Are Core Fusion, Yogalates, and Tae Kwon Disco getting old? Though I made up the last one, mind-body fitness fusion is huge. Budokon [1], the latest to gain momentum, merges yoga [1], martial arts [1], and meditation. “We are the Porsche of fusion fitness,” founder Cameron Shayne told the Los Angeles Times [2]. “We want to preserve the integrity of genuine yoga and martial arts, and to make traditional martial arts available to the mainstream audience in a noncompetitive, non-ego-based environment.”

Budokon has been garnering raves from fit celebrities––Jennifer Aniston, David Arquette, Courteney Cox Arquette, Renée Russo, Amber Valetta, Kirsty Hume, and Meg Ryan. Taught at three studios in Los Angeles, and in Dallas, Miami, and Denver, the method aims to develop “character, discipline, honor, and self mastery” through cardio, stretching, and meditation. You can also take part by hitting a venue on Budokon’s 2006 tour [3] ––cities like Boston, Phoenix, and New York.

A Budokon class starts with sun salutes and vigorous kicking, shifts into deep stretching and more martial arts moves then wraps up with meditation. For those who want their fusion closer to home, Shayne recently released a beginner’s DVD [4] that guides students through a 70-minute class and a “weight loss system [5] ” that includes yoga and martial arts DVDs.