Mushin: mind-of-no-mind

Mushin (無心) or "No mindedness" is a mental state into which very highly trained martial artists are said to enter during combat. The term is shortened from mushin no shin (無心の心), a Zen expression meaning mind of no mind. That is, a mind not fixed or occupied by thought or emotion and thus open to everything. (from Wikipedia)

This state may be attained after many thousands and thousands hours of practice, until the forms are fully embodied and become a second nature, at which point they may be performed flawlessly and fluently, without conscious thought.

The legendary Zen master Takuan Sōhō said:

The mind must always be in the state of 'flowing,' for when it stops anywhere that means the flow is interrupted and it is this interruption that is injurious to the well-being of the mind. In the case of the swordsman, it means death. When the swordsman stands against his opponent, he is not to think of the opponent, nor of himself, nor of his enemy's sword movements. He just stands there with his sword which, forgetful of all technique, is ready only to follow the dictates of the subconscious. The man has effaced himself as the wielder of the sword. When he strikes, it is not the man but the sword in the hand of the man's subconscious that strikes.

In this movie, the famous Karate teacher, talks about a a similar attitude used in daily life. As Master Kanazawa puts it, with an attitude of 'flowing' we may achieve happiness and balance. Allowing life to flow with the least amount of disagreements and conflicts. Acting from a place of humbleness will bring more contentment, peace and abundance into our lives. Striving to walk our path as centered and concentrated as possible, we continue our practice, whatever it may be. By doing so, we create a positive influence, not only in our own lives, but on everything around us, naturally rippling away...

Ukemi | the art of blending

The art of Ukemi is about the ability to to blend with an energy, and respond in a natural and safe manner. The kanji in Japanese literally mean "Receiving Body" (受身). Why is Ukemi so important in our practice? I truly believe there is much to learn from Ukemi, as we may learn from applying techniques. Ukemi is much more than just falling down. It actually starts from the moment we get ready to attack, and continues somewhat after the technique has been completed.

Here are some of the lessons we can find in this deep art:

The lesson of Empty Mind: When we approach to an attack, we generate a spark. This spark will determine how will the flame look like, or, how will the encounter be. If we attack with some agenda, it will easily manifest within the outcome. For example, when we attack with fear, we usually leave our center behind, and use our upper body, we will probably be dragged behind the flow of the technique, and be somewhat disconnected. We should strive to execute a clean attack, without personal attachments, like assumptions, expectations and thoughts. As we attack, we empty our mind and turn our alertness and "body listening" on, and go for an unknown ride.

The lesson of "Giving in" and surrender: Once we started the ride, we should not react, yet respond to where the technique takes us. Quiet inside, we allow our body to follow without resistance, without any ideas and thoughts. We let the body do the work. Our mind usually gets in the way, so we strive to keep it silent.

The lesson of connecting and "Going with the flow": Placing our efforts on connecting to Nage is essential. Either we make sure that our grip is connected with the palms of our hands, tightening by using the two little fingers, or at a higher level, our body is "sticking" with energy that is directed towards us. Keeping the "receptors" of our body wide open and focus on our Nage's movements, will allow an easier way to blending.

The study of techniques: You may ask: what does Ukemi have to do with learning techniques? Well, just like a die creates a mark on the paper it pressed upon, so is Ukemi, being the "other side" of technique. We can learn though our body (rather than intellectually) where is the control point of the technique, where is the pressure, what body positioning and angles will work more efficiently, and much more. Rather than some analyzed idea about how a technique should be executed - we actually feel it, and it imprints in our "muscle memory".

The lesson of humility though falling and getting up: We are falling and getting up, time after time, all the time. Falling resonates as a non-victorious act, yet we have an opportunity to conquer this psychological affect with embodiment of Ukemi. We also learn to deal with self judgment, as we get up from each Ukemi fresh and ready for the next encounter, rather than dwell on the previous one. Each encounter is a new opportunity, and is unique - it will not be repeated ever again in the very same way. As the Japanese saying go: 一期一会 "Ichigo Ichie", One encounter - only once in a lifetime. A moment cannot be exactly duplicated. After we take a fall, we keep our awareness in the way we get up, with attention to Nage. "It ain't over until it's over". We use Zanshin (残心), being alert and aware, just in case there is another encounter coming right after.

Ukemi is a great way to closely observe ourselves, especially since our role is to blend with someone or something outside of us. Taking Ukemi has a wonderful application to all areas of our life - so please, do try it at home... and at the office, and on the road - the results are very satisfying!