Alberto Gamboa Arredondo Hoonsanim
HKD Representative for Latin America and Spain
In the 1980s, Master Kwan You CHOI arrived in Chile, at which time hapkido practices affiliated with the K.H.A. (Korea Hapkido Association) began. This is the eagle line, a line consisting of short and strong techniques. In 1984, Master Byong Choon MOON arrived in Chile in order to reinforce Master Choi's teachings. Moon sabom nim, however, belonged to the I.H.F. (International Hapkido Federation).
A year later both masters separated and the practice of I.H.F. hapkido began under Master Moon's supervision. In 1990, Moon sa bom nim traveled to the United States to live there, leaving the I.H.F. hapkido school in charge of Professor Alberto Gamboa, who that same year would form the Bae dal kwan school (School of the Message).
Three years later Gamboa sabom nim requested authorization to contact Korea directly with the leader of the I.H.F. Grand Master Myong Jae Nam (Founding Grand Master of Hankido and Hankumdo).
That same year our professor traveled to Korea, where the central headquarters of Hapkido (I.H.F) is located. In 1994 Gamboa sabom traveled again to Korea where he took an exam and was promoted to 4th Dan Hapkido - Hankido, becoming a direct disciple of Grand Master Myong Jae Nam. In this way, our professor managed to form the Bon Bu Jang office (Central headquarters and/or head school) of Hapkido - Hankido.
In 1995, Gamboa sabom nim took the official representation exam of the IHHF (International Hapkido Hankido Federation), before a commission of the General Direction of National Mobilization, dependent on the Ministry of National Defense, thus absolutely defining the MOON MU KWAN school as the only one authorized to teach Hankido in the country.
In 1996, Alberto Gamboa sa bom nim traveled for the third time to Korea with the purpose of training and becoming part of Grand Master Myong Jae Nam's Hankido instructor staff. The instruction of HanKumDo (Korean sword art) was also incorporated, also being pioneers in this discipline. The Chilean school was officially established as Moon Mu Kwan, when our professor took the exam for the rank of Kwan Jang (Zone Chief, 5th Dan).
In 1999, Gamboa Kwan Jang traveled to Korea to pay his respects to the late Grand Master Myong Jae Nam, a period during which he also trained and was recognized and promoted to 6th Dan by the current heir to the technique of Myong Kuk sa Nim, his son, Myong Sung Kwang Doju Nim.
In 2000, Professor Alberto Gamboa traveled again to Korea with a delegation of 5 people to compete and also pay tribute to Grand Master Myong Jae Nam (KukSaNim). World Championship in which Chile won the title of WORLD CHAMPION in Hankido and World Vice-Champion in Hankumdo, thus Professor Alberto Gamboa showed the level of the Hankido school in Chile, being qualified as an excellent Kwan Jang.
In 2002, Professor Alberto Gamboa traveled again to Korea and revalidated the world champion title together with 10 students in the hankido world championship in Korea, Sung Nam City. On that trip Alberto Gamboa Kwan Jang was named by Dojunim and Dosonnim the first and so far only foreign HOONSA.
In 2004, our professor was legally recognized as the representative for Spain, forming the first Moonmukwan headquarters abroad, Moon Mu Kwan – Spain. In September 2005, the first HANKIDO seminar in Latin America organized by CHILE was held. The Chilean Hankido team revalidated the title for the third time in 2007 in South Korea.
In 2024, he received training in Hapkido, Hankido and Hankumdo and became the first foreigner to take an exam for 8th Dan directly in Korea before the examining commission arranged for such an event. He is currently the representative for Latin America and Spain of the INTERNATIONAL HKD FEDERATION.
Subsequently, he returned to Spain to help a group of Hapkido Black Belts relaunch the International HKD Federation project in Spain. After several years of visits, contacts and seminars, he continues to support the IHF HKD Spain project led by David Martínez Shibujanim.