This will be an ongoing work. I will update this page as I come across or remember other classical martial arts ideas relevant to all martial artists.
Last Updated: 2021.01.27
From the Japanese martial arts:
Omote/Ura (表 "surface" / 裏 "behind"): A concept that permeates Japanese culture, not just the martial arts. There are two "sides" to an action. The first is the omote or surface reason. The one that is obvious. The other is the ura, the side that is hidden from view. This could include the reason for a technique as it leads into another. A hidden meaning or purpose. Or possibly a principle that only becomes obvious later, after a student has achieved some skill with the fundamentals that would be pointless to explain earlier.
Shoshin (初心): Beginner's mind. A state of openness to learning new ideas and perspectives without the interference of prior learning. (According to Zen author, Brad Warner this is a modern word first used by Shunryu Suzuki to communicate Zen ideas to Westerners in the mid-20th century. I include it here due to its prevalence in the modern martial arts world.)
Zanshin (残心): Literally translated as "remaining mind." Zanshin is a catch-all term for the state of relaxed awareness that a person should maintain before, during and after the execution of a martial arts technique or combative engagement.
Mushin (無心): Pronounced wuxin in Chinese. Literally "No mind." A term used both in Buddhist and Daoist thought to describe an intuitive mental state without the interference of the conscious mind. Very similar, if not the same, to the idea of a "flow state."
Fudoushin (不動心): Literally, "unmoveable mind." A state where one's emotions do not interfere with one's martial application/execution.
Maai (間合い): The interval or distance that a combative engagement occurs at.
Shuhari (守破離): A theoretical framework for modeling the learning process. Could be translated as "protect, break, separate."
shu (守) "protect", "obey"— Describes the early stages of one's martial training. This is the period where one is best off quietly absorbing all the lessons of one's teacher without too many questions. Often characterized by rote memorization of physical technique.
ha (破) "detach", "digress"— The stage where it becomes necessary for a student to "break" with the tradition of one's prior learning process and begin to test, explore and attempt to "break" the techniques one has already absorbed/learned.
ri (離) "leave", "separate"—The stage of mastery where one has learned what is useful, absorbed the teaching of one's art, explored it's limitations and has now set off on one's own. Often characterized historically by a famous student setting off to start their own school/style of martial arts.
Go no sen (後の先): The initiative that comes after. The state of reacting to an opponent's action after they've started the action.
Sen no sen (先の先): The initiative that comes before. The state of acting against one's opponent as they act, because you anticipated what they are going to do.
Sen sen no sen (先先の先): The initiative that comes before the before. The state of acting against one's opponent before they take action as you've intuitively sensed what they will do next.
Ichi go ichi e (一期一会): Literally, "one time, one meeting" this phrase originates in Japanese tea ceremony community but has been adopted by the martial arts community as well. The point is that each time you practice with someone or attend a class it is a unique moment in time that will not come again. There are no second chances on an individual, discrete interaction.
Just as in a high-stress combative situation you don't get any "do overs" so to when practicing, you should not stop and reset if you make a mistake while training. Instead keep training despite your mistake. In that sense then you train yourself to keep going when a mistake is made rather than train yourself to reset and stop the mental/physical flow of your martial art when something doesn't go according to plan.
From the Chinese martial arts:
Simplified: 武术加跤，越摔越高
Traditional: 武術加跤，越摔越高
(Wǔshù jiā jiāo, yuè shuāi yuè gāo)
"Add wrestling to your martial arts and everything will improve."
Simplified: 一天没练， 自己知道。两天没练，内行知道。三天没练， 外行知道。
Traditiona: 一天沒練， 自己知道。兩天沒練，內行知道。三天沒練， 外行知道。
(Yītiān méi liàn, zìjǐ zhīdào.
Liǎng tiān méi liàn, nèiháng zhīdào.
Sān tiān méi liàn, wàiháng zhīdào.)
"I didn't practice for one day, I can tell.
No practice for two days, fellow martial artists can tell.
No practice for three days, everyone can tell."
Simplified: 练拳不练功，一到老一场空。
Traditional: 練拳不練功，一到老一場空。
(Liàn quán bù liàngōng, yī dào lǎo yīchǎngkōng.)
"If you don't practice your fundamentals, when you are old your martial arts will be empty."
Listen to the podcast "Walking With The Tengu" at: https://anchor.fm/walkingtengu for analysis and thoughts on how classic works are meaningful to the modern martial artist.