Balance body and soul with Budokon - a fusion of yoga, martial arts and meditation
By Emine Ali Rushton
Last updated at 11:50 AM on 16th June 2008
Budoken is the US fitness craze du jour: Courteney Cox Arquette and husband David, Jennifer Aniston, Meg Ryan and model Amber Valletta are among its many fans in LA, addicted to its physically punishing, yet spiritually uplifting blend of yoga, martial arts and meditation.
If you want the sort of rippling, lithe bod that LA ladies who (don't) lunch sport, Budokon is the way to attain it - and it has just arrived on our shores, courtesy of the Reebok Gym in Canary Wharf.
I'd heard the number of calories burned in an hour could reach 900 - 300 more than an hour's spinning, and without the risk of mind-numbing boredom or lower backache. But I admit I was cynical as I walked into my first class: I like my workout to leave me sweaty but I don't expect mystic mumbo jumbo to go with it.
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WHAT IS IT?
But that was before I met Ryan Carldon-Miah, Budokon's UK director. A disciple of Budokon's founder, Cameron Shayne, he lived and studied under his "Sensei" for three months and completed a year's training before taking a teaching role. Budokon, he says, changed his life. He's very convincing.
There's no denying he has a body so honed you'd expect it to be insured for more than J-Lo's rear end - but unlike some gym preeners, Ryan's slender frame also displays agility and speed - something Budokon gives the body in spades.
Meaning "way of the spiritual warrior" in Japanese, Budokon is essentially a fluid, and organic way of returning the body to a natural, instinctive and super-fit state. In fact, a key part of Budokon comes from adopting animal postures, walking on your hands and feet imitating lions, frogs and gorillas. Once I'd overcome the embarrassment, it was quite fun, even if I did make a lumbering lion.
THE THREE DISCIPLINES
Every class involves three disciplines: meditation, martial arts and yoga. The order varies depending on the day, as Ryan believes in working with the mood of the class. Having attended a couple of classes, I think this is a strong selling point - it means you never get complacent and your body is always acquiring new skills.
The common theme between all three disciplines is "instinct". Modern lifestyles are often blamed for everything from obesity to stress and Ryan believes Budokon addresses our dystopian existence more successfully than any other exercise.
He explained: "We spend our time standing and sitting. We're at home on the sofa or at our desks; we're waiting for the bus or queuing at the supermarket.
"Budokon is about getting people to remember how they moved as kids, to unearth those instincts. As a kid you spent all day rolling and running around and rarely got injured, because kids are tuned in to their bodies.
"They're not exercising, they're 'playing' - that's what we try to achieve with Budokon - functional strength from a fluid and fun practice." So, not so much mumbo jumbo, rather common sense.
THE WARM-UP
During the stretching, special attention was paid to the wrists, which were in for an extreme workout. We then went into a series of yoga stances. Some were familiar, downward dog for example, but others developed into spinning moves and positions that stretched the body and seemed to pinpoint previously ignored muscles.
It was tough, but everyone worked at their own pace and Ryan encouraged participants to try variations on poses if they could not manage it first time around.
There was also a lot of laughing and a positive vibe in the class, helping me to stop analysing what my bottom must look like to the people behind me, and focus instead on the innate joy of moving my body in this dynamic, if alien, way.
BRUCE LEE LEAPS
The martial arts were my favourite part. Budokon is, like all martial arts, something you can study and gain belts in - even taking up weapons and combat training in the upper echelons. As beginners, we worked on side- and forward-facing punches, blocks and kicks.
We even tried flying jumps - the sort of thing Bruce Lee was famous for - which Ryan demonstrated with awe-inspiring ease. Okay, so I only made it about four centimetres off the floor and almost fell over when I landed, but it was fun. And it gave my thighs a workout too.
THE VERDICT
The hour ended with meditation and breathing exercises. I felt my body had been seriously tested, but was also invigorated, whereas yoga often leaves me zoned out.
It's great for those of us who like to play rough, but Budokon also promotes agility, tone and grace. It gives every muscle an extraordinary workout. And one need only look at Ryan's rippling torso to know that Budokon also spells (eventual) Buffdom.
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