Now Playing: white and nerdy
Topic: the art of war
1. Generally in war the best policy is to take a state intact; to ruin it is inferior to this. - It would seem, obvious that this involves conquering an enemy. To take a state intact implies that all functions are maintained and can be used by the winner. When the earth has been salted, what is the use of owning it? Keep in mind that the state is the purpose of going to war. In a fight, what is your purpose? Will fighting actually help?
The Five Factors are
- Moral Influence.
- Weather.
- Terrain.
- Command.
- Doctrine.
Seven Elements are:
- Which Ruler possesses Moral Influence.
- Which Commander is more able.
- Which Army obtains the advantage of Nature and Terrain
- Which organization better carries out it's Regulations and Instructions.
- Which Troops are stronger.
- Which has the better trained Officers and Men.
- Which administers rewards and punishments in a more enlightened manner.
9 Deceptions.
- Capacity.
- Activity.
- Distance.
- Vulnerability.
- Location.
- Emotions.
- Status.
- Effort.
- Unity.
To take the state intact requires that the concepts listed be understood. Their effective understanding and implementation is what allows a force to achieve an objective. A lack of understanding results in suffering for all involved. To take a state intact is literally the same concept as punching without breaking your hand.
2. To capture the enemy's army is better than to destroy it; to take intact a battalion, a company, or a five man squad is better than to destroy them. - It would also seem obvious that this is true in a moral sense. Let us not forget that capturing the enemy does less damage than killing but may require more time, and the cost of each option should be considered.
As far as personal combat goes, this applies to getting things under control. If your opponent has a weapon which you destroy, they just compensate for the new parameter. If the opponent has a weapon which you can control, then it can be used to exert further control over other aspects of the enemy.
3. For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill. - Quite frankly, nobody is a dumb ass in every other aspect of life but an awesome tactician during combat. If a situation reaches the level of physical confrontation, It is because of a few things. The opponent has compared war with other possibilities and found war the most viable option. The opponent has also judged war as a potentially successful option. When you meet someone and they know you can kick their ass within the first few interactions, that is skill.
4. Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy. - In early fights, say a schoolyard, the strategy was pretty obvious. The fight happened so someone could impress others or release frustration. As we age, the strategy often becomes more difficult to to discern. The fact which remains is that the fight is only one tactic in the overall strategy. Only fantasy novels have a group fighting for the sake of violence. If you can give the opponent a more efficient option or make war appear less efficient; then the tactical options will change and war will not happen. This concept applies to all interactions irregardless of age, temperament, group size, and technology. When you attack strategy, you are changing the values of options and altering perceptions for the opponent. This level of interaction tends to be joint locks and pressure points.
5. Next best is to disrupt his alliances. - For the purpose of personal combat, alliances are simply any harmonious interaction. Team work is also a name given to this concept when more than one person is involved. For most Kung Fu schools, this simply means the six harmonies. Left side and right side, top and bottom, front and back, Chi, yi, shen, and any other definition involving the number six. Joint-locks, trips, breath, and posture are the main targets for this concept. Power is based upon coordination of the body, to limit this coordination is to limit power. This level of interaction tends to be represented by throws.
6. The next best is to attack his army. - This is where the actual war, or fight, becomes recognizable to spectators. This is also the level of most techniques that are considered too violent to teach. Quite simply, if the opponent punches; then break the hand and if the opponent kicks; then break the leg.
7. The worst policy is to attack cities. Attack cities only when there is no alternative. - This is combat as most people understand it. Punches to the ribs, head, and stomach. Boxing and other sports limit interaction to this level so that combat becomes a test of strength and power as opposed to skill or ability. Those people who really want to hurt or kill you will avoid this level of combat at all costs. The ambush, betrayal, and other "dirty" tricks are designed to keep you from defending yourself and keep you from initiating an attack. When starting combat training, the targets are usually the head and the chest which are, literally, the most protected parts of the body. Genetically, most animals are designed to make those targets the most difficult to damage. If the head and chest are your targets; then your fight is going to be long and painful. If the opponent(s) don't share your target choice then the fight will be short and painful. Your ability to survive is in question either way.
8. To prepare the shielded wagons and make ready the necessary arms and equipment requires at least three months; to pile up the earthen ramps against the walls, an additional three months will be needed. Not only is the "siege" going to take time; but the preparation for such an endeavor can take even more time. Have you ever seen professional sport fighters? They are monsters! Have you ever watched the news and seen a picture of terrorists and murderers? Those people are much smaller. How about military forces which avoid long term combat and fortifications? Lean and mean is how the survivors describe them. Fortifications are built over time and require an incredible amount of money and effort. The Power to destroy such fortifications takes just as long to build. How much time do you have?
9. If the general is unable to control his impatience and orders his troops to swarm up the wall like ants, one third of them will be killed without taking the city. Such is the calamity of these attacks. - The frontal assault is great when the enemy is not fortified. Against fortifications, or someone who can block, a frontal assault requires that you take more pain than the opponent. You must take losses just to reach the limits of such fortifications, take losses to breach the fortifications, and then take more losses to achieve victory. Infighting is where the "dirtiest" of techniques are used just as room to room fighting, or close quarters combat as it is now called, is the most brutal wartime combat. This is the tactic used by terrorists. The surety of death requires that only those willing to commit suicide even make the effort.
Tactically you want to be fortified and capture the enemy while convincing them to swarm like ants. Then; any death is caused by their own actions and your actions simply maintain safety for yourself.
10. Thus, those skilled in war subdue the enemy's army without battle. They capture his cities without assaulting them and overthrow his state without protracted operations. Failing to plan is planning to fail.
11. Your aim must be to take All-Under-Heaven intact. Thus your troops are not worn out and your gains will be complete. This is the art of offensive strategy. - Your plans must be so complete as to envelop the opponents decisions. Your actions must be efficient and total.
