Budokon "The Way of the Spiritual Warrior" | A Students Account of Cameron Shayne’s Practice
Published: 03/24/2011 at Clayton Glasco
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It seems that every couple of years there’s a new workout fad that gains a little ground on the industry and seems to steal its 15 minutes of fame. There are a number of reasons for that. First and foremost, most companies have realized the importance of a massive marketing budget for their success. That’s why you’ll see infomercials at all hours with celebrity endorsers and sculpted “disciples” of the practice. Quite often what you’re not seeing is the 5 hours of cardio and strict vegan diets of the fitness model with 2% body fat working on the Total Gym, or the P90X workout, and the like. These concepts and equipment can be effective forms but still require the drive and determination, along with the diet, to be effective. The way that products are marketed often advertises “20 minutes a day, 3 days a week” or some form of the statement. Though it hits the hot buttons of the lazy, it’s just not realistic. There’s much more to actually getting fit. Self admittedly I’m not there. My diet sucks, and I have a rollercoaster of motivation with nauseating peaks and valleys. Traditional workouts have lost ground with me, so because of this I’ve looked to diversify. One way I’m doing that is a new practice called Budokon, which I highly promote.
Budokon, which translated from Japanese to English means the “Way of the Spiritual Warrior,” is a fairly new technique that was created by Kancho Cameron Shayne in 2001. It’s an impressive and balanced mix of modern yogic movements and mixed martial arts (MMA), while keeping the focus on the purpose for which every movement is constructed. At about 12 classes in, I’m still extremely humbled by the practice, but improving. As someone that entered with no pre-conceived expectations, my open mind allowed me to gain full respect for the movements. I’ve never done yoga, and I’ve always thought that unless I started in the traditional Karate or Taekwondo at the age of five, my ego wouldn’t allow me to go through the reps. In fact a friend started in Taekwondo at an older age and was discouraged by the instructor to continue because the class would proceed far too slowly for his skill level. But this class is legit.
My intention with this article is to provide those looking for an impactful workout with a little insight into a class. My instructor is Sensei Jason Mastrian. He’s a blue belt instructor in South Florida and one of less than 150 certified instructors world-wide.
Every class starts with a meditation for 5 minutes, which is an exceptional beginning to any workout, where the goal is to clear the mind and connect with your breathing. Following that is a brief warmup to work the kinks out of your muscles. Do this on Monday and you will be setting the platform for your week the right way! As we progress we quickly move into different techniques starting with vinyasa yoga through rolling wave movements, maximizing flow and flexibility. Not every class is the same, but often these moves will lead into hip opening stretches, floating to poses, which is incredible for strength and agility, including my nemesis…handstands. Towards the latter part the class begins to get more kinetic and flexibility is tested with faster movements, ninja stretches, judo rolls, etc. All is at the discretionary teaching of Sensai Jason and varies based on the skill level of the class, but if you focus on perfecting your personal movements you’ll achieve an unparalleled workout no matter what. We end with a light cool down and another meditation.
I can guarantee that it’s a humbling experience at the beginning. Every aspect of it is hard. But with practice and focus you will improve. The credo that has stuck with me from the class is that the way we do anything is the way we do everything, so no matter what you do go out there and do it with precision and focus.
