A martial arts star taught us a sweaty, new path to enlightenment.

You've breathed. You've stretched. You've meditated. But waiting for enlightenment sometimes makes you want to go ninja.

Your patience is rewarded, Young Grasshopper. Let us introduce you to Kung Yo.

You and a select group will be instructed by Steven Leigh, a movie martial artist who healed years of his own stunt-related injuries through yoga. Now, he's fused the two systems into a one-hour practice that literally kicks meditation's butt:

Harness an ancient breath technique. Touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth and breathe into your lower belly, kidneys and lower back to build energy.

Roll with the punches. We struck kung fu blocks and kicks until our legs shook. Steven demoed a rolling turn that could have come straight from a David Carradine flick.

Put the warrior in yoga. We learned to move from martial arts stances into familiar yoga asanas, gliding like Mr. Miyagi.

Use this secret weapon. We made a circle with Leigh's Yoga Energy Mats, natural mats studded with magnets meant to power up the practitioner and reduce pain. We have to admit we felt a buzz.

Was it the mat or the kung yo? Either way, we're not kung fu fighting it.

Kung Yo, Venice, Beverly Hills and South Bay: check the class schedule here (left side of page).