The Strategist Sun Zi And The Intelligent Martial Arts
The military strategist Sun Zi continues to inspire many great leaders today, not only in combat but also in politics and business. His book The Art of War has guided strategists through all time because of its universal validity and its sound advice.
One of the most interesting things about Sun Zi’s work is the fact that he turned the battle into an intelligent act, instead of just being about brutal force. In fact, one of the great maxims of this work is that the best battle is the one that never takes place. The principle shares largely the same tradition as some martial arts, as they are also based on that principle.
The strategist Sun Zi is an enigmatic character but there is not much information about him. In fact, some people question his existence and think that the name is just a pseudonym adopted by various warriors. But at least for the time being, most people consider this character historically accepted.
The origin of the strategist Sun Zi
Sun Tzu was born in China, probably in the year 544 BC. He lived contemporary with the famous philosopher Confucius. This was a troubled era, one marked by divisions and internal power struggles. Nevertheless, philosophical thinking was highly valued during this time period. This is probably the reason why his dissertation, a work for intellectuals, is extremely lasting.
According to some researchers, the strategist was born in the Chinese state of Qi and came from a family with high-ranking military representatives. He must have learned the art of war from his grandfather. This was during the Zhou Dynasty when there was a constant struggle between different kingdoms in China, which meant that there was no centralized unity.
Historians believe that Sun Zi may have moved to the south of the country in 517 BC, and that he settled in the state of Wu, where under the command of General King Hu Lu. This period of history is known as “the warring kingdoms”, during the so-called spring and autumn period in China.
A successful master
Sun Zi had his own philosophy before the war and soon began to apply it with great success. He defeated powerful armies thanks to his enormous strategic skills . This commander showed that a victory does not depend entirely on the size of an army or the number of resources available, but is something that can be achieved through strategic superiority.
This strategist’s approach revolves around the idea that martial arts are an art of deceiving one’s opponent. To succeed, you must basically know the enemy as well as you know yourself. Basically, it means knowing what the opponent is thinking and predicting his actions in order to take advantage of it to their detriment.
An interesting aspect of Sun Zi’s dissertation is that it is in some ways designed for the disadvantaged. Similarly, the purpose of each battle is to cause the least possible damage and loss. As we mention above, it is ideal for a warrior to handle conflicts in such a way that he will not have to fight.
The legacy of Sun Zi
The art of war consists of 13 chapters and is full of aphorisms. At first it was a secret text that only men in positions of power could access. In fact , an old version of this text was also found in 1972 during an excavation.
This was a version that someone had written down on bamboo sticks, however, this was not the same version that was already popular around the world. Sun Zi’s ideas began to be applied first in China and then in Japan. In 1772, the French Jesuit Jean Joseph Marie Amiot translated the work into French, and then Lionel Giles translated it into English in 1910.
After this work reached the West, it became a favorite among many leaders. Historians believe that Napoleon used the work as a reference and that it helped Vietnam win the war against the United States.
Over time, this book has gained importance not only among the military but also among politicians and businessmen. Scientists know very little about Sun Zi but believe that he died in 496 BC. But they have no other details about his life.
