The Mind of the Martial Artist

[KarateEd]

This post was originally published as an article in a dedicated KarateForums.com Articles section, which is no longer online. After the section was closed, this article was most to the most appropriate forum in our community.

The physical nature of the martial arts is the most obvious to both the experienced practitioner and the uninitiated. Walk by a dojang, look in, and one will see physical action ranging from kicking and punching to falling and grappling. The onlooker usually believes these movements alone are all that comprise any martial art. However, what goes unnoticed by the onlooker is just as important to the practitioner's survival in a combat situation as all those movements. This unnoticed aspect is his state of mind. What does a martial artist need to be thinking while training and when forced to defend himself on the city streets? Ultimately, the answer is nothing.

This may sound like a conundrum spoken by the old, frail, gray-haired master in a Saturday morning Kung-Fu movie. Yet, it isn't a conundrum at all. Rudimentary activities often involve this state of “no mind." How often does one think about the process of brushing his teeth? Everyday, people complete the brushing routine without ever thinking about the process itself. This is the concept behind the state of no mind. Takuan Soho, in his book "The Unfettered Mind" explains in depth this concept. What a martial artist is seeking through all his training is to attain that state of mind where, in a self-defense situation, he moves quickly and decisively, not hesitating to think. To achieve this he must, in combat situations, avoid the “abiding place."

The abiding place is another term for the thinking process. If one thinks about an attacker's intention to strike him or tries to recall what he did that one night in class when he faced multiple attackers, then he has gone to the abiding place. His physical actions are slowed by thinking. This delay provides the opponent time to advance his agenda, thus putting the attacker in greater control of the situation. If one is “lost" in thinking then his mind can be considered “captured" by the opponent. Often this “capturing" is what happens when crimes are committed. A perpetrator plans his crime so that the victim is surprised or shocked and is unable to act effectively. Gaining the upper hand in this manner, the attacker obtains his objective.

So, just what does it feel like to have a state of no mind? The answer to this question is another enigma, it doesn't feel like anything. If it felt like something then one would try to attain this feeling and thereby have his mind captured by the pursuit. Soho explains the state of no mind as being like water; the mind does not stay in one place but continually flows and adapts.

Bruce Lee also utilized the water metaphor in explaining the necessary mental state for combat. He states that a martial artist should empty his mind and be formless, just like water. Water assumes the shape of the vessel into which it is poured - it doesn't fight to force the vessel to take its shape. Water can flow smoothly or it can crash with devastating power. This dynamic, free flowing mental state keeps the martial artists from becoming fixated on a particular technique for use in a situation and, thereby, going to the abiding place (Bruce Lee called this fixation a “disease"). Lee further states that, in combat, his technique is the result of his opponent's technique. He simply tries to complete the other half of the opponent's actions. He doesn't enter into combat with a predetermined set of actions for resolving the situation nor does he try to think about what the opponent is doing, he simply flows, continuously adapting to the opponent's actions.

Therefore, the goal in training the mind is to avoid the abiding place. This can be achieved, in large part, by repetition of the physical aspects of the martial arts and by preparing for any number of possible combat situations (for example, facing multiple attackers, knife attacks, and training in casual, dress, and work clothes). Understanding the common tactics and strategies of one's opponent will further aid in attaining the state of no mind. One can minimize the chance of surprise and avoid having his mind captured, should an attack occur, by being constantly aware of his surroundings. Ultimately, the mind, like the body, needs to be flexible. It needs to adapt to situations in the moment, not try to force a fixed set of actions on the opponent or attempt to deal with a situation by recalling what was taught in class that one night two weeks ago.

References:

1. Bruce Lee's Most Famous Quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved December 4, 2008.

2. Franklin, E. (Producer). (1971, December). “The Pierre Berton Show" (Television broadcast). Toronto, Canada: Canadian Broadcasting Company.

3. Soho, T. (1986). "The Unfettered Mind". New York: Kodansha International.

[Patrick]

Thank you for the submission.

[joesteph]

What a martial artist is seeking through all his training is to attain that state of mind where, in a self-defense situation, he moves quickly and decisively, not hesitating to think. To achieve this he must, in combat situations, avoid the “abiding place."

The abiding place is another term for the thinking process. . . .

If one is “lost" in thinking then his mind can be considered “captured" by the opponent.

An interesting insight, Ed. I also liked how you brought both Soho and Lee's perceptive references to water into your article.

[bushido_man96]

A very nice article. Thanks or sharing. Achieving that state of mind can be one of the more difficult things to achieve in MA training.

[KarateEd]

Thanks, joesteph

bushido_man, you're right, it is hard to achieve "the state of no mind." It seems as though frequency of training is the perhaps the best way to get there, but it can't be unstructured training.

[bushido_man96]

No doubt there. It definitely takes some guidance to get there.

[UnKnownsenSei]

this is a great article. i love how it explains the abiding place. i think however that this aspect of training tha mind to flawlessly do things without thinking should not be labled as the goal of martial artist. i think mastery in this aspect is important but there are soooo many more important fascets to think about. i personally believe in the discovery of connection between the physical, mental, and spiritual aspect-the triagram to be most important. this article speaks about the triagram in a subtle way to the point where it is, in my opinion, limiting to the martial mind. but again very great article