F R E N E M Y S T R AT E G I E S Based on Sun Zhu’s The Art of War
JOANNE CHANG
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 1 Planning The ďŹ ve factors The paths to the heart Deception 2 Waging War Make calculations Aim for speedy victory Keep making progress Know the nine grounds 3 Offensive Strategy Avoid the strong, attack the weak
Know yourself and your enemy Win without destroying 4 Dispositions Plan for a victorious disposition Reel in the results Defensive or offensive 5 Momentum Strike fast Stay calm Find friends Mix things up
6 Weakness and Strength Lead others by the nose Maximize your strength Limitations Coordination 7 Advantage Fight for the favorable position
Know the tactical variables Beware of the 5 advances Weigh the situations Follow your own intentions 9 Survival skills Fight on a high ground Dealing with danger
Find information
Interpret behavior
Master the tactic of deviation
Assesss ďŹ rst, then attack
Master morale
Conclusion
8 Judgement
Introduction
This is Misty.
One day Misty found that there was another pet around the corner, a german shepard, and they were supposed to be friends.
Friends?
Or enemies?!
Misty goes to the master Sun Zhu for help
Planning
1
The ďŹ ve factors The path to the heart Deception
The five factors
When conflict occurs, we should compare the condidtions of ourselves and our opponent from the five factors in order to forecast victory before the start of war.
Righteousness
Leadership
Timing
Openness
Management
Deception The basic quality of any strategic operation.
pretend to be incompetent capture them in disorder
Make yourself seem close when still far away
offer a bait to allure when they are in disorder
enrage the hot-tempered
Pretend to delay action
hit when unexpected
evade when they are strong
wear them out when well rested
set one party against another when united
take precautions against the strong and well prepared
The path to the heart
Narro
Steep path
can look like mountains and horizon
Hindering path
Distant path
Friendly path owers
ow path
Entrapping path
2
Waging War
Make calculations Speedy victory is king Keep making progress Know the 9 war grounds
Make calculations
Only engage in war if you can suffer the consequences.
Speedy victory is king
When war drags on, others will come to interfere when they see you getting weaker.
Keep making progress
Every win counts
Know the 9 war grounds
Focal ground
First to gain control acquire s upport of other peers. Form alliances.
Dispersive ground
Your territory. Unify your will, do not ďŹ ght here.
Encircled ground
Access is constricted, a return requires detour. Ambush the strong here. Devise escape plans, block the points of access.
Open ground Land accessible to both the enemy and yourself. Don’t let communication get blocked. Defend yourself carefully.
Serious ground Getting here requires the will to fight with no return. You have penetrated through the enemy’s deep inner grounds. Plunder for provisions.
Frontier ground
Initial entry into enemy grounds. Keep going, be alert and maintain top performance.
Desperate ground Make a speedy and desperate battle here or else be destroyed. Be prepared to fight to the end.
Contentious ground Never attack the enemy that has reached here first
Difficult ground
Hard to make any moves here, pass through swiftly.
Offense Strategy
3
Avoid the strong, attack the weak Know yourself and your enemy Win without destroying
Avoid the strong, attack the weak
If 10 times your opponent’s strength, surround them
if 5 times, attack them
if double, divide them
if equal, engage them
if weaker, avoid them.
Win without destroying
Winning 100 victories in 100 battles is not real excellence.
The supreme art of war is to win without ďŹ ghting.
Know yourself and the enemy
If you know yourself and your enemy, you will ďŹ ght 100 battles without danger of defeat.
If ignorant of your enemy and only know yourself, chances of winning and losing are equal.
If oblivious to both yourself and the enemy, you will be defeated every time.
4
Dispositions
Plan for a victorious disposition Reel in the results The defensive and offensive
Plan for a victorious disposition
Win ďŹ rst, then go to war, not the other way.
Reel in the results
To defeat your enemy depends on their errors.
The defensive and offensive
When there is no chance of winning, assume a defensive position.
When there is a chance, launch an attack.
5
Momentum
Strike fast Stay calm Find friends Mix things up
Stay Calm
Keep yourself together.
Find Friends
Select the right allies to exploit favorable situations.
Strike Fast
Choose an advantageous position and launch a swift and sharp attack.
Mix things up
Throw in some special tactics to take by surprise.
Weakness and Strength
6
Lead others by the nose Maximize your strength Limitations Coordination
Limitations
When you take precautions in front, your rear will be weak.
If you strengthen everywhere, you will be weak everywhere.
Coordination
If you cannot grasp a situation correctly, your left paw cannot help your right, let alone look for help.
Maximize your strength
Concentrate your forces at one place while your enemy’s is scattered across 10.
Lead others by the nose
When you are one step ahead of the game, you will be at ease; the late comer who moves in haste will be weary.
7
Advantage
Fight for the favorable position Find information Master the tactic of deviation Master morale
Find information
Gain alliances by understanding the motifs of different people, familiarize yourself with the obstacles that block you from your goals, get detailed information about your enemy.
Master the tactic of deviation
Weigh the pros and cons before you move. Allocate your energy to suit your needs. Diverge from common practice.
Fight for the favorable position
Often times you must reverse disadvantages.
Judgement
8
Know the tactical variables Beware of the 5 advances Weigh the situations Follow your own intentions
Know the tactical variables
Don’t put yourself into a tight position, ally with those who have resources, do not linger where it is uninhabitable, be shrewd when you are in a closed environment, ďŹ ght a desperate battle when there is no way to advance or retreat.
Beware of the 5 advances
There are some roads which should not be followed, some people which should not be attacked, some groups that should not be captured, some ďŹ ghts that should not be won and some orders which need not be obeyed.
Follow your own intentions
Do not expect that your opponent may not launch an attack, but count on the fact that you have made yourself invincible.
Weigh the situations
Take full account of unfavorable factors when in a favorable position to succeed in your plans. Take full account of favorable conditions while in unfavorable positions to resolve difficulties.
The 5 fatal weaknesses
The brave, unresourceful and desperate ďŹ ghter, will be defeated; the one that clings to things that don’t serve them, will be captured; the quick-tempered will make regretful moves; the ones that are too proud will be shamed and driven to reckless action; the ones that are too benevolent, will become hesitant and passive.