They might seem to be instigating a fight, or they may appear to be completely passive. Do and rank in the Brotherhood Contrary to what many outside the Brotherhood think, not all Brothers and Sisters practice the physical martial art Do. The fact that they specialize in thoughts, feelings, emotions, and other aspects of Mind means that you can never be sure of their true intentions. However, the Akashic Brothers offer the finest martial arts training in the world - this is reflected in the special cost break that Akashic Brotherhood mages get with martial arts backgrounds. The Akashayana were somewhat shortchanged in the core revised rulebook for Mage: They are stereotyped as nothing more than bald-headed monks or super-ninjas. Akashics aren't like that, they are more like combat surgeons. The first of the revised Tradition Books for Mage: The Ascension, this book is simply overflowing with intriguing information on the Akashic Brotherhood. Berzerkers might be scary as wild, unpredictable forces of destruction, but they are also easy to understand and thus defeat. Mind does not make them better combat monsters (though some factions specialize in Life, Forces, or whatever for that) but what it does is provide depth. Just Google it (or whatever your poison is) and do some reading.
To understand why Mind is absolutely the best choice for the Akashic Brotherhood, you should look up and study the concept of "Mushin". Also, others mentioned ignoring wound penalties but nobody talked about inflicting wound penalties - which can end an opponent without a single strike, and with no lasting damage. The magic of the Monks, Akashic uncil of Keepers of the Border. emotions & perceptions are really the foundation of a lot of people's fighting ability, and by having complete control over them you could set two enemies to fighting each other and just walk away without either of them realizing it until it's too late. Maybe he comes from a monastery that was the heart of the boys home. Have you ever been in a fist fight, and then suddenly heard a gun shot go off behind you? Have you ever been talking to someone, wondering where it was you knew them from? Being able to completely control emotions during combat isn't something you should just gloss over. I know it's been mentioned before, but I think maybe you're underestimating the power in illusion.