Kristen King // Contributing Writer
Budokon, a fairly new workout craze, combines two essential exercise regimens into one: yoga and mixed martial arts. Its purpose is to work out the body and mind, but also to evoke the “way of the warrior spirit” from each one of its students.
Here at FIU, Budokon began as a club about four years ago and has since amassed a large amount of student participants who enjoy exercising their mind and bodies.
Taught by instructors Natasha Kukreja Ranasinghe and Joana Antunes, each class begins with mild meditation to prepare students for a rigorous workout from the inside out. Ranasinghe finishes the meditation and starts the workout, a combination of yoga poses and mixed martial arts movements.
“Budokon seeks to understand the relationship between different aspects of daily life by integrating the six-pillar system consisting of movement, thought, emotions, relationships, environment and nutrition,” Ranasinghe said. She has been practicing the art form for three years.
The class moves through positions that mirror the way a warrior would indeed move like “Reaching Warrior” and “Warrior’s Bridge.” These positions release an abundance of energy while realigning specific areas of the body, namely the spine.
During the class, Ranasinghe made a mention on the basis of the workout. She said that when the students are doing this workout, control is used, not momentum. Meaning that as long as your body is in control of itself, students can guide themselves into some of the most intricate positions without necessarily straining themselves.
But do not forget: this class is also working out your mind.
Daniela Rodriguez, a FIU student who started attending Budokon classes two months ago, said that she was simply looking for a class to relax her. According to Rodriguez, what she got from Budokon was more than she could have asked for.
“At first, you feel like this is something that’s going to relax you,” Rodriguez said. “Then you take the class and realize that it’s very demanding in more ways than one.”
Once the students finish their yoga poses, the mixed martial arts element comes into play and Ranasinghe leads the class in a quick burst of punches and kicks that could be helpful in to everyday situations.
“I think the benefit of Budokon is the possibility to incorporate lessons we learn while practicing yoga or martial arts to the daily life and therefore practice Budokon everywhere,” Ranasinghe said.
As the class comes to a close, students are again encouraged to meditate to calm and revitalize their bodies after the hour-long workout. Ranasinghe cleans up the studio with a smile on her face.
When asked why they enjoy teaching Budokon, Ranasinghe and Antunes shared a common answer: the progression of their students.
“To me personally, it is a way to improve my communication skills and to see the yoga practice from a beginner’s point of view,” Antunes said.
Ranasinghe said: “I love how I feel after every class [as a student] and wanted to give back the same experience [as an instructor now] to other students. It’s awesome watching students’ progress on their mats and do things they never thought they’d be able to do.”
For now, the Budokon classes have ended for summer at FIU but Ranasinghe and Antunes made sure to mention that in Wynwood, there is a studio called “BDK Academy” that is open to any and every one looking to start or continue this workout.
“We invite everyone, regardless of their previous experience with yoga or martial arts to try Budokon and evaluate for themselves what they can take out of the practice,” Antunes said.
If you are looking to explore different ways to expand your workout regimen, Budokon might be your next best option. A lot can be taken away from these courses, according to the instructors and students, but that will ultimately be left for newcomers to discover.
About Post Author
