Episode 06 The Ji and Zheng

07/21/19 • 8 min

In Chinese, zheng refers to something that is fundamental; while ji means something odd or extraordinary. Sun Tzu believed that to be successful in war, there needs to be a balance between these two.

In Chinese, zheng refers to something that is fundamental; while ji means something odd or extraordinary. Sun Tzu believed that to be successful in war, there needs to be a balance between these two.

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Episode 05 The Strategies of War

The best approach is to go after the opponent’s strategy and defuse their initiative to fight; the second-best course of action is to work for a diplomatic victory; physical confrontation is fine in the absence of smarter solutions; but siege warfare should only be the last resort.

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Episode 07 The Xu and Shi

A commander must shape his army like water. Water shuns the high rocks and flows in the shallow valleys. Like water, a commander must direct his army away from the enemy’s strong points and strike at their weaknesses. Water takes various shapes according to the terrain; an army must adapt its strategies according to its enemy.