Budokon Basics class

Photo: Nicole Radja

YES WE CON Budokon, a form of yoga that integrates martial arts, was created in 2001 but has only recently entered the Chicago fitness scene. And we have Joseph Ensign to thank for that. He’s the only certified Budokon instructor in the city and has been teaching classes at Equinox and David Barton over the past few months. As I headed into his Budokon Basics class (Wednesdays, 1–2pm) at Equinox’s Loop location (200 W Monroe St, 312-252-3100, equinoxfitness.com), two gym employees asked me if I’d taken the class before. When I told them no, they both had the same reaction: “Budokon is intense!” They were right…and wrong. Yes, the combination of strength-building yoga poses and martial-arts moves can be rigorous, but Ensign’s lighthearted instructions ensure the vibe isn’t intimidating—even as he looks all Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon while displaying each move. The class starts off with a meditation before moving on to sun salutations. Unlike other yoga classes, where you push back into downward dog from plank, this one had me use the strength of my body to curve my back like a cat and finish in downward dog. A series of poses and repetitions fills out the class (Ensign says he introduces different positions each week), including a move where I (attempt to) float—seriously—from plank to a quasi-backbend. Even though I have a long way to go before I master these moves, the class is fun and by later that afternoon I feel soreness in muscles I didn’t know I had.

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