Zen No More

Zen No More

I first discovered what is called Mushin, while competing in a judo tournament where I found myself behind in the score.

*** 

 From out on the mat, I could hear my wife yelling, “If you don’t do something soon, you are going to lose!”

The next thing I knew, I was sliding across the mat and the referee was calling an end to the match, with the score Ippon, (a full point) the highest score possible.

 I was laying there thinking, “Okay what did he throw me with, and how did I lose?”

I looked over at the referee as he lifted his hand toward me, signaling that I had won the match.

I looked at the corner judges, fully expecting them to overrule his signal, sure that there had to have been a mistake! Instead, my Sensei yelled, “Get off the mat!”

I slowly walked over to him, and he asked, “What’s wrong with you?” I looked at him and said, “What happened?”

Sensei, who is a famous player in his own right, looked at me a little strangely, and said, “You won.”

 “How?” I asked. He looked at me, breaking into a huge smile and said, “Oh, so you really don’t know what happened?” I said, “No, all I remember is sliding across the mat on my stomach.”

 He said, “Oh Ken, now you learn Judo!”

 ***