Strider:
The meditation you are reffering to comes from ZeN Buddhism (the path I follow) The meditation techniques are simple and effective for attaining a higher state of conciousness as well as forcing you to be more self aware and becoming unattached from the world around you.
Zen and Za Zen (its meditation method) are difficult to explain so I will save my hands some cramps and point you here
http://www.ibiblio.org/zen/faq.html
this should answer some basic questions.
Also to note, the Japanese samuari of the 12th and 13th Century followed this noble path.
If you are interested in becoming zen I suggest reading up on Buddhism, specificaly Mahayana, there are many great books on the topic and webpages on the internet. If you have any questions about Zen or buddhism feel free to ask.
"Great Faith, Great Courage, Great Question"