Lessons in the Art of War. Martina Sprague

      Please note that the publisher and author of this book are NOT RESPONSIBLE in any manner whatsoever for any injury that may result from practicing the techniques and/or following the instructions given within. Martial arts training can be dangerous—both to you and to others—if not practiced safely. If you’re in doubt as to how to proceed or whether your practice is safe, consult with a trained martial arts teacher before beginning. Since the physical activities described herein may be too strenuous in nature for some readers, it is also essential that a physician be consulted prior to training.

      Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

       www.tuttlepublishing.com

      Copyright © 2011 Martina Sprague

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Sprague, Martina.

      Lessons in the art of war : martial arts strategies from East and West/Martina

      Sprague. -- 1st ed.

      p. cm.

      Includes bibliographical references.

      ISBN: 978-1-4629-0017-6 (ebook)

      1. Military art and science--Philosophy. 2. Sunzi, 6th cent. B.C. 3. Clausewitz, Carl von, 1780-1831. 4. Strategy. 5. East and West. 6. Martial arts--Philosophy. 7. Combat. 8. Military readiness. I. Title.

       U21.2.S67 2011

       355.02--dc22

       2010053840

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      Printed in Singapore

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      AN INTRODUCTION

       TO ASIAN AND WESTERN

       MILITARY THOUGHT

      “Warfare is the greatest affair of state, the basis of life and death, the Way to survival or extinction.”

      — Sun Tzu

      “War is the continuation of policy by other means. It is not only a political act, but also a true political instrument.”

      — Carl von Clausewitz

      The martial arts have a long tradition emphasizing the wisdom of Asian philosophers, such as Sun Tzu¹ and Miyamoto Musashi, who owe much of their longevity to their use of universal principles for fighting. Sun Tzu, in the Art of War which might be the most widely studied of the Asian military treatises, did not speak of a mutually agreed upon code of conduct in battle but assessed the terrain, weather, and leadership to determine if the conditions favored military success. Although his battle philosophy emphasized quick victory, tactics of trickery and deception were elevated and described as virtues of great generals. Relatively little is known about Sun Tzu, but it is believed that he was a military strategist during China’s turbulent Eastern Zhou Dynasty (c. 770-256 BCE). However, it is also possible that he was merely a writer who demonstrated an exceptionally pragmatic approach to warfare. According to some scholars, Sun Tzu’s habit of prefacing many of his sayings with the phrase, “In ancient times,” is an indication of the timeless nature of his ideas.²

      The Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi (c. 1584-c. 1645 CE), in Book of Five Rings, likewise viewed warfare as a pragmatic undertaking which purpose it was to defeat the enemy by killing him. A warrior taking up the sword to strike a fatal blow was expected to display an attitude of earnest intent.³ Miyamoto Musashi followed a set of “natural” (scientific) principles and attributed his victories to proper understanding of these principles; one of which was the ability to stop an attack at the outset in order to stifle an opponent’s speed and power (in sword fighting, for example, by blocking and redirecting the opponent’s sword before the blow has fallen through the apex; in empty hand fighting, by jamming an opponent’s kick at the chamber before his leg is fully extended).

      The most prominent military thinker in the West was Carl von Clausewitz, an early nineteenth century Prussian soldier and strategist. Clausewitz presented his ideas as timeless and consistent theory of conflict. Like the Asian philosophers, he sought to uncover a universal nature of combat while illustrating his principles through the use of specific examples.⁴ At the heart of his theory is the theme that combat is talked about in one way and exercised in another. He was foremost a practical soldier over a theoretician and had spent most of his life participating in warfare in one way or another. His varied career and experiences—he served in several positions including soldiering, staff officer, and educator of military personnel—and the fact that the national state in Prussia was militarized quickly and performed reasonably well in war, most certainly influenced his ideas. He was also affected by the Napoleonic Wars (c. 1803-1815 CE), where the constant aim seemed to be to occupy and subjugate the enemy country and destroy its armies. However, Clausewitz’s ideas were not new. Three centuries earlier, Florentine statesman Niccolo Machiavelli had stressed that the aim of war was to achieve military superiority over other states, thereby avoiding becoming their victims. As a matter of survival, a state that waged war successfully could count on continued existence.

      The purpose of this book is to compare and contrast Sun Tzu’s and Carl von Clausewitz’s theories of conflict and relate their findings to the development of the martial arts in the East and West. However, before embarking on a journey to discover how Asia’s and Europe’s historical views on tactics and strategy have affected the development of the combat arts, it is prudent to offer an overview (albeit a brief one) of the military histories of the respective regions and the origins of the ancient texts. China has a long dynastic history of rise and fall. China emphasized civilian supremacy over the military, and the

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