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HAPKIDO THRIVES IN MEXICO
Author: BlackBeltMag
TIJUANA, MEXICO—World Hapkido Federation founder and president Kwang Sik Myung was the guest of honor at a special exhibition organized by the newly formed Mexican Hapkido Federation here December 6, 2003. The purpose of the event was to give him a firsthand look at the evolution of hapkido in Mexico since its introduction in 1981. It included a demonstration of selfdefense techniques designed to fend off multiple attackers and armed assailants and ended with Myung, who has a 10thdegree black belt in hapkido and a ninth degree in taekwondo, awarding dan certificates to several students.
Needless to say, Myung’s vision of expanding the art around the world has become a reality here. One of his students, Roberto Proo, is regarded as the Father of Mexican Hapkido and has been the driving force behind the art’s growth in the nation since becoming its first hapkido instructor in 198.
In December 2001, after viewing the Mexican Hapkido Federation’s Web site, organizations from Germany and Spain invited the group to send a representative to demonstrate Mexico’s interpretation of hapkido. "I traveled with a student, and they were surprised by the purity of our martial art because they didn’t know that hapkido existed in Mexico," said Proo, who has a sixth degree in the style and a third degree in taekwondo.
On November 28, 2002, the Mexican Hapkido Federation organized the First International Hapkido Congress, and in 2003 Mexico was invited to participate in the Sixth European Hapkido Open Championships in Clarholz, Germany.
"We were the only non-European country that participated," Proo explained. "After demonstrating the quality of our art at the championships, hapkido federations from Germany, Spain and Belgium invited us to teach several of their police-academy selfdefense instructors. We and Grandmaster Myung are very proud of the reputation our hapkido is gaining around the world." ...