1976. In February, I was in the midst of my fourth year at the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (U.A.B.C.), Mexico, where I was studying to become a public accountant.
After winning the black belt division at the International Karate Open Championships in Sacramento, California, I felt very motivated to organize the first ever scholastic karate championships in Tijuana, Mexico. This event would take place at my campus inside my university's theater. Several fighters representing local universities and high schools participated.
Some of those institutes of higher learning were Instituto Tecnológico Regional No. 21 (Currently known as the Instituto Tecnológico de Tijuana), Preparatoria Federal Lázaro Cárdenas, and Preparatoria U.A.B.C.
Thus, as a result of those efforts, the foundation was laid for Tijuana's Collegiate Martial Arts.
Two years after I graduated as a certified public accountant, other students from my alma mater continued to organize the tournament I created, at U.A.B.C.'s campus, thus, helping to forge many local, national, and international martial arts champions. These champions became a source of pride for my University and the City of Tijuana, Mexico.
1979. As a first-degree black belt, I opened a Tae Kwon Do school in Tijuana. Along with my students, I had the satisfaction of earning some first, second, and third place finishes in martial arts tournaments.
1981. A Korean Hap Ki Do Master by the name of Eagle Kwak arrived in Tijuana. I was quite impressed by his choking, throwing, and immobilizing techniques, as well as his aerial kicks with obstacles.
I practiced Hap Ki Do with Master Kwak from 1981 to 1983. During this time, I had the opportunity to meet several masters at tournaments in San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, California.
1984. In February, I received an invitation from Master Y.S. Kim, Director of the Oriental Martial Arts Center, to participate within the structure of the World Hapkido Association, which was presided by Grand Master Kwang Sik Myung.
1985. The World Hapkido Federation was born at the end of November. I was a founding member. At this moment, the Mexican Hap Ki Do Association was born.
The birth of the National School of Hap Ki Do Association arises from the need to group the various leagues and clubs in this martial art that began to spread in Tijuana, Mexico, at the beginning of 1981.
In 2001, the 5th of May a group of teachers came together to create a new era of the martial art Hap Ki Do in Mexico.
This 5th of May, the great visionary, Maestro Roberto Proo, now Grandmaster and founder of the Continental Hapkido Federation, made his way to unite the states of Mexico to convey Hap Ki Do as a martial art and also as a tool to educate through sport.
True martial artists know that the martial art is constituted by the martial and the art, which is a spiritual education that makes us know ourselves and life more deeply. This was the beginning of the Mexican Federation of Hap Ki Do, AC.
In 2009, we regret to announce that the Supreme Grand Master Kwang Sik Myung died. The martial artist world is mourning the loss of this great man. To continue the legacy of S.G.M. Myung, Grandmaster Robert Proo creates the Continental Hapkido Federation (CHF) in 2010.
The CHF is the international organization of the pure Hapkido rooted in the teachings of the Great Grand Master Yong Sul Choi and his direct disciple SGM Kwang Sik Myung, open to all hapkido-artists and martial artists who want to continue studying.
Starting the new millennium, GM Proo met a person who helped to pave the way for international recognition. Contacts were made with European organizations and the web site of the National School of Hapkido was created, a fact that made him and his national Hapkido organism known worldwide and many states became members of this organization.
In 2001 GM Proo went to Germany and visited two schools where he trained with German teachers exchanging knowledge. This brought him an invitation to the 6th. Open European Championship of Hap Ki Do that was held in July 2003 in the city of Clarholz, NRW, Germany.
From this event on, he and his school are being invited to the European Championships of the International Hap Ki Do Cooperation (IHC).
In May 2005 the national team of the Mexican Hap Ki Do Federation participated at the 7th European Hap Ki Do Tournament, held in Graz, Austria.
The international contacts are ranging from the American continent to Europe, which facilitated the celebration of the 1st. International Hapkido Congress in 2002, convened by GM Roberto Proo and the Mexican Hap Ki Do Federation.
In late November, Hapkido Federations from Germany, Spain, Venezuela, Argentina and Mexico as host country met in Tijuana, Mexico. The possibility of adopting an international regulation of the martial arts Hapkido was discussed and analyzed.
Tijuana was also host of the 2nd. International Congress convened by GM and the Mexican Federation Proo Hapkido.
Thanks to this publicity, the Grandmasters reputation is rising and day by day more martial artists come to know him for his quality of teaching and profound knowledge of the true Hapkido.
Proo Roberto M., the Father of Hap Ki Do in Mexico, is the founder of the National School of Hap Ki Do Association and the Mexican HAP KI DO Federation. He is a direct disciple of S.G.M. Kwang Sik Myung and continues to teach the pure Hapkido that he acquired for more than 28 years from his teacher.
Photos of the constitutional seminar
Grandmaster Proo was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2008