SPANISH HISTORICAL FENCING FEDERATION (F.E.E.H.) COMMUNIQUE:
After several years of meetings, exchanges and cross trainings, some Spanish HEMA groups have decided to create a common structure that allows, in the near future, the recognition to their investigation, interpretative and promotion efforts and the defense of their interests. To achieve this, the founding Associations (list attached) have created a National wide entity liable to be reckoned for its specialists in Historical European Martial Arts.
The representatives of our Associations, after a thorough and deep debate, have decided by majority to constitute as a FEDERATION and thus become the SPANISH HISTORICAL FENCING ASSOCIATION (F.E.E.H.) This Federation has been registered in the National Archive of Associations.
The Federation has, as one of its goals, to gather Spanish HEMA associations in a national structure that will protect the common interests, as in acknowledgement of investigations, local, regional and national development of HEMA under standard safety parameters and a modern legal framework that takes our necessities into account and that can support the study, practice and promotion of HEMA.
In order to achieve this goals, the F.E.E.H. will support and reinforce the present dynamics and development of HEMA in SPAIN by:
- Creating exchange points regarding different disciplines and their practice.
- Giving counsel, contacts and guidance to help practitioners in their daily management and supporting the creation of new associations.
- Promoting HEMA in all possible Media.
- Private or public funding, with National and/or European sponsors.
The F.E.E.H. firmly believes in the necessity of an International Federation that will gather and unite all European HEMA community in their investigation, development and promotion, therefore it will support at all and any levels its creation, with the objective of joining and collaborating fully and actively with other organizations such as H.E.M.A.C. or any other similar entities that may be created or already exist.
This statement is signed by the founding members
Asociación de Esgrima Antigua de Soria (A.E.A.S.)
Asociación Lucense de Esgrima Antiga
Asociación Malagueña de Esgrima Histórica – Sala de Armas “Ars Duellicae”
Asociación Riojana Esgrima Antigua (ARIEA)
Asociación Vizcaína de Esgrima Histórica (A.V.E.H.) – Sala de Armas “Don Diego Lopez de Haro”
Club “Princesa Kristina de Noruega”, Burgos
Sala de Armas “Tercio Nuevo”, Mallorca
Sala de Armas “Tercio Viejo”, Alicante
Sala de Armas “Capitán Pedro de Baeza”, Cuenca
Gothenburg Historical Fencing School
Hope you don’t mind my asking. How is the F.E.E.H. different from the A.E.E.A. (besides being constituted as a federation)? Is it a parallel structure? Is it another, completely different thing? Is it actually the same but with a new federatin name? all of the above? none of the above?
The AEEA is a private club with a business structure only representing yourself and your particular and very closed vision of historical fencing and only defending their business interests.
The FEEH is the result of consensus of many clubs and have a national goal to protect common interests of all, and is open to different perspectives and disciplines of historical fencing and HEMA , apart from that we are convinced of the need for a European federation.
Regards
Sorry I didn’t come over this post earlier.
In answer to Sebastian:
The FEEH is a parallel structure, completely different and though it’s called federation it really is registered as an association as you can read at the bottom of their webpage: http://www.feeh.es/faq.html.
To clarify Eugenio’s words:
The AEEA is an association, just the same as the FEEH. The point in my opinion is that the AEEA has a well defined fencing method and teaching structure, whereas the FEEH is a more HEMAC-like structure, where several private clubs with diverse interests have come together to recognise each other and try to get to a common point about what historical fencing is and should be like.
The AEEA represents more than a dozen clubs (not only “yourself” as Eugenio states) and is not a business in itself (as an association cannot be, at least in Spain).
For any further information, don’t hesitate visiting http://www.esgrimaantigua.com and http://www.feeh.es or dropping me an email, no matter if in Spanish, English or German