SunZi and 36 Strategies Combined

Learning is about integrating from pieces of knowledge that we read. (See Learning about Learning from Ancient Chinese).

So here is an attempt to integrate the 36 Strategies (See 12 Success Principles from Chinese 36-Strategies) to SunZi Arts of War ( See Sun Zi Art of War (Sun Tzu) in One Minute).

I will just combine the 36-Strategies with SunZi's Strategies as given in Sun Zi Art of War-5: The Principles for Good Strategies.

The benefits we gained is that while Sun Zi Arts of War cover a much broader area of warfare then 36-Strategies, 36-Strategies give us a more refined and pictorial view of the strategies.

The mind-map below gives the details.

Let's take an example, the first grouping of 3 36-Strategies under "Able but Shows Unable".

Sun Zi did not tell us how to do that - "able but shows unable".
36-Strategies #07 Tells us to bring something out of nothing. This means we don't show any sign of what we are doing and then surprise them suddenly with what we have developed.

#29 "Flowers on Tree that never grow flower" tells us to do some breakthrough thing that was thought to be impossible before.

#32 Empty Castle tells us we could do the opposite - unable but shows able. Hence open the castle door wide to invite the enemy attack as if we have many soldiers to kill off the enemy where we actually has very few.

Lim Liat copyrighted 14 May 2011