An
Interview with Chan Hing-Poon Sensei
conducted by Mathieu Ravignat, senior member
of the Gloucester Traditional Karate Association. February
2001 Ottawa, Canada
Copyright © Mathieu Ravignat 2001
Qn:
Sensei could you please identify yourself and tell us something
about your personal history?
Ans:
My name is Hing-Poon Chan (in Chinese,
it is Chan Hing-Poon). I was born in Hong Kong in May
1953. I was the twelfth of my family and the youngest.
I
moved to Canada in 1971 and finished my high school in Marathon,
Ontario in 1973.
I
finished my B.A. in Mathematics in 1975 and my B.Comm. in
1979 at the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario. Currently
I am working as a programmer/analyst in Canada Customs and
Revenue Agency in Ottawa.
Qn:
Could you please tell us about your martial arts
background and why you chose to practice karate and what
are your current martial arts activities?
Ans:
I started my training in Okinawan Goju Ryu karate-do in
the beginning of 1968. My Sensei was Mr. Wong Kim-Hong.
He was a student of Uyehara Ko Sensei, a senior student
of Grandmaster Miyasato Eiiichi .
When
Uyehara Sensei left Hong Kong and went back to Okinawa,
Suzuki Masafumi Sensei from Kyoto, Japan, also a student
of Grandmaster Miyasato*, took Wong Sensei in as his representative
for his Seibukan school in Hong Kong.
"training
seven days a week, at least three hours a day"
I
was promoted to Shodan by Suzuki Sensei in January 1971.
It
was considered quite fast, even in those days training seven
days a week, at least three hours a day. I was always interested
in martial arts but didn't want to do kungfu for one reason
or the other.
It
is funny that one of the employees of my father was the
last disciple of the famous Hung Gar master "Lum Sai-Wing".
I could have been learning from him instead.
As
far as I am concern, in karate, I have the best master anybody
can ask for. Mirakian Sensei is probably
the best and most knowledgeable Goju karate master alive
in North America. His techniques are both powerful and refined.
Above all else, he is one of the most honorable man I have
ever met.
I
am very honoured to be recognized by him and trusted in
me to be his representative in Canada. For the past 15 years,
beside karate, I have been learning different styles of
kungfu from different masters.
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