Notes from Art of WAR ...
"All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved."
Planning:
"All warefare is based on deception"
Strategy:
"Knowing the enemy enables you to take the offensive. Knowing yourself enables you to stand on the defensive. Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack. "
"If you know the enemy and how yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer defeat If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."
"3 ways in which a ruler can bring misfortune upon his army:
1. By commanding the army to advance or to retreat, being ignorant of the fact that its cannot obey. This is called hobbling the army.
--> "A kingdom should not be governed from without, and army should not be directed from within." The general should not be in the thick of his own troops, but a little distance apart. Otherwise, he will be liable to misjudge the position, and give wrong orders."
2. By attempting to govern a army in the same way as he administers a kingdom, being ignorant of the condition which obtain in an army. This cause restlessness in the soldier's mind.
--> " Humanity and justice are the principles on which to govern a state, but not an army; opportunism and flexibility, on the other hand, are military rather than civil virtues."
3. By employing the officiers of his army without discrimination
" Use the right man in the right place."
--> " The skill
employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous
man, and the stupid man. For the wise man delights in establishing his
merit, the brave man likes to show his courage in action, the covetous
man is quick at seizing advantages, and the stupid man has no fear of
death."
"5 essential for victory:
1. He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.
2. He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces: (superior means abudunant force, make easy ground; with an inferior one, make for difficult ground.
3. He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks
4. He will win who, prepared himself wait to take the enemy unprepared.
5. He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered by the sorvergein:
Tactical Disposition:
"The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. "
"To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. Thus the good fighter is able o secure hismelf defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy."
"Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it."
"The general who is skilled dfenses hids in the most secret recesses of the earth, he who i skilled in atack flashes forth from the topmost heights of the heaven. Thus on the one hand we have ability to protect ourselves; on the other, a victory that is complete."
-> the "secret recesses" as the hills, rivers, the other natural freature which will afford shelter or protection to the attacked. The "topmost heights of heaven" as the phases of weather which may be turned to account by attacking party.
"What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excel in winning with ease"
--> "He who only sees the obvious, wins his battles with difficulty; he who looks below the surface of things, wins with ease."
"He wins his battles by making no mistakes. Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated. Hence the skilful fighter puts himself into a position which makes defreat impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy."
"Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory."
-->"In warefare, first lay plans which will ensure victory, and then lead your army to battle; if you will not begin with stratagem but rely on strength alone, victory will no longer be assured."
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Ex: Strategy: Don't expect to wake up on time when sleeping late.
Ex: Taticts: Sleep early
Ex: Plan: (applying tactics) Go to bed at 12:00 AM! No later!
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Energy:
"The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers."
--> "Fighting with a large army under your command is nowise different from fighting with a smll one: it is merely a question of instituting signs and signals."
"To ensure that your whole host may withstand the brunt of the enemy's attack and remain unshaken-this is effected by manoeuvres direct and indirect."
-->"In presence of the enemy, your troops should be arrayed in normal fashion, but in order to seure victory abnormal manoeuvers must be employed. "
"In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory. These who are so inextricably interwoven in all military operation."
"In battle, there are not more than two methods of attacks--the direct and the indirect; yet these two in combination give rise to an endless series of manoeuvres"
--> "the direct and indirect lead on to each other in turn. It is like moving in a circle- you never come to an end. Who can exhaust the possibilities of their combination?"
"The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim."
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