Mood:  on fire

It has been awhile. With training, other things have shown themselves to be less important and this is one of them. Sorry if that created a problem for you. 

12. Consequently, the art of using troops is this: When ten to the enemy's one, surround him. - When you are in a superior position, there is no need to continue. Maintain your range and let the enemy realize his situation. This does not mean punch and run away or stay out of reach. This means that you put the opponent in a position where any move they make opens them to your attacks.

     This concept is most clear when being grappled. While many submission holds are in fact stalemates; being in a better position means trapping your opponent. The attacker is on the ground and any attempt to move not only allows the defender to attack, but allows the attacker to know that he is allowing the defender to attack. You do not surround and attack, you just surround and let the opponent hurt himself through his own poor decisions.

13. When Five times his strength, attack him. - Five to one seams like a big deal but that one can still be pretty dangerous if your attention wavers or your force becomes divided. It would be foolish to allow the opponent time to grow.

     In a personal combat situation, this concept is used (in its most basic level of understanding) in joint breaks and dislocations. You find one limb on its own and you throw all of your attacks against it until it breaks. An arm bar is Two to one odds. Holding the limb against your body, twisting it, and then using the knee strike to cause the break is closer to what this concept preaches. Also remember that I am not speaking of tournament fights, sports, or tough guy competitions. I am speaking of combat where one, or both combatants is focused on the death of the opponent. I include accidental death.  This is not a game and damage to the organs and brain will kill regardless of the intent or ability of the opponents.

 14. If double his strength, Divide him. - Two to one odds are too easily nullified by skill. To make such a battle more than blood bath it is important to divide the forces of the enemy whether by dividing their command staff, actual forces, removing weapon capacity, or removing food.

     In personal combat, this is usually the ambush. Telling a joke and then striking during the laughter, "Hey, Dead bird!" while pointing upward, and the punch to the nose are all attempts to divide the opponents attention and dis-harmonize his physical movements so as to make the attack that much easier and the win that much faster. They also used to pull the opponents pants down to their ankles before the attack. It makes the low slung thug pants that much funnier. In movies, this is also why the bad guy kidnaps the hero's wife and children; so his thoughts are divided.

 15. If equally matched you may engage him. - Engaging does not mean combat it means to draw the opponents attention. Combat with equal forces is difficult to predict and all of the commanders skill is focused on positioning and maneuvers. The training of the individual troops and reaction time will have a huge impact on the out come.

In personal combat this concept is often illustrated by the angry out burst, the insults, and the dancing around of the opponents. They test each other's emotions, willingness to fight, reaction time, look for any group members who might be setting up an ambush and possible other options to fighting. The Chinese saying is this. "When two tigers fight, one dies and the other is crippled."

16. If weaker numerically, be capable of withdrawing. - Quite frankly, the easiest way for the weak to control a fight is to run away. Survival is a win.

17. And if in all respects unequal, be capable of eluding him, for a small force is but booty for one more powerful. - It is ignorant to fight a losing battle. It is also ignorant to draw the attention of an opponent you cannot defeat. Hide and grow, for time and distance are your friends when weapons would fail.

In the American military, all military assets have a threat level. Different weapons and skills are threat multipliers. They do this to make the computations go easier. Fanaticism, hatred, rage, and fear are also threat multipliers. While the T-shirt says "it is not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog", in real life it is both the size of the dog and the size of the fight in that dog which are important. There will never be an action movie with an angry Steven Hawking kicking a drug cartel's ass. Although, If you are looking to kick a drug cartel's ass; Steven Hawking would be a definite asset in the planning stages.

Posted by bullsnake at 4:57 PM EDT

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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

1. Moral Influence.
2. Weather.
3. Terrain.
4. Command.
5. Doctrine.

Seven Elements are:

1. Which Ruler possesses Moral Influence.
2. Which Commander is more able.
3. Which Army obtains the advantage of Nature and Terrain
4. Which organization better carries out it's Regulations and Instructions.
5. Which Troops are stronger.
6. Which has the better trained Officers and Men.
7. Which administers rewards and punishments in a more enlightened manner.

9 Deceptions.

1. Capacity.
2. Activity.
3. Distance.
4. Vulnerability.
5. Location.
6. Emotions.
7. Status.
8. Effort.
9. 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.

Posted by bullsnake at 8:02 PM EST

Updated: Friday, 28 November 2008 3:47 PM EST

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The Second Chapter of the Art of War does not actually concern the waging of war. Ironically, or appropriately, the second chapter is concerned about the preparations for war. The name is what is most ironic.

This chapter is filled with statements which only appear self explanatory after a defeat. I have attempted to translate the phrases into something a little clearer for the average student. I do this mainly because the book is meant to be kept secret and tends to be even more vague than I usually expect from a philosophy text. Therefore I have meditated upon the statements and my own training to come up with these conceptual translations.

Chapter II - Waging war.

1. There is a minimum level of preparation, below which you cannot wage war. This preparation must be made before battle. You cannot train during combat. The sword must be in your hand and the armor on your body before a battle ensues. It seams silly to say this. I can only say, "how many of you have gotten into a fight and realized you were outclassed?" How many "black belts" or "masters" get into a simple fight with an "untrained" person and get their ass kicked. I simply say that they weren't really black belts or masters. They should be. They have the training and had the time. They also have the belief that the training in their school was correct and people outside their school did not compare. They also believe that because they work out with people, who they are impressed by, they are somehow better than people whom they aren't impressed by. People, every day and of every style, fail to understand this simple concept.

2. Preparation takes time, effort, and a consistant plan. Also self evident until you see the number of certificates from weekend seminars which you can see hanging on the wall of any school. You cannot learn something new in a weekend. You cannot learn to beat someone with years of training in a weekend. If you are lucky, you may get an experience similar to wing chun. By this I mean that you are threatened by someone better than you, you have access to a master to can give you a crash course which will take advantage of your opponent's specific mental and physical weaknesses, you have time to do such training, and you are willing to build the skill which you are taught. For those of you who are not a pretty little girl who is going to fight a man who wants to have sex with you, you are going to have to work very hard and train for a long time.

The consistant plan is the most important. With the plan time and effort can be varied as necessary to fit with the environment, such as a job. Without the plan, there is never enough time and effort is wasted.

3. Victory, the achievement of a goal, is the purpose of War. All effort must be focused on developing skills and capacities which are useful in combat. When those first skills are achieved, they must be refined while new skills are developed. There is too much possibility in combat to depend on a few weeks or months of training. weaknesses must be assessed and ruthlessly removed so that strength will take it's place. This must take place physically, mentally, and spiritually. It is important to note that combat, by it's very nature, can create a situation which makes victory impossible. As such, war should be as short as possible and decisive.

4.  You cannot fight forever. A long fight leads to injury and fatigue which leads to inefficient technique. You cannot win with inefficient technique.

5. Fatigue is a weakness. Even winning a battle leaves you fatigued and this will be taken advantage of by the next opponent.

6. Speed can hide a lack of skill but, a slow attack will merely expand weaknesses.

7. A long fight benefits nobody.

8. Those unable to understand weakness cannot employ strength.

9. Skill in waging war means winning with what you have. This is basic efficiency. Why try are out-power a more powerful opponent? Do Not use Force against Force. Every body has heard of this statement. Most have read it in the tao te ching, some have heard it from instructors, and others on television. It means a specific force. Do not use power against power, speed against speed, range against range, size against size or anything which may be equal. You must use what you have against whatever the opponent doesn't have. You must know what you can do better. You must have technique.

10. If you need anything which you do not already have, you must take it from the enemy. This has the added benefit of depriving the enemy of something they need to kill you.

11. The reason troops slay the enemy is out of rage. If there was no rage, they would stop when the opponent is defeated. This might leave them so injured that they die anyway. They might simply dissarm the opponent and leave.

12. They take booty from the enemy because they desire wealth. They take trophies for honor and recognition. Basically they take because they want.

13. It is important to achieve Victory and become stronger. Take their weapons and make them your own. Treat your defeated enemies well so they become your friends.

These are all important considerations in any preparation for combat. Preparations are simply training. And training is just as focused as anything else. Do not train for the ring and pretend the street will be the same. Just as many people who can kill in the street look nearly incompetant with gloves on. You can do what you train for, but you must train for it without lies.

Posted by bullsnake at 1:40 AM EDT

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The Nine Deceptions are from the first chapter in the Art of War. While not explicitly compiled as a list like the five factors or seven elements, they are listed.

They involve those deceptions which alter the mental landscape and modify perceived options on the battle field. Each deception can apply to the planning stage and be implemented on the battlefield.

!. Capacity.

2. Activity.

3. Distance.

4. Vulnerability.

5. Location.

6. Emotions.

7. Status.

8. Effort.

9. Unity.

1. Capacity. - This deception involves control of information about your Capacity to wage war and achieve objectives. Are you troops faster or slower? Do your weapons have greater or lesser range. Are your troops many of few? Can you hit hard or weakly.

2. Activity. - Are your troops ready for battle or still sleeping? Are you building fortifications or moving? Are you resupplying or marching? Are you retreating or moving into a better position?

3. Distance. - Are you far or near? Are your weapons in range or not?

4. Vulnerability. - Are you weak or strong? Are you looking the other way? Are you really injured?

5. Location. - Are you really there? If not, then what is really there?

6. Emotions. - Are you angry? Nervous? Scared? Content? All are indicators of what you will react to. The wrong perceived emotion will cause the wrong preparations.

7. Status. - What is the most important objective? Which target is a waste of time?

8. Effort. - How much effort is required to achieve an objective? How much effort have you used so far? How much effort do you have left?

9. Unity. - Are your attacks and defenses coordinated? Will your friends turn on you? Can they betray you without even realizing it? Are there gaps in your plans, actions, or goals?

These deceptions are not only things which we can lie to others about. They are also things about which lies can be told to us. Even worse is the fact that any mistake or flaw in ourselves will appear to be one of these deceptions.

These Nine Deceptions are also nine mistakes. Any deviation between reality and opinion about any of the nine qualities will cause a bad decision and suffering. It is stated in the Art of War that a general who does not know himself is doomed to failure. To know yourself is to understand the Nine Deceptions and avoid using them on yourself. To be in a good relationship is to never use them on those you love. To be successful at War is to use the Nine Deceptions to limit and contain the destruction of War. It is not fighting a war which brings victory, it is ending it which brings victory.

Posted by bullsnake at 8:26 PM EDT

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After the Five Fundamental Factors have been assessed, you will be able to make comparisons based upon the Seven Elements.

They are:

1. Which Ruler posseses Moral Influence.

2. Which Commander is more able.

3. Which Army obtaines the advantage of Nature and Terrain

4. Which organization better carries out it's Regulations and Instructions.

5. Which Troops are stronger.

6. Which has the better trained Officers and Men.

7. Which administers rewards and punishments in a more enlightened manner.

Which Ruler posseses Moral Influence. This is basically who is right. It is difficult to compare this now. When everybody was a glorified Warlord who only fought for honor, land, and/or money, this comparison was easy. Honor was the weakest since it is possible to lose with honor. Money was next since it could be stolen and the fight avoided. The most powerful was land. When you needed land, there were two options: Starve or kill the people useing the land. The People attacking were already starving and the People defending were looking at the future murderers of their familys so you knew the fight was going to be nasty. In the current world the fights are basically attrition. Diplomats have a discussion, the discussion breaks down, things get violent, and then the military goes in. The first guy to realize fighting was a bad idea asks to talk to a diplomat. People fighting for power or money always reach a point where the fight becomes too expensive and they switch to easier targets. The hungry have nowhere to go so they stay and fight to the bitter end. Irregardless of what dumb ass reason our politicians use to send our troops into battle, They are fighting for world peace, America, and the safety of their families.

Which Commander is more able. This is a lot easier to compare. More Knowledge, more wins, and experience are big indicators. However the actual comparison is upon whether the commander sets goals which are achievable and how fast the commander can change those goals when confronted by surprises. Some Commanders memorize a series of rules. Even if they memorize a large number of rules, the time will come when the rules run out or the enemy gets creative. Once the Enemy spots a weakness, he needs to be wiped out or every military excursion will hit that target or use that tactic first. An Able Commander will use creativity to cover that weakness and make it a strength. The less Able Commander will be defeated or survive through luck.

Which Army obtaines the advantage of Nature and Terrain. This is a nebulous comparison. It would be better to state the concept as which army attains terrain which they can take advantage of while being able to avoid terrain for which they don't have any advantage. As such, this comparison is an assumption based upon knowledge of training and up to date information. It is the main reason that scouts exist and why they are so important.

Which organization better carries out it's Regulations and Instructions. This has a lot to do with paperwork.  Are the weapons at ready, are the units supplied, and do things get lost? These are some of the questions pertaining to this comparison. Will the troops turn traitor or run away and is there a lot of theft? Is the Army, in fact, a unit or a group of units which happen to agree with each other today? It is simply that the regulations and instructions of a unit are carried out because they are a unit. Any break down in the regulations or instructions is significant of where the divisions of a unit exist. Much like every crystal will fracture along a fault, this division will tell a Commander where the unit can be divided.

Which Troops are stronger. This involves individual training. The Boot camp and any training that comes after. Do you have a group of individuals who can do anything or a group of specialists which will fall apart if one person is missing? Food, Medicine, and Basic Survival skills are big.

Which has the better trained Officers and Men. This has to do with group training. How the people make up a unit and their trust in the chain of command. Do the Men stay together or make a run for it? Is it one for all and all for one, or every man for himself. This comparison is of the self control taught to the men and the officers abillity to aim the troops to achieve a goal. Do these troops trust each other? Will they do whatever is necessary, and whatever is asked of them?

Which administers rewards and punishments in a more enlightened manner. This has to do with trust and morality. Specifically the trust in morality and the trust that others are just as moral and can recognize that. The fact of punishment is that rehabilitation comes from the trust that the punishment was deserved. Otherwise you would just kill that guy since he will never learn. This trust is gained by using the rewards and punishments in such a way that the Troops know exactly why they were received and what must be done to avoid or attain either one.

This has been, vaguely, about large military groups. Within the scope of personal combat, there is much less to worry about. The questions are also simpler.

1. Which Ruler posseses Moral Influence. - Who is in the right, if in fact anybody is right?

2. Which Commander is more able. - Who is smarter?

3. Which Army obtaines the advantage of Nature and Terrain. - Can you use your environment, or are you in a bad place?

4. Which organization better carries out it's Regulations and Instructions. - Do you have combat options or are you a one hit wonder hoping to get lucky? Who has more training?

5. Which Troops are stronger. - Who is stronger?

6. Which has the better trained Officers and Men. - Who has better technique?

7. Which administers rewards and punishments in a more enlightened manner. - Who is telling the truth to themselves about any and all of the above.

Posted by bullsnake at 1:34 AM EDT

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     The Five Factors are a list of things that need to be assessed before engaging in combat. The art of war was written by generals for generals and most of the text involves large numbers of troops. However, aside from the scale and cost, all combat involves the same set of considerations.

The  Five Factors are

1. Moral Influence.
2. Weather.
3. Terrain.
4. Command.
5. Doctrine.

     Doctrine is the path to accomplishments and knowledge which can achieve a given set of goals. Like a set of If/Then propositions, doctrine is a simplified and easily taught set of rules. These rules give rise to the training program of a given person, the chain of command they recognize and enforce, etiquette, decorum, respect, and how they will act in a situation without information or commands.  It is through doctrine that a person can "keep his head" in a difficult situation. It is by attacking doctrine that an opponent will begin to panic.

    In many situations it would appear that doctrine is unneeded. It is important to keep in mind that many situations happen over a long time. As such, it is possible to learn a great deal which can remove bad decisions and allow for a successful decision without any undue suffering. Usually the time is used up while a person takes stock of all the suffering and chooses the least painful decision. In combat, that decision making process is too long. Therefore a Doctrine is taught.

    The decisions have already been tested and their results judged. From this information, a simple set of rules have been devised so that the resulting actions are as fast as possible with the least opportunity for failure.

    Doctrine is such an important concept that it is the way nearly everything is taught. Doctors, Firemen, Emergency workers, Police, search and rescue, mechanics, and even cooks are first given a series of rules which apply in all situations and then are taught the intricacies of their chosen field. Doctrine can be considered your basic martial drills and your style, as a whole, at the basic level. Doctrine is a kick to the nuts.

    Command is the next step up. Command requires an understanding of the strengths of doctrine and its weakness. Most importantly, command involves the aspect of time. When to react is as important as what is being done. Command also takes into account the importance of new information. As you may have surmised, Doctrine does not allow time for thought as it is trained reflex.

    Command is decision over the long term. Command takes information in, processes it and allows the reactions to be in harmony with actions which are too far away to be directly experienced. Command plans for the future. The Level of Command can be considered the concepts of an art, the tactical decisions, and the philosophy.

    It is important to keep in mind that command is not simply pointing at a target. That is what doctrine is for. Command is the capacity to  make the right decision at the right time after assessing the objective, the capacity to achieve it, and which path to that objective is most efficient. Command recognizes that the opponent is drunk and simply dodges until he falls over a chair.

    Terrain is where you are. This appears self evident until you take stock of how many people try to grapple on broken glass, kick in mud, or punch while on the ground. Terrain is something that moves and can be moved on. It is the ground, the things on the ground, and things which can be moved. It involves things which you can't control and can avoid. The other persons training can be considered terrain. The objective is also part of the terrain. Stance work is how you deal with terrain, as is the posture, and where the limbs are.  When a person sees a fight coming and simply avoids it, he is working with terrain. Ambush also requires an understanding of terrain as does evasion.

    The training concerned with terrain is range. Weapon work, footwork, height changes, and stepping all require an understanding of terrain.

    Weather is what is uncontrollable and must simply be endured. Just as rain falls on both armies and the desert is hot, weather must be taken into account and cannot be ignored. Laws, clothes, spectators, actual weather, Police, and emotions of the opponent are all things which must be noticed and compensated for. It may be possible to use them to your advantage or minimize their impact, but you cannot discount them.

    Weather is the training where meditations and focus is taught. The energetic concepts are taught and, usually, animal variations on their style. Concepts of balance are also popular for this stage.

    Moral Influence is the quality of rightness and honor.

Why are you here? What do you hope to accomplish? Is it the right thing to do? Moral influence is what allows you to make a decision and follow through with that decision; because of the trust that it is the right decision. Moral Influence is also what people judge when they decide to help or hinder you in your objective. The philosophy of how you should interact with existence and what your spiritual objectives are, is at the heart of moral influence. The highest levels of a martial art often require proof of a morality and contain the most powerful techniques and training.

    Before a fight, a war, or any endeavor; These Five Factors need to be assessed. The capacity to interactwith each factor and the understanding of how to interact through the factors needs to be judged. Only after the five factors have been noticed and judged can a comparison to the opponent be made.

This Blog is for my students. If others can take advantage of this information then I wish you the best of luck.

Posted by bullsnake at 9:10 PM EDT

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