Tag: thirty six stratagems

Posted in History & Literature

Thirty-Six Stratagems: Chapter 6 – Desperate Stratagems

Posted on by Jinavie

(For all 36 stratagems, click here: https://jineralknowledge.com/tag/thirtysix/?order=asc)

Desperate Stratagems are last resort tactics that can be used when you are placed in a disadvantageous state or risk losing the war.

Stratagem 31: No weapon could beat seduction
This is the strategy where you use a beautiful woman to tempt the enemy to extract information or undermine their will to fight. It is a deadly strategy that never fails.

Stratagem 32: Empty fort strategy
Purposefully empty your fort to show the enemy that you are defenceless, causing them to think that it is a trap and retreat. It was effectively used by Zhuge Liang in The Three Kingdoms.

Stratagem 33: Countermine the enemy’s spy
Use the enemy’s spy to spread false information or use them as a double agent that can extract the enemy’s intelligence. The “double spies” and “dead spies” from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War fit under this stratagem.

Stratagem 34: Sacrifice yourself to comfort the enemy
Inflict injury on yourself to win the enemy’s trust. For victory, you may have to sacrifice even the dearest things such as your wife or most loyal servant.

Stratagem 35: Chain stratagems
This is an elaborate strategy where you first restrict the enemy’s movement then make use of a series of tactics one by one to decimate the enemy. The most famous example is from The Three Kingdoms in the Battle of Red Cliffs. All of the ships of Wei were linked by chains and could not move freely, making them vulnerable to a fire and causing Cao Cao to lose the battle in an instant.

Stratagem 36: If all else fails, retreat
It is often misquoted as “retreat is the best option”. The Thirty-Six Stratagems explain that retreating is not the most ideal option, but if there is no chance of winning and the cost will be too much, it is wiser to retreat then fight again after reinforcing your forces. Knowing to retreat when you are disadvantaged and the cost is too high is true wisdom.

By utilising these thirty-six stratagems wisely, you will be able to win no matter what situation strikes. Remember: life is a fierce battlefield and without effective strategies and tactics you cannot seize victory.

Posted in History & Literature

Thirty-Six Stratagems: Chapter 5 – Proximate Stratagems

Posted on by Jinavie

(For all 36 stratagems, click here: https://jineralknowledge.com/tag/thirtysix/?order=asc)

Proximate Stratagems are tactics that utilise something even more fearful than the enemy outside: the enemy inside.

Stratagem 25: Replace the beams with rotten timbers
If you slowly remove the pillars of foundation beneath the enemy one by one, they will naturally fall. More specifically, if you buy off the enemy’s officials and subjects, you can make the country into a useless shell even before starting a war.

Stratagem 26: Point at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree
This is a method where you publicly criticise someone’s actions while intending for someone else to indirectly get the message. If you criticise an ally or a subordinate, you run the risk of being betrayed. Thus, it is far more effective to indirectly criticise someone else in a way that the other person understands what you think.

Stratagem 27: Feign madness but keep your balance
It is far better to act like a fool and refrain from misconducting than talking out loudly and committing a rash act. A true leader hides his ingenuity, meaning he may appear as a fool to others. This is the ideal look of a leader. Furthermore, if you keep up an act of foolishness while meticulously planning on the inside, the enemy will drop his guard.

Stratagem 28: Lure the enemy to the roof then remove the ladderMake your army look weak and defenceless to lure the enemy into a trap, then surround and destroy them. On the other hand, this can also mean to intentionally trap your forces to boost their ferocity.

Stratagem 29: Deck the tree with false blossoms
Bluff to suppress the enemy psychologically. For example, if you make it look like your forces are far greater in number than they actually are, the enemy will be hesitant in attacking and you will have the lead. This is very effective when you are outnumbered.

Stratagem 30: Make the guest act as if he was the host
This is the survival strategy cuckoos use where they push the original babies out of a nest and hog the food that the mother brings. It is a strategy where you patiently wait for the right moment when you can sneak in and seize the authority, taking someone else’s resources for your own. An example of this stratagem would be when the reinforcement that is supposed to protect the allied country turn into an invading an army to take over the country.

Posted in History & Literature

Thirty-Six Stratagems: Chapter 4 – Chaos Stratagems

Posted on by Jinavie

(For all 36 stratagems, click here: https://jineralknowledge.com/tag/thirtysix/?order=asc)

Chaos Stratagems are strategies that can be used to achieve victory when a war enters a chaotic state. Unlike the previous three chapters, the latter three chapters include tactics that can be used when the flow of war is against you.

Stratagem 19: Remove the firewood from under the pot 
This tactic teaches that one should attack the foundation of the enemy’s confidence to shake them. Also, there is a second meaning that teaches to cut off their supplies. No matter how strong the enemy is, they will be crushed easily without any food.

Stratagem 20: Disturb the water and catch a fish
If you disorder the enemy so that they have no idea what is happening, you can easily attain victory.

Stratagem 21: Slough off the cicada’s golden shell
Make a change yet make it look like to the enemy that you have not. It is a strategy where you keep up a strong defence on the surface and exhibit a state of readiness to intimidate the enemy, while moving your forces to a different location.

Stratagem 22: Shut the door to catch the thief
If you block the enemy’s movement and surround them, you can easily decimate them. However, if they are strong enough this plan may have the opposite effect and cause them to retaliate with more ferocity, thus you should only employ it when the enemy is weak.

Stratagem 23: Befriend a distant state while attacking a neighbour
Countries that are close to you are bound to have many troubles and friction with you, therefore it is far wiser to use an ally who is further away to deal with your enemy.

Stratagem 24: Borrow a passage to strike Guo
This means that you should expand your territory when the opportunity is right by manipulating the weak. If you use the resources of a weak ally to strike the enemy, you can reduce the costs to your army while destroying the enemy, essentially killing two birds with one stone.

Posted in History & Literature

Thirty-Six Stratagems: Chapter 3 – Attacking Stratagems

Posted on by Jinavie

(For all 36 stratagems, click here: https://jineralknowledge.com/tag/thirtysix/?order=asc)

Attacking Stratagems are tactics that can utilised during a battle with the enemy.

Stratagem 13: Stomp the grass to scare the snake
Kill the startled snake as it leaps out of the grass. By taunting or provoking the enemy, you can lead them to give away their locations and create chaos.

Stratagem 14: Borrow a corpse to resurrect the soul
Bring back something from the past that is believed to have no value and alter it so they have value.

Stratagem 15: Entice the tiger to leave its mountain lair
If you lure the enemy out of their heavily guarded camp and then attack, your chances of victory increase.

Stratagem 16: In order to capture, one must let loose
When capturing an enemy, do not corner them completely but open a small exit for them. A cornered enemy with no escape can attack with even more ferocity. Thus, if you allow them to escape and chase them until they run out of energy and the will to fight, you can capture the enemy with little sacrifice. Furthermore, if you set an ambush or trap for the enemy, you can easily decimate them.

Stratagem 17: Tossing out a brick to get a jade gem
This means to toss out something useless to gain something valuable. It is a tactic that utilises baiting the enemy. The point of the tactic is to throw out bait that does not seem like bait. On the other hand, it is important to have a keen sense of judgement to ensure you do not take the enemy’s bait. The ability to look past the immediate gain and see the long-term cost is a valuable skill.

Stratagem 18: Defeat the enemy by capturing their chief
This is a principle that states that if you kill the enemy’s leader or their key units, the rest will fall apart naturally. A group without a leader will run around like headless chickens until they are destroyed.

Posted in History & Literature

Thirty-Six Stratagems: Chapter 2 – Enemy Dealing Stratagems

Posted on by Jinavie

(For all 36 stratagems, click here: https://jineralknowledge.com/tag/thirtysix/?order=asc)

Enemy Dealing Stratagems are tactics you can use when you and the enemy have equal amount of forces. They can be used to increase your chance of winning in a close battle.

Stratagem 7: Create something from nothing
Even if you do not have something, make it look like you have it. Bluff by pretending you have a massive force to disorient the enemy and launch a surprise attack when they are off guard to achieve certain victory.

Stratagem 8: Sneak through Chencang without anyone knowing
Pretend to attack one place and launch a surprise attack some place else. If you hide your intention and deceive the enemy to avoid them, it is far more effective than facing them head on.

Stratagem 9: Watch the fire burn across the river
If there is internal unrest or threat within the enemy, do not attack them. Instead, wait and watch as they destroy themselves.

Stratagem 10: Hide a knife behind a smile
While setting the enemy at ease with a kind exterior, plan meticulously on the inside and wait for the right moment to destroy the enemy.

Stratagem 11: Sacrifice the plum tree to preserve the peach tree
This means to sacrifice the plum tree by letting it take the pests that usually attack the peach tree. If you utilise allies and surrounding countries well, you can deflect the damage you would receive to them.

Stratagem 12: Take the opportunity to pilfer a sheep
Do not look over even the smallest of an enemy’s flaws. Aggressively seize even the smallest opportunities.

Posted in History & Literature

Thirty-Six Stratagems: Chapter 1 – Winning Stratagems

Posted on by Jinavie

(For all 36 stratagems, click here: https://jineralknowledge.com/tag/thirtysix/?order=asc)

The Thirty-Six Stratagems is a book from ancient China that outlines 36 stratagems (a ruse to change the flow of battle or aide a victory). The author and the time of writing are unclear, but it incorporates much wisdom from The Art of War and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Regardless of who wrote it, the Thirty-Six Stratagems is a must-read text as it outlines tactics that are very useful in war (especially the harsh battlefield of life) in a way that is easy for anyone to understand and learn. The thirty-six stratagems are divided into six categories: Winning Stratagems, Enemy Dealing Stratagems, Attacking Stratagems, Chaos Stratagems, Proximate Stratagems and Desperate Stratagems. Let’s learn them chapter by chapter.

Winning Stratagems are tactics that you can employ when you have all the conditions for a victory. They are tactics that utilise meticulous planning and deception to confuse the enemy and make victory certain.

Stratagem 1: Deceive the heavens to cross the ocean
People are not suspicious of things they have seen repeatedly. This is a perfect opportunity to seize. Give the enemy false reassurance through repeating a common act and strike when they are off guard.

Stratagem 2: Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao
Instead of facing the enemy head on, detour around them to strike their main base. It is a tactic where you capture something the enemy holds dear and using it to control the enemy as you wish.

Stratagem 3: Kill with a borrowed knife
Hide yourself while using a third party to bring harm to the enemy.

Stratagem 4: Leisurely await for the laboured
If you camp and rest at a strategic spot and strike the enemy after they have tired from a long march, you can raise the chance of winning. Also, laying siege to the enemy when they are short of food and tiring them out is another way to bring victory.

Stratagem 5: Loot a burning house
This means that you should strike when the enemy is in chaos when their base is on fire. In other words, take the opportunity when the enemy is in a tough spot and attack.

Stratagem 6: Make a sound in the east, then strike in the west
Distract the enemy’s attention to a different place and attack from a completely unpredicted location so that the enemy is unprepared.