SUN TZU TEACHINGS APPLIED TO FOOTBALL

[DumCoach]

Many famous football coaches have Sun  Tzu's book (THE ART OF WAR) on their desk.

Why the moral is 4 to 1 over the physical:

Master Sun Tzu has given us the formula for a victorious general and army, that can ALSO be applied in coaching FOOTBALL::

MOST IMPORTANT:  "If you say which ruler possesses moral influence"

Sun Tzu defines moral influence as "that which causes the people to be in harmony with their leaders, so that they will accompany them in life and unto death without fear of mortal peril." In the context of the FOOTBALL, it's a question of whether the team has bought into a coach, his scheme, and his style, so that they will go where he leads them. We have seen this happen over the years with coaches who quickly created a team that will follow him through fire if they can.



In the context of a war, this moral influence refers to the principle of "fighting as one man" (tong-xin). By this Sun Tzu meant that generals and soldiers share the same goals and difficulties. He wrote:

Troops directed by a skillful general are comparable to the Shuai Ran. The Shuai Ran is a snake found in Mount Heng. Strike at its head, and you will be attacked by its tail; strike at its tail, and you will be attacked by its head; strike at its middle, and you will be attacked by both its head and its tail.... The principle of military administration is to achieve a uniform level of courage.

To achieve this goal, Sun Tzu emphasized one important principle: If a general treats his soldiers as his own beloved sons, they will stand by him until death. Many Chinese generals paid attention to this advice. Qi Ji-guang, a general in the Ming Dynasty, once said, "Although soldiers are not very smart, they are most easily moved." Because the majority of soldiers were peasants, they could be easily motivated by a little care from their generals. The famous general Yue Fei of the Song Dynasty, for example, personally prepared medicine for his soldiers.

In an extremely competitive game of Football, coaches should endeavor to formulate a common  team goal to be shared by all the members, so that all on the team come to view themselves as members of the group crossing the river in the same boat. They would more likely consider team affairs as their own and be willing to make personal sacrifices when needed. Only in this way can a team survive fierce competition and make full use of its competitive advantage. As Sun Tzu said, "He whose ranks are united in purpose will win."

[DumCoach]

"Know your enemy as you know yourself and in a hundred battles you will never be in peril" -Sun Tzu-

[DumCoach]

paraphrase here: "win the battle with out fighting"  as it pertains to football the reputation of a team can intimidate the other before even getting on the field.  If the oppositions knows they are in for a long day you won with out having to run a play

[DumCoach]

I always liked "once you cross a river get far away from it"....I always took that as once a victory is imminent, run out the clock and go home.

[DumCoach]

Excellent interpretations!

PS:  Napoleon contributed this quote to Sun Tzu:
"Even in war, moral power is to physical as three parts out of four".

Chapter Summary ("THE ART OF WAR" by Sun Tzu):

   1. Laying Plans/The Calculations explores the five fundamental factors that define a successful outcome (the Way, seasons, terrain, leadership, and management). By thinking, assessing and comparing these points you can calculate a victory, deviation from them will ensure failure. Remember that war is a very grave matter of state.
   2. Waging War/The Challenge explains how to understand the economy of war and how success requires making the winning play, which in turn, requires limiting the cost of competition and conflict.
   3. Attack by Stratagem/The Plan of Attack defines the source of strength as unity, not size, and the five ingredients that you need to succeed in any war.
   4. Tactical Dispositions/Positioning explains the importance of defending existing positions until you can advance them and how you must recognize opportunities, not try to create them.
   5. Energy/Directing explains the use of creativity and timing in building your momentum.
   6. Weak Points & Strong/Illusion and Reality explains how your opportunities come from the openings in the environment caused by the relative weakness of your enemy in a given area.
   7. Maneuvering/Engaging The Force explains the dangers of direct conflict and how to win those confrontations when they are forced upon you.
   8. Variation in Tactics/The Nine Variations focuses on the need for flexibility in your responses. It explains how to respond to shifting circumstances successfully.
   9. The Army on the March/Moving The Force describes the different situations in which you find yourselves as you move into new enemy territories and how to respond to them. Much of it focuses on evaluating the intentions of others.
  10. Terrain/Situational Positioning looks at the three general areas of resistance (distance, dangers, and barriers) and the six types of ground positions that arise from them. Each of these six field positions offer certain advantages and disadvantages.
  11. The Nine Situations describe nine common situations (or stages) in a campaign, from scattering to deadly, and the specific focus you need to successfully navigate each of them.
  12. The Attack by Fire/Fiery Attack explains the use of weapons generally and the use of the environment as a weapon specifically. It examines the five targets for attack, the five types of environmental attack, and the appropriate responses to such attack.
  13. The Use of Spies/The Use of Intelligence focuses on the importance of developing good information sources, specifically the five types of sources and how to manage them.

[tigerscoach]

If we attack our many against his few, the enemy will be in dire straits.
The place of battle must not be made known to the enemy.
If it is not known, then the enemy must prepare to defend many places.

Misdirection and more players at the point of attack....................

[33coach]

5: strategic military power

   what enable the masses of the "Three Armies" invariably to withstand the enemy without being defeated are the unorthodox (ch'i) and the orthodox (cheng)
   if wherever the army attacks, it is like a whetstone thrown against an egg, it is due to a vacuous and the substancial
   In general, in batter one engages with the orthodox and gains victory through the unorthodox, thus, one who excels in sending forth the unorthodox is as inexhaustible as heaven, and as unlimited as the Yangtze and Yellow rivers.

[33coach]

another,
this is not from the Art of war, but another aciant text.

"the king of Wu, asked sun Wu; "The enemy is courageous and unafraid, arrogant and reckless. His Soldires are numerous and strong.... what do we do??"

"Sun wu replied;"......" do not look at their forward motion nor look back at their rearward movment but strike them in the middle even though they are numerous they can be taken."