By Madison Nef
Part Four (Tactical Dispositions)
Sun-tzu knew that the old fighters put themselves BEFORE the potential of failure. They believed in themselves, and would wait for their opportunity to defeat the enemy. Sun-tzu knew that if we went to battle believing we would fail, we would surely fail. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands… but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided to the enemy himself. Therefore Sun-tzu believed that he who was able to secure himself against defeat would not be defeated, but he who did this could also not make certain of defeating the enemy. What works for one side, also works for the opposing side.
“One may know how to conquer without being able to do so.”
For Sun-tzu also knew that security against defeat implied defensive tactics… but ability to defeat the enemy meant taking the offensive. Being defensive, in Sun-Tzu’s opinion, showed insufficient strength, while attacking, a “superabundance” of strength. The one who is most skilled in defense often hides in the darkest places, while he who is skilled in attack flashes forth. Therefore we must know bother how to protect ourselves, but also have a victory that is complete. “To see victory only when it is within the ken of the common herd is not the acme of excellence.”
It is not excellence when everyone praises you, nor is it a great strength to do the obvious. What the fighters of old called a clever fighter was one who could not only win, but win consistently with ease. Hence he who fights’ victories bring him neither reputation for wisdom not credit for courage. Win battles making no mistakes… Making no mistakes is what established the certainty of victory. Therefore you are conquering an enemy that is already defeated.
It is good to go through life with this approach. Have a high sense of self confidence… be true to yourself. If you set goals, try to accomplish them. We are all put on Earth with goals to complete… some of us accomplish them in our time, and others are not so lucky. We have a set expiration date that no one knows, so why not make the best of what we have while we’re still here? If you go into life with the approach that you will fail, and you won’t accomplish anything, then you are not likely too. However, if you go into life with your head held high, a large amount of confidence telling yourself that you can do anything you set your mind to… you have better odds of completing the task that is at hand.
Sun-tzu says: Hence the skillful fighter puts himself into a position which makes defeat impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy. We all have our personal enemies… not necessarily people, but maybe emotions, or addictions, or feelings. We all have some little demon that we are always competing with- they often try to convince us to be lazy and to make the wrong choices, and often we fall for the trap. However, when a gateway opens allowing us to surpass them and their evil ways, we should take it. As Sun-tzu said, do not miss the moment to overtake the enemy. While we may not all be in a position where defeat is impossible, we can still come pretty damn close.
The victorious strategist only seeks a battle after he knows the victory has been won, whereas he who will be defeated fights first and searches for victory later. Why bother trying if you only KNOW you are going to fail? It’s like knowing you are a size 16 in jeans and trying to squeeze into a size 2: it just WON’T WORK. However, in the same aspect, just because you cannot win at this point, does not mean that you give up. It means you improve yourself to the point that you CAN accomplish whatever you set out to do… because if you can’t accomplish anything, what is the point of living?
Part Five (Energy)
Sun-tzu knew that fighting with a large army at your back could be just the same as having a small one- it didn’t matter how many in number you had if no one knew the signs and commands. If you had a large army, you needed to make sure that it could withstand anything the opposing army threw at it. This was effected by many different direct and indirect maneuvers. It was to his belief that the impact of his army should be like a grindstone upon an egg… the science of the weak points and the strong. In all fighting, the direct methods are used for joining battle, while indirect methods are necessary to secure victory.
Sun-tzu knew that indirect tactics could be very powerful when applied correctly, referencing to them like musical notes. There are not many musical notes, but when combined together they rise to more melodies that can ever be heard. There are no more than five primary colors, yet when combined they produce more hues than can ever be seen. There are but five cardinal tastes, yet their combinations yield more flavors than could ever be tasted. In battle… there are only two methods of attack: direct and indirect. However, when put together they create an endless series of maneuvers.
They each add on to each other in turn. Like a circle, the possibilities for attack are endless when the tactics are applied correctly. “The onset of troops is like the rush of a torrent which will even roll stones along in its course. The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim. Therefore the good fighter will be terrible in his onset, and prompt in his decision. Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of a trigger.”
Amidst battle, it may seem like there is a lot of chaos and disorder where there in none at all. In confusion, your array may be without head or tail, yet it will be proof against defeat. Simulation of disorder promotes discipline, simulation of fear promotes courage, and simulation of weakness produces strength. Times of little hope are the times when hope is the strongest… and so on and so forth. As mentioned before, deception is a large part of warfare- therefore mask order beneath a cloak of disorder, courage beneath a show of timidity and strength under a sheet of weakness.
He who is skilled at keeping the enemy on the move often maintains deceitful appearances, according to which the enemy will act. He sacrifice something, that the enemy may snatch it. Entice the enemy with bait, keep him moving and chasing something that isn’t there, and lie in wait with an army until he reaches a pitfall. Then, attack him where he is weak. The clever strategist looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require much from his army. Hence his ability to pick the right men and utilize their skills is crucial to this style of fighting.
When using combined energy, a general’s men should become life rolling logs or stones. “For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope; if four-cornered, to come to a standstill, but if round-shaped, to go rolling down.” Therefore the energy of good fighting men should be like that of a stone rolled down from the top of a high mountain… momentous.
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