Wu Wei [無為]

The characters/ideograms mean "idleness; inactivity." The first character means, "nothingness, none; ain't; nothing; nil; not," the second character means, "do; change; make; benefit; welfare; be of use; reach to; try; practice; cost; serve as; good; advantage; as a result of." 

The mind of wu wei provides a means by which martial systems train the mind. The training results in a mind, wu wei, that "flows like water," "reflects like a mirror," and "responds like an echo." The Japanese term for these characters/ideograms is "mui," meaning idleness; inactivity. 

Wu wei means "without action," "without effort," or "without control." The full phrase in martial systems is wei wu wei or action without action or effortless doing. We would be best served in martial systems by observing ourselves and our behaviors with full acceptance  of ourselves for who we are and therefore release any conscious control over our lives. In martial systems this means, to me, practicing and training to where one's instincts control actions in all beliefs taking the process of thinking and removing it from the actions taken in martial arts, etc. It is making the training and applications as natural to human action as can be achieved. It is the ability achieved to take appropriate actions in any situation with natural action. This makes it even more important that martial systems training be such that it either matches or relates closely to natural action or movement.