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Urgent Battles

Disciplines > Warfare > The Six Secret Teachings > 4.3 Urgent Battles

Teaching set  | Observed lessons | Discussion | See also

Teaching set

Tiger Secret Teachings 4.3 (33)

Observed lessons

• Troops which are surrounded will likely fight to the death. This makes them dangerous, which can be an asset.
• Do not fix your attack in one place. Go to the front, back, left and right.

Discussion

When surrounded, soldiers will either surrender or fight. If they fight, they are desperate and will already have assumed that they will probably die. If they have not given in, they will fight with enormous energy and determination. This can be useful when you want your troops to fight hard. Send them into a situation where they have little chance of surviving and they may well surprise the enemy with their determination and fierceness, and hence may be more effective than if they were fighting on equal terms.

By varying where you attack, you keep the enemy uncertain and disorganized as they do not where to place their best troops.

See also

Encirclement

Sawyer, R.D. (1993). The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China, Basic Books