| There is a good reason the samurai adopted Zen | | | | physical balance and ability allows it and their mind |
| philosophy and its strategic insights - it optimized | | | | does not favor a punch, or kick, or a particular limb). |
| fighting strategy and taught them to deal with fear and | | | | Many of you may have fought such a person, and |
| death to obtain victory. The benefits were proven | | | | these people are always tricky fighters due to the fact |
| over hundreds of years in situations where the penalty | | | | that any limb can come out at any time i.e. no |
| for failure was not loss of a "point", but death. Today | | | | attachment or predisposition to any one thing (mushin). |
| Zen is rarely taught in fighting, and the focus of martial | | | | As one works on kumite this is one physical-mental |
| arts classes are usually all physical despite the fact | | | | approach which can be drilled. |
| that the mental component is the most important | | | | There is a famous Zen saying "mizu no kokoro" which |
| attribute in any fight - tournament, or real life. | | | | also helps clarify mushin.. Mizu no kokoro on the |
| Asian strategy (e.g. the classic "Art of War" by Sun | | | | surface translates to "a mind like water." Everyone |
| Tzu) and Zen are not religions but provide systems for | | | | understands how the water of a pond can be calm |
| understanding yourself, optimizing technique and | | | | and clear. In this state, it will reflect all around it truthfully |
| performing at your best. It is unfortunate in modern | | | | & accurately, much like a mirror. In Karate and in |
| karate sports fighting (which is also a mind game) that | | | | life we strive to have a calm mind that reflects |
| athletes are not taught the Zen concepts which are | | | | everything around us accurately. Therefore, the mind |
| the basis of the art they are performing. Some sports | | | | must be clear like the glass surface of a still pond, |
| karate teams do go as far as to have sports | | | | reflecting everything accurately and without distortion. If |
| psychologists, and while that is beneficial, it is shame | | | | the mind gets attached to any thoughts, this is |
| the athletes are not exposed to the Zen lessons of | | | | analogous to throwing a stone into the tranquil pond. |
| the samurai which are profound in achieving victory | | | | The ripples that the stone creates (or thought in the |
| because the goal was not a gold medal, but a life or | | | | mind) will interfere with the smooth surface of the |
| death match (where, like in the sports world, a simple | | | | pond making the reflection (perception) distorted. If |
| "tag" with a katana (sword) would mean death). Some | | | | your mind is cluttered with thoughts, how can it possibly |
| of the principles taught by sport's psychologists mirror | | | | react quickly in stressful situations? Only when the |
| that of Zen in the martial arts and other things taken | | | | mind is clear and calm will you act instantly without |
| from Zen are more specifically directed towards | | | | hesitation or fear. |
| combat. The modern term of putting oneself in "the | | | | The term "void" (kara in Japanese) has very real |
| zone" is directly analogous to the Zen mind state of | | | | implications for strategy, Zen mind set and accessing |
| mushin - one Zen principle which can be related to | | | | weak points in an opponents technique and body. |
| kumite is discussed in more detail below. | | | | Since 1929 this term has in fact been the first of the |
| How does the below phrase and image relate to | | | | three Kanji (Japanese characters) that represents the |
| fighting? | | | | word "Karate-Do". The Keio University Karate club |
| "Like a full circle, the mind must be empty, yet | | | | substituted this character to replace the original first |
| complete." | | | | character for Karate-Do (prior to this the first |
| The Japanese term often used in Karate which is | | | | character translated the term karate as "Chinese |
| loosely translated as "empty mind" is mushin. This term | | | | hand"). The use of "void" as the first character in |
| does not strictly imply "no thought", but rather no | | | | Karate-Do was later consolidated in 1935 by Funakoshi |
| attachment to any one thought, emotion or strategy. | | | | sensei (founder of Shotokan) publishing the book |
| To obtain this state of mind, mushin, you must let go | | | | "Karate-Do Kyohan". The link between "voids", or |
| your fears, doubts, ego, and any preconceived | | | | "emptiness", has obvious similarities to mushin, however, |
| thoughts of action (strategy), or the mind will not react | | | | its mental implications for strategy go further than that. |
| openly. | | | | The mind is just one component of a "void" approach |
| When we apply mushin to certain techniques and | | | | used in fighting. Other cumulative uses of the "void" |
| kumite strategies in seminars many karate athletes | | | | concept include: |
| start to say, "...well you have to be analyzing your | | | | - technique combinations which open an opponent |
| opponent and formulating a strategy so it doesn't apply | | | | enabling the scoring of a "point" (pre-determined |
| to modern tournament fighting...". They often miss the | | | | opponent response strategy which occurs following a |
| point at first glance - it revolves around the assumption | | | | particular combination) |
| that you have trained the mind to know all these | | | | - furthering the first two points by striking a cavity, or |
| strategies innately and that at any moment in kumite | | | | anatomical void, to most damage/upset the opponent. |
| the right one for the situation is released without | | | | Therefore, fighters can chose to train certain |
| thought. This creates the required speed (i.e. no delay) | | | | combinations that provide a three pronged approach |
| and enables dynamic adaptive change to your | | | | of creating mental voids, physical opening voids, which |
| engagement strategy after the opponent begins to | | | | are then followed by impact on an anatomical void. |
| react (which enables another innately trained technique | | | | The emphasis here is to use all three "void" |
| combination to emerge as soon as it is needed). There | | | | approaches in a cumulative fashion. The goal here is to |
| are drills, combinations and training methods to enhance | | | | not only score points but also mentally optimize one's |
| the mind state of mushin (other than describing one | | | | position of confidence and strength relative to the |
| simple physical example below this article does not | | | | opponents physical and mental state. Again, I do not |
| attempt to describe complex combinations and partner | | | | believe a text forum to be the appropriate place to |
| work via text). The application of the mind is usually | | | | describe physical technique combinations based |
| reinforced whenever one speaks with, or does | | | | around a multi-tired use of "voids" in fighting (these are |
| seminars under, any of the great karate tournament | | | | covered in seminars and dojo training). |
| legends - they almost always comment on the | | | | Although this article mentions just two karate related |
| importance of the mind as a key to victory. | | | | Zen concepts a number of others exist which are |
| A simpler conceptual analogy for mushin which | | | | highly relevant to kumite performance. All such |
| removes the complexity of strategy is the following: | | | | concepts can be worked on as part of one's training |
| imagine fighting someone who truly has the ability to | | | | to optimize tournament fighting. |
| strike with any one of their 4 limbs at any time (i.e. their | | | | |