Shay Allen
Shay Allen, right, competes in a Oyama Karate match. Allen trains at World Oyama Karate in Homewood, which is the headquarters for the form of karate.
Shay Allen sits down a local coffeehouse and the big man — he’s a former Auburn football player — sports some skinned knuckles and a couple of bruises. But you know that’s not from football or a bar brawl.
Allen’s just returned from 10 days or so in Japan. He’s found his life after football, and it’s Oyama Karate.
“It’s a very brutal brand of bare-knuckle karate,” Allen said, and you’ve no reason to disagree. It’s a full-contact, knockdown style of Japanese karate.
Some three years ago, after football and a Golden Glove boxing career, Allen was looking for something else to keep him active and focused, maybe something a little deeper in commitment and spirituality. He Googled “martial arts” and “karate” and “Birmingham” — “and it was like a mile and a half from my home.”
That was the World Oyama Karate International Headquarters, right in downtown Homewood.
“The first day I was in there fighting, and I was sold,” Allen said.
Yes, the world headquarters. They’ve been teaching karate there since 1972. In 1985, the World Oyama Karate Organization was founded as an independent organization and the headquarters was established.
A brief history:
In 1965, Mas Oyama, director of the International Kyokushin Organization, sent his chief instructor, Soshu Shigeru Oyama, from Tokyo international headquarters to New York to spread Kyokushin Karate worldwide. Then in 1972, Mas Oyama sent another of his Kyokushin chief instructors from Tokyo, Soshi-Saiko Shihan Yasuhiko Oyama, the brother of Soshu Shigeru Oyama — to Homewood to expand the growth of the Kyokushin style worldwide.
In 1985, the World Oyama Karate Organization was founded as an independent organization. It was directed by founders Soshu Shigeru Oyama and Soshi-Saiko Shihan Yasuhiko Oyama.
The World Oyama Karate Organization experienced astounding growth in the following years. More than 150 official World Oyama Karate dojos were established in 19 countries by the 1990s.
Saiko Shihan Y. Oyama holds the ninth degree Black Belt and is a former All-Japan Full-Contact Champion. He’s known throughout the world of martial arts for his expertise as a tactician and for his superb demonstrations with various weapons, as well as for his masterful teaching skills and electrifying teaching style.
“People have come from all over the world to train with him,” Allen said. “But I feel like he’s an unknown treasure to have someone of his caliber teaching karate here. He’s over 73 years old, and he’s amazing [and] in great shape. He can do the splits; 50 pushups on his knuckles; 100 sit-ups like it’s nothing, like he’s a young man.”
Allen won the World Oyama Karate Championship in December. Another big competition is coming up this month. The Ultimate Challenge Knockdown Championship will be held at Samford’s Seibert Hall on Sunday, Nov. 18. Registration for fighters is at 1 p.m., but the competition begins at 1:30.
An all day pass is $15 and tickets are available both at the Homewood location at 1804 29th Street South and at the more recent dojo established in Chelsea, 10530 Old Highway 280.
Allen emphasizes that though he’s into the more brutal, competitive side of Oyama Karate, the discipline is for all ages – “5 to 65,” he said.
“It’s all the same technique, but there are different levels of participation. It’s not just a physical thing. There’s mental and spiritual sides, not unlike yoga. It’s a focus, alertness not found anywhere else.
“And taught by an authentic, vibrant teacher with the spirit of a 25 year old,” Allen said.
Ultimate Challenge Knockdown Championship
Seibert Hall, Samford University
Sunday, Nov. 18
1 p.m. registration, 1:30 p.m. fight
$15 all day pass
