It is often said that monks of the Way of the Empty Mind never strike first. While this idea is a falsehood, their mastery of the counter attack certainly is not. Whether they prefer a cerebral method of safely screening for opportunities, or fighting in deliberately reckless way to force them.\, these monks all have seek to achieve the state of the 'Empty Mind'. It is in this state of mind in which a monk is no longer shackled by thought or emotion, achieving true freedom to react to all things with cold precision.

Empty Mind Technique

Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you learn new ways to use your defensive skills. On your turn after Patient Defense is used, you can choose one creature that attacked you during it. If you succeed on a Wisdom(Insight) check contested by the creature's Charisma(Deception) check, you may perform one of the following.

• gain advantage on the next roll on your chosen target. This benefit disappears at the start of your next turn.
• you gain 1 ki point which disappears at the start of your next turn.
• the target  creature now has disadvantage on attack rolls on creatures other than you. In addition, you can also give it advantage on attack rolls against you. Both of these effects disappear at the start of your next turn.

Simultaneous Counter

Beginning at the 6th level, you can strike at the same time as the enemy in order to create devastating collisions that use their own power against them. Whenever a creature you can see hits you with a melee attack, you may spend 1 ki point and your reaction to make your own melee attack against them before the damage is rolled.

For this attack, you use the damage dice of the opposing creature's attack. If the opponent is stunned or killed by your attack, you take no damage. If not, resolve the triggering attack's damage as normal.

At 15th level, your Simultaneous Counter now deals one extra Martial Arts die in damage.

Sharpened Insight

At 11th level, your experience has made you a far more discerning individual. Whenever you make a Wisdom ability check you can spend 1 ki point to gain advantage on the check.

Mushin

Starting at the 17th level, you reach the pinnacle of the Empty Mind way. You gain the following benefits:

• Your Wisdom score increases by 2. Your maximum in this score increases to 22.
• If you use Empty Mind Techniques against a target that already has disadvantage on attack rolls, you automatically succeed the contest required to gain one of the benefits.

In addition, when you roll initiative or as an action, you can spend 8 ki points to gain the effects of the foresight spell for a duration of 10 minutes. You must finish a long rest before you can use this feature again.