingen haren oorspronck hebben, als daer zijn, Prima, Secunda, Tertia, Quarta, na dese volgen de Bastaerden.

Copyright and License Summary

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Work	Author(s)	Source	License
Illustrations
Translation	Reinier van Noort	School voor Historische Schermkunsten
Transcription

Additional Translation Notes: Copyright 2009 by Reinier van Noort. Subject to Fair Use in the Copyright Act of the United States of America. Users may, without further permission, display, save, and print this work for personal, non commercial use, provided that the copyright notice is not severed from the work. Libraries may store this material and non-commercially redistribute it to their patrons in electronic or printed form for personal, non-commercial use, provided that the copyright notice is not severed from the work.