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36 Ji Introduction Table of content – Thirty-Six Strategies

A recently uncovered notebook of 36 proverbs commented as military tactics that helps dealing with conflicts. Tr. Verstappen (en), Doc Mac Jr (fr).

1 2 3 4 5 6 -- 7 8 9 10 11 12 -- 13 14 15 16 17 18 -- 19 20 21 22 23 24 -- 25 26 27 28 29 30 -- 31 32 33 34 35 36
I. Stratagems when in a superior position

1. Fool the Emperor to Cross the Sea
2. Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao
3. Kill with a Borrowed Sword
4. Await the Exhausted Enemy at Your Ease
5. Loot a Burning House
6. Clamor in the East, Attack in the West

36ji I. 6.

Clamor in the East, Attack in the West

In any battle the element of surprise can provide an overwhelming advantage. Even when face to face with an enemy, surprise can still be employed by attacking where he least expects it. To do this you must create an expectation in the enemy's mind through the use of a feint.

Song Dynasty China

Once there was an official who was transferred to the capital. The front part of the inn where he stayed was a teahouse, and across the street was a shop that sold expensive dyed silks. Whenever he had nothing to do, he would sit at a table watching the people and activity on the street. One day he noticed with surprise that several suspicious looking characters were walking back and forth observing the silk shop with great interest. One of them came up to his table and whispered: "We're in the robbery business and we're here to steal those fine silks. Since you noticed us I came to ask you not to mention it."

"That has nothing to do with me," the official replied. "Why should I say anything about it?"

The fellow thanked him and left him. The official thought to himself: 'the silk shop has its wares openly displayed on a busy street. In broad daylight, with a thousand eyes watching, if they have the skill to steal those silks, then they must be smart thieves indeed.' So he watched carefully to see how they would manage it. But what he saw was only the same people walking back and forth in front of the silk shop. Sometimes they gathered on the left, sometimes on the right. The official sat watching until after sunset when everyone had gone and the shop had closed. "Those fools." said the official to himself. "They were putting one over on me." When he returned to his room to order some food, he discovered that all his belongings were gone.

Verstappen

« Bruit à l'est ; attaque à l'ouest »

Induit en erreur le commandement adverse
et sème le doute dans ses rangs.

Le commandement ennemi est désorienté et perd sa sobriété, avec le symbole du lac en haut et la terre en bas, signifiant que l'eau de la rivière est prête à inonder la rive.*

A la guerre, on peut obtenir l'effet de surprise aussi bien par la tromperie que par la rapidité de mouvement des troupes. Un proverbe chinois dit : « il n'y a jamais trop de ruse durant la guerre ». Cependant, cette stratégie avertit qu'il faut s'assurer du manque de jugement de l'ennemi avant de faire des feintes de mouvement pour le tromper. Un commandant avec une bonne présence d'esprit connaît ses forces et ses faiblesses, il déploie donc ses troupes en conséquence ; il n'est ainsi pas susceptible d'être dupé par les mouvements trompeurs de l'ennemi. Il peut même feindre d'être trompé et retourner ainsi les ruses de l'ennemi contre lui. Par conséquence, quand on veut tromper l'ennemi, il faut avoir à l'esprit de semer la confusion chez lui. Ainsi Sun Zi observe « Dans le passé, ceux qui avaient l'art de diriger les opérations de guerre s'assuraient d'abord d'être invincibles et ensuite attendaient une occasion de battre l'ennemi ».

Cf. Sun Zi Bingfa VI

* D'après le texte de l'hexagramme n°45 du Yi Jing, Cui (rassembler)... Ainsi une foule de forces qui sont réunies pour défendre une ville doit avoir un commandement uni de façon à pouvoir soutenir le siège de l'ennemi. S'ils deviennent divisés dans leurs opinion ou hésitants quant à leurs arguments, la situation deviendra incontrôlable.

Doc Mac Jr

[Xref] Strategy 6 quotes I Ching hexagram 45
gbog – Yijing 45 – 2005/12/02
36 Ji I. 6. (6) IntroductionTable of content
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AliasThirty-Six Strategies, Thirty-Six Stratagems, Secret Art of War, Les 36 stratagèmes, Les Trente-six stratégies

The Book of Odes, The Analects, Great Learning, Doctrine of the Mean, Three-characters book, The Book of Changes, The Way and its Power, 300 Tang Poems, The Art of War, Thirty-Six Strategies
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