The word ‘mushin’ is comprised of two kanji characters: 無 (mu), meaning ‘nothingness’, and 心 (shin), meaning ‘heart’, ‘spirit’, or, in this case, ‘mind’. In this way, mushin can be roughly translated to ‘nothing mind’ or ‘no mind’. It comes from a longer phrase used in Zen Buddhism, ‘無心の心’ (mushin no shin), or ‘mind of no mind’.
.
So what does this mean exactly? Why might it be important?
You are looking to silence your inner voice and allow your mind to find peace. You act purely based on instinct. There’s no better feeling for a stress-ravaged brain.
.
This is a concept that is important to all practitioners of the martial arts. My first experience of ‘Mushin no shin’ came from elderly karate masters. I noticed that they could generate incredible speed, focus and power without looking like they were even trying.
.
So how can you hope to achieve this effortless state? What are some techniques for achieving mushin for yourself? The simplest answer is through dedicated practice. You need to practice so much that technique becomes instinct or second nature.
.
“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.” – Zen Buddhist monk and accomplished swordsman, Takuan Soho (1573 – 1645) from ‘The Unfettered Mind’
.
Generally in any task you do, you will pass through four stages:
1: You’re unskilled but you aren’t aware of how to improve
2: You’re unskilled but you know what you need to work on
3: You’re skilled but you need to consciously focus to be so
4: You’re skilled and can function purely on your subconscious
.
Many people quit karate once they receive their black belt or simply don’t concern themselves with looking deeper into their art, happy with punching and kicking. They think they’ve achieved it all. They are merely at the beginning of stage 3.
.
For Mushin no shin, you need to reach stage 4. It may take years of dedicated training to reach this level. And part of the reason you may not get to Mushin no shin, is that you like to think your rational thought always drives your actions……. But the more you train in a task, the more the perceptions shift from conscious to subconscious.
.
When you first start practicing karate, your kata, you need to focus intently on the next move. You have to remember what seemed like a thousand variables. After years of training, you can do those kata relying only on your body, and less on conscious thought. The more you practice, the less conscious you become with your movements.
.
Most of us struggle to clear our thoughts because of what the Zen masters call the ‘Shikai’ (the four sicknesses), unwanted emotions. I won’t pretend Mushin no shin is difficult to maintain. I’m not sure anyone truly frees themselves of the Shikai but you can reduce their impact over time. And really there’s no shortcut to Mushin no shin, other than conscientious and deliberate training. 
.
.
Picture taken by Felice Beato. Circa 1860-70
.
.