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 a deliberately reckless way to
force them, these monks all seek to achieve the state of the
'Empty Mind'. It is 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 Techniques

Starting when you take this tradition at 3rd level, your defence becomes a tool for offence. On your turn after using Dodge action or Patient Defence, you can choose one creature that attacked during it. If you succeed a Wisdom (Insight) check against that creature's Charisma (Deception) check, you may perform one of the following:

• Read your opponent's movements and exploit them. Gain
  advantage on rolls for any actions against your target.
• Absorb the enemy's ki and redirect it. Gain 1 ki point to
  use against the target.
• Taunt them. The target creature now has disadvantage on
  attack rolls for creatures other than you. In addition, you
  may give it advantage on attack rolls against you.

These benefits all disappear at the start of your next turn.

Counter Balance

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.

Instead of using your own damage dice for the counter, you may choose to roll the damage dice of the target creature's attack plus your own modifier. If the opponent is incapacitated 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 deals twice the amount of damage dice.

Inner Sense

At the 11th level, you can enhance your intuition with ki.
Whenever you make a Wisdom ability check you can spend 1
ki point to roll an additional d20. You choose which d20 is used for the ability check.
In addition, whenever you roll a 20 for the Empty Mind
Techniques contest, you may take a second effect granted by
the Empty Mind Techniques contest.

Empty Realm

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, up to a maximum of
  22.
• If you use Empty Mind Techniques against a target that
  already has disadvantage on attack rolls, you
  automatically roll a 20 on contest.
• In addition whenever you roll for initiative or as an action you can expend 8 Ki Points in order to enter the Empty realm. While in the Empty Realm you can perform an unlimited number of reactions. You must finish a long rest before entering the Empty Realm again.