Sun Tzu "The Art of War"

[Alan Armstrong]

Sun Tzu (the great Chinese general and strategists) wrote "The Art of War" some 2000 years ago.

Still relevent today, his writings are important if it involves any type of strategy.

Chinese martial artists draw from his infinite wisdom.

Bruce Lee's water analogy with martial arts is an adaptation of Sun Tzu's writings.

"To win without fighting" is another insightful comment from Sun Tzu.

Bruce Lee, quote, "The Art of Fighting without Fighting"

Real gorilla warfare battles have been won due to Sun Tzu's time less wisdom.

One on one confrontations can benefit from using and understanding Sun Tzu's writings, all it takes is a little imagination.

Is Sun Tzu relevant to you as a martial artist?

[bushido_man96]

I've read him. I enjoyed the text, and its probably time to reread that little gem.

[Alan Armstrong]

Sun Tzu wrote "Appear where they cannot go, head for where they least expect you"

I was told a story by a soldier, that reminded me of Sun Tzu.

During the Vietnam war. US troops were assigned to set up a base on a very isolated and difficult to reach location.

Access to this location was only possible on foot. Therefore to set up any type of heavy weaponry there was out of the question for the Vietnamese.

As the US troops had an airlift advantage for this location they took it.

When the US troops were confident and comfortable that they have secured the location, the unthinkable happened.

The US troops were ambushed and totally annihilated.

The Vietnamese caught the US troops unprepared while unpacking their equipment.

This unprecedented defeat changed US military thinking strategies forever; now taught at "West Point" Sun Tzu the Chinese warrior philosophy was incorporate in to American military strategies forever from that point on.

How did the Vietcong defeated the US troops?

The Vietcong dismantled their military equipment and brought it to this inaccessible location piece by piece, bolt by bolt, on foot and reassembled it on site.

Sun Tzu's writings applies to conflict on every level from interpersonal to international.

Martial Arts is "The Art of War"

[DWx]

Alan you might be interested in a book called Lessons in The Art of War. It compares Eastern strategies (Sun Tzu) to Western strategies (Von Clausewitz) and how they can be applied today.

I did a review of it here:

http://www.karateforums.com/lessons-in-the-art-of-war-by-martina-sprague-book-review-vt47761.html

[sensei8]

Is Sun Tzu relevant to you as a martial artist?

Imho...yes, it is! Why? Anything that can help a MAist while on the battlefield, and trust me, each time one has to defend themselves, they're on a battlefield of some type, and any help or advice or whatever it is to you, should be considered and not just cast away like some ill wanted piece of bread.

Me too, Brian, believe that it's time to pick that book of a gem once again.

Danielle, your review of that book is one of my most favorite because it too is something that should be considered and not just cast away as gibberish, because it's the furthest thing from gibberish.

Imho!

[tallgeese]

Sun Tzu (the great Chinese general and strategists) wrote "The Art of War" some 2000 years ago.

Still relevent today, his writings are important if it involves any type of strategy.

Chinese martial artists draw from his infinite wisdom.

Bruce Lee's water analogy with martial arts is an adaptation of Sun Tzu's writings.

"To win without fighting" is another insightful comment from Sun Tzu.

Bruce Lee, quote, "The Art of Fighting without Fighting"

Real gorilla warfare battles have been won due to Sun Tzu's time less wisdom.

One on one confrontations can benefit from using and understanding Sun Tzu's writings, all it takes is a little imagination.

Is Sun Tzu relevant to you as a martial artist?

The concepts are forever relevant. Strategy is something that has been translated to many mission specific texts that have taken the wisdom that our elders accumulated and translated it to more exact parameters.

It's not to say that we shouldn't read the Art of War. It, and texts like it, are the foundation of where our current knowledge was built. That said, weapons and capabilities evolve so specific, more current, texts are important as well.

[Alan Armstrong]

The art of war, by Sun Zu, audio book.

Helpful to those that have the time to listen but not to read, such as when working out alone among other things.

Happy listening!

[MatsuShinshii]

Great book, great strategies.

[Alan Armstrong]

Alan you might be interested in a book called Lessons in The Art of War. It compares Eastern strategies (Sun Tzu) to Western strategies (Von Clausewitz) and how they can be applied today.

I did a review of it here:

http://www.karateforums.com/lessons-in-the-art-of-war-by-martina-sprague-book-review-vt47761.html

Here are Von Clausewitz books in audio format, each one is approximately 10 hours long.

pt1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o96xvCiAweM

pt2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBdrz_qCqZ0

pt3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0W4vweG46E

[LLLEARNER]

Sun Tzu wrote "Appear where they cannot go, head for where they least expect you"

I used this successfully when I played paintball a lot.