PART 6 - DESPERATE STRATEGIES 31 to 36

36 STRATEGIES OF ANCIENT CHINA - SAN GUO YAN YI



"The Thirty-Six Strategies" is a a Chinese collection of 36 proverbs commented as militaristic tactics.

Often attributed to Sun Tzu, this is generally rejected by scholars since Sun Tzu lived during the Spring and Autumn Period of China, while most of the 36 proverbs postdate that. It is believed by many to have been written by Zhuge Liang of the Three Kingdoms period.

These strategies are traps and counter traps and if all else fail, it is better to run away and fight on another day.



Chapter 6 - Defeat Strategies Desperate Straits



• Strategy 31 "美人计" – ( Mei Ren Ji) The beauty trap. (The tender trap, use a woman to ensnare a man.)


o Send your enemy beautiful women to cause discord within his camp. This strategy can work on three levels. First, the ruler becomes so enamored with the beauty that he neglects his duties and allows his vigilance to wane. Second, other males at court will begin to display aggressive behavior that inflames minor differences hindering co-operation and destroying morale. Third, other females at court, motivated by jealousy and envy, begin to plot intrigues further exacberating the situation.


• Strategy 32 "空城计" – (Kong Cheng Ji) Empty fort. (Mental trap, empty a fort to make enemy think it is filled with traps.)


o When the enemy is superior in numbers and your situation is such that you expect to be overrun at any moment, then drop all pretence of military preparedness and act casually. Unless the enemy has an accurate description of your situation this unusual behavior will arouse suspicions. With luck he will be dissuaded from attacking.


• Strategy 33 "反间计" – ( Fan Jian Ji) Let the enemy's spy sow discord in the enemy camp. (Use enemy's own spy to spread false information.)


o Undermine your enemy's ability to fight by allowing enemy's spy to remain within your ranks,while you feed false information causing enemy discord with his friends, allies, advisors, family, commanders, soldiers, and population. Preoccupied settling internal disputes, your enemy's ability to attack or defend is compromised and your control of him is increased.


• Strategy 34 "苦肉计" – (Ku Ruo Ji) Inflict injury on one's self to win the enemy's trust. (Fall into a trap; become baited.)


o Pretending to be injured has two possible applications. In the first, the enemy is lulled into relaxing his guard since he no longer considers you to be an immediate threat. The second is a way of ingratiating yourself to your enemy by pretending the injury was caused by a mutual enemy.


• Strategy 35 "连环计" – (Lian Huan Ji) Chain together the enemy's ships. (Never rely on but a single strategy.)


o In important matters one should use several strategies applied simultaneously. Keep different plans operating in an overall scheme; in this manner if any one strategy fails you would still have several others to fall back on.


• The 36th strategy "走为上" – (Zuo Wei Shang) Run away to fight another day.


o If it becomes obvious that your current course of action will lead to defeat then retreat and regroup. When your side is losing there are only three choices remaining: surrender, compromise, or escape. Surrender is complete defeat, compromise is half defeat, but escape is not defeat. As long as you are not defeated, you still have a chance.