After considering the five factors Sun Tzu starts with the strategies. All warfare is based on deception. So true in almost every game the best tactics is to take your opponent by surprise. You should be able to deceive your opponent. Lance Armstrong in this book ‘Every Second Counts’ quotes an example of the advantage that you get when you deceive your opponent. he writes ” I rode on alone, and within a half- mile I passed the last cyclist ahead of me, Laurent Jalabert of France. Later Jalabert said, “He made it look so easy that it was beautiful”. But Jalabert was wrong, it wasn’t easy. It hurt, deep inside where muscle meet bone. I simply pretended it didn’t hurt, controlling my demeanor. I understood how demoralizing it was to spend a day like that on a bike and get passed by a rider who doesn’t seem to suffer. It’s a mental and physical defeatedness that no one else knows except the cyclist themselves”.
Making the right moves!
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All warfare is based on deception:). Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him. Don’t allow your opponent to know what your intentions are. Keep him off-balance.
If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. You don’t actually have to avoid the opponent but yes you can definitely try and avoid playing on his strength. Like in Football, whenever your opponent is superior offensively, it would be prudent to avoid taking him on man-to-man. Miyamoto Musashi – Japan’s Greatest Samurai of all times describes this strategy as `When you cannot risk coming in close to your opponent because of his strength or reach, then attack what is within your reach’.
If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected. The Australian cricket team had very well used this strategy under the captainship of Steve Waugh who lead the team to a record winning of sixteen consecutive test matches. Remember the episode when Sourav Ganguly was his target. Rahul Dravid‘s (too much) patience that irritates the bowlers especially fast bowlers. Its not always a field game that decides win or lose but MIND GAMES too.
Finally in this chapter Sun Tzu says and I quote, “The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat; how much more no calculation at all!”
