Strategy is a guide through what is to get to a certain goal or get there in a certain way. The best way through the way things are. Sun Tzu the Art of War is about strategy taking into account all things that exist to get something done, not just the man made ideas of how things are or the natural environment but all elements.
Muhammad Ali was a boxer but he attacked the will of his opponents before they got in the ring. A good example is Ali shooting off a gun in the hotel that his opponent Joe Frazier was staying at. Probably not something you could pull off these days but the principle is there. Frazier actually won that fight (with Ali winning subsequent fight) Ali’s mocking usually wore down the will of his opponents but in the fight with Frazier it actually strengthened Frazier resolve to win because Ali probably went too far.
A more modern example maybe Tennis players use the ‘grunting’ as a way to attack the will of opponents whilst on the tennis court.
Assuming there is a complete opposite side – often there maybe be partial opposition and partial agreement although finding the part to agree on maybe very difficult particularly if the will to agree on anything is lost.
On the opposite sid, if someone is attacking your will to get somewhere then momentarily they are preoccupied with you and not their position so it could be a weakness. If someone is mocking it maybe from a weakness they are trying to cover up.
“Warfare is about deception”
- Introduction by Sonshi.com
- Chapter One: Calculations
- Chapter Two: Doing Battle
- Chapter Three: Planning Attacks
- Chapter Four: Formation
- Chapter Five: Force
- Chapter Six: Weakness and Strength
- Chapter Seven: Armed Struggle
- Chapter Eight: Nine Changes
- Chapter Nine: Army Maneuvers
Chapter Nine: Army Maneuvers (continued) - Chapter Ten: Ground Formation
- Chapter Eleven: Nine Grounds
Chapter Eleven: Nine Grounds (continued) - Chapter Twelve: Fire Attacks
- Chapter Thirteen: Using Spies