“The way we move reflects the way we think. The way we think reflects the way we live. The way we live reflects the world we create." – Cameron Shayne

What is Budokon (bu-do-kon)?

In Japanese, Budokon means “way of the spiritual warrior.”  It is a fusion workout that integrates yoga, martial arts and meditation into one wholistic mind-body-spirit system.  It allows people at all fitness levels to explore martial arts and yoga in a safe, non-competitive environment.

Budokon was created by Cameron Shayne, a 20 year veteran of the study and mastery of body awareness and organization through yoga, martial arts and meditation.   This integration of practices and holistic health stem from continuous study that began at the age of 12 and included several forms of martial arts as well as yoga.  According to Shayne, what makes Budokon different from other fusion workouts is that it is an art form; he created new, unique techniques.

Shayne founded Budokon in 1999 at the Equinox Fitness Club in Santa Monica, California but it did not enter the mainstream until 2003 when some of his celebrity clients endorsed it.  Since then, instructors have been trained by Shayne throughout the U.S., Canada, Britain and Japan. In addition, a beginning practice DVD was released in late 2004 to allow people to bring this practice into their homes.

What is Involved in a Budokon Workout?

Budokon is an intense workout.  A typical class is 75-minutes long and begins with breathing exercises that quickly transition into yoga poses and fluid-like dance movements.  Then a series of plyometric-style moves are introduced which greatly increase the heart rate as students move around the floor.  This is followed by dynamic kicking and punching movements.  The class ends with seated meditation and breathing exercises.

While practicing Budokon, the emphasis is on organization of the body, concentration of the mind, and playfulness of the spirit. Its practice involves the highest aspects and principles of each component.  The yoga practice emphasizes proper alignment, technique, and constant practice to focus on yin characteristics of stillness and internal energy control.  More yang energy is used in the martial arts practice, which conditions both the body and the mind.  The overall goal of martial arts is to find harmony with ourselves rather than being self-defeating.

Although the physical aspect of the workout can be intense, at the core of the Budokon practice is meditation.  Like yoga, the ultimate reason students practice any physical technique is to bring the body and mind to a place of calm and comfort to prepare for meditation.  This allows people to connect with their true self or original mind.

Seven Keys to Better Budokon:

The American Council on Exercise reports the following tips from Cameron Shayne:

• Slow down.  Focus on precision and your body alignment.
• Engage your entire body throughout the movement.
• Spread your fingers and grip the floor.
• Find your natural breath pattern for each movement.
• Know why you are executing each movement.  Remember:  Purposeful movement is more powerful movement.
• Resist the ground.  When you dynamically push against the ground you create a powerful structure that can bear weight.
• Be present in every movement – this creates mastery.

"The Budokon way is dedicated to the cultivation of the Yogic, Martial, and Living Arts. Our commitment is to the development of character, discipline, honor, and self mastery."
~Master Cameron Shayne

Sources:  ACE Fitness Matters, May/June 2006; budokon.com.