The Art of War, Week #6 [Period 3, Monday]

[atreideslioness]

"Today we are going to discuss the breaking-down of tactics and use of energy," Ghanima announced briskly. "Energy, to Tzu, was vital in the directing of a force, as was the endless combination of tactics at his disposal."


"First, tactics are not always as straight forward as they may seem." She turned away from them and quickly wrote out on the board;

10. In battle, there are not more than two methods
of attack--the direct and the indirect; yet these two
in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers.

11. The direct and the indirect lead on to each other in turn.
It is like moving in a circle--you never come to an end.
Who can exhaust the possibilities of their combination?

"Endless permutations, all made possible by the energy held by your troops." Ghanima continued to write, her slanted scrawl quickly filling the board as she spoke.  "The limits only created by your own lack of imagination, and the strengths and weaknesses of your force."

21. The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined
energy, and does not require too much from individuals.
Hence his ability to pick out the right men and utilize
combined energy.

22. When he utilizes combined energy, his fighting
men become as it were like unto rolling logs or stones.
For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain
motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope;
if four-cornered, to come to a standstill, but if
round-shaped, to go rolling down.

23. Thus the energy developed by good fighting men
is as the momentum of a round stone rolled down a mountain
thousands of feet in height. So much on the subject of energy.

"So. Energy feeding into tactics, and vice versa. What is an indirect tactic versus a direct one? How do you know?  How does 'energy' work into it all?"

"Discuss."


[OOC: OCD GOOD!  Go forth!]

Comments

Sign-In #6

[atreideslioness]

Energetically!

Re: Sign-In #6

[im-afrog.livejournal.com]

Adam Park

During the Lecture

[atreideslioness]

Take notes, pass notes, nap; just don't let the teacher catch you.

Re: During the Lecture

[notyourpawn.livejournal.com]

Indirect, direct; it all seemed like a dance. Alice was taking diligent notes.

Re: During the Lecture

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

For a moment, Lee found himself wondering how his father was able to manage all this knowledge. It was just a moment before he squashed it and went back to scribbling notes.

Re: During the Lecture

[intraspective]

Ino? Was taking notes. A lot of them.

Re: During the Lecture

[weetuskenraider]

If Tahiri looked a little too intent on listening to the lecture today, it was because it took effort for her to focus on it. Tactics were the sort of thing she felt like she should leave to other people, but, well, she knew she might have to lead a team herself someday.

Force, if you used the people she hung out with back home as a standard, she was way behind the curve agewise.

So listening and notetaking it was.

Re: During the Lecture

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

Ella took careful notes, thinking she should send a letter to Char about this class.

Re: During the Lecture

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Liir was listening, though it all sounded like his magical work so he was a bit confused.

Re: During the Lecture

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

Agnes took careful notes. Of course, as a witch, she was probably supposed to stick mostly to indirect methods, but she was also supposed to not let herself be bound by what she was supposed to do...

Re: During the Lecture

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

Savannah was taking notes on everything that was said... and she was adding thoughts or questions as they popped into her head.

Discussion: Indirect Tactics

[atreideslioness]

What could be considered an indirect tactic in combat? What about in business or a personal relationship? List some of the ones you think up here, and discuss as a group.

Re: Discussion: Indirect Tactics

[notyourpawn.livejournal.com]

Alice raised her hand. "Would psychological tactics be indirect?" she asked. "Ways of intimidating your opponent, covert and subtle, but damaging nonetheless."

Re: Discussion: Indirect Tactics

[momslilassassin]

"Where would covert ops fall?" Ben asked. "You're not exactly charging up to any enemy with weapons bared. If you do it right, no one even knows you were there."

Re: Discussion: Indirect Tactics

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Would working through others be considered indirect? Making others do the, er, dirty work so to speak?"

Re: Discussion: Indirect Tactics

[solo_sword]

"Would propaganda count?" Jaina asked. "It's outright saying what is or isn't and might be a direct lie, but it only really works if they choose to believe it."

Re: Discussion: Indirect Tactics

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

"I know someone who's very good at what she calls 'headology'," Agnes contributed. "It's sort of... It LOOKS like a direct attack, but it's really just a trick. And it only works because people are stupid."

Discussion: Direct Tactics

[atreideslioness]

What could be considered direct tactic in combat? What about in business or a personal relationship? List some of the ones you think up here, and discuss as a group.

Re: Discussion: Direct Tactics

[intraspective]

"A head-on attack," she said dryly. "It's pretty hard to mistake that as anything but direct."

Though it could be used as a cover for a more indirect attack.

Re: Discussion: Direct Tactics

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"What about diplomacy?" Ella asked. "Sitting down with your enemy and honestly discussing what each of you wants seems direct to me."

Re: Discussion: Direct Tactics

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Killing an important state official would be rather, er, direct."

Discussion: Energy

[atreideslioness]

Tzu says, "Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of a trigger."

Do you agree with that? Why or why not? How do you visualize energy?

Re: Discussion: Energy

[notyourpawn.livejournal.com]

"A glow," Alice said thoughtfully. "It surrounds you. It tingles in every bit of your skin and throughout you, where you're waiting and storing it up, looking for the perfect moment to lash out."

Talk to the TA

[atreideslioness]

If he's around

Re: Talk to the TA

[raspberryturk]

Reno was there. His eyes were open and everything.

Even if it looked more like he was standing guard today than his usual slouch against his desk.

Talk to Ghanima

[atreideslioness]

She's around, as usual.

OOC

[atreideslioness]

The TA kept the world from ending over the weekend, let's leave it that way, k?