But when their mother got wind of it four months later, the funding was stopped. So they went to Sensei Wong and explained the situation: they had no money, but they still wanted to train.

He kept them on, asking in return for their dedication and some assistance in teaching, after they had attained a certain level. They trained three hours every day and were promoted by Sensei Suzuki to brown belt within the first year.
Soon after, they were sent out to a Catholic Community Centre to teach a class for him, and were even paid 60% of the tuition fee. "That was very nice of him," he muses. "Unfortunately, after that he turned professional, because we had a lot of students, and of course, when he turned professional, he had to worry about money. But he still treated me very well. I didn't really pay anything to him, and he even paid me back for the classes I'd teach for him."

He continued training with Sensei Wong until he left Hong Kong in November of 1971. He was promoted to Shodan in January of that year, also by Sensei Suzuki. "It was considered very fast, three years to Shodan," he says, but he was in the dojo from 5:30 until 9:00 every evening, despite his mother's objections.

Once in Canada, the young black belt found no Goju clubs around, and admits finding the general standard of other local clubs very disappointing. So he worked out on his own most of the time to maintain and improve his kata, and he sparred every Saturday in the gym with other karateka from various styles.

While at university in Windsor, Poon befriended a fellow Goju practitioner, Conroy Copeland, and the two began working out regularly together. It was Sensei Copeland who introduced him to Budoku kai in the mid 80s. Both in Toronto and in Orleans, Poon continued working out with different clubs until he founded his own organization in 1985.

Though he initially learned a Sai form from Sensei Wong in Hong Kong, he attributes the majority of his weapons skills to Richard Kim Sensei , of California, learning various forms in Tonfa, Sai and Bo from 1985.

Richard Kim (Budoku Kai) holds a summer camp for karate and weapons, the last week of June every summer at Guelph University. He also comes to Canada several times a year for weekend seminars.

Poon has been a member of Budoku Kai Canada since 1985, also Canada Goju since 1994, the Meibukan family since 1988 and a member of the Humbo Dojo in Okinawa since his visit there in 1994. He made the visit with his daughter Leslie, and enjoyed the trip, having had the opportunity to train with the two sons of Dai Sensei Yagi, Meitatsu and Meitetsu Yagi.

He also met Dai Sensei, who was unfortunately in the hospital at the time, so there was no opportunity to train with him, "or at least to brag about training with him." But, he says, he had a pretty good workout there and found the Okinawans very friendly.

Sensei Yagi, Meitatsu and Meitetsu Yagi. He also met Dai Sensei, who was unfortunately in the hospital at the time, so there was no opportunity to train with him, "or at least to brag about training with him." But, he says, he had a pretty good workout there and found the Okinawans very friendly.

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