Paul Dillon was born in Montgomery, West Virginia. He attended West Virginia Institute of Technology, majoring in Printing Management. His Chinese studies were at The College of Far Eastern Languages / Yale University.

Paul served in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam era.

His martial arts training began in 1962, primarily in the Japanese styles. Some of the arts he studied included Judo, Shorin Ryu, Kamishin Ryu Kempo, Shin Mugei Iaido, and Aikido. In the later part of the 1960's he began his studies in Fu Jow Pai, Hsing I, Bagua, Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan. Pauls Liuhebafa training was under the instruction of Master Li Chung.