Allen with Chen Yun-ching in Atlanta in 2006 - After 22 years since his first lesson with him.
Allen began his training with the ways of the East under Lawrence Huff and Peter Fabian in Tae Kwon Do or Korean Karate at the age of twelve. At fifteen (1975) he began studying the Nei Chia arts (or “Inner Family Arts”) of China including Ba-gua (a bodyguards art), Hsing-I (an infantry art) and Tai Chi (also a bodyguards art) with R.W. Smith. He also began studying with Rose Li in 1978 while visiting family in England. His studies continued as he went to Taiwan at the age of 24 and later, 26 to be a live-in student with Hung I-mien (the senior student of Chang Chuen-feng, who brought a full Nei chia curriculum from Shanghai during the time of the Communist Revolution). 
During this time Allen also studied with the sons of Chen Pan-ling a well known Chinese Boxing historian and scholar and Wu Shao-lin, a teacher from the Ching Tao Guo- Shu Guan or “National Art Academy”.
After returning to the U.S. Allen began teaching in Atlanta and occasionally leading the classes for R. Smith in Washington, D.C. At 27 Allen met Irish strong man and wrestler Tim Geogheagan and began to study things connected to the Ways of the East and West, particularly Celtic Wrestling and Indian Yoga. He also worked with Tim on various “bone-setting” techniques similar to what he learned in Taiwan and other manual therapies.
This went on for ten years. During this period he cross referenced Judo, Fencing and other kinds of training both mental and physical. He has dabbled in Aikido and from the late 1980′s has trained in a variety of weapons in and out of armor from the traditions of both East and West (including Fencing at the Atlanta Fencing Club and traveling to New York to work with Maestro Martinez on the Spanish Rapier). At 35 while continuing to teach regular martial arts classes in these arts, he began working in physical education at the Waldorf (Middle) School of Atlanta working specifically with the ancient Greek Pentathlon concepts oriented toward ten year olds. 
From this he designed an expanded P.E. curriculum for ages 7-12. He has also worked with a Waldorf High School (Academe of the Oaks) on a curriculum which combines fencing with staffs according to various traditions, concluding the 12th grade curriculum with the training of the English Long Bow. At present Allen is working on several books and divides his time between teaching, lecturing and continuing to research the paths of the body-mind nexus.