The Way of Strategy

WHAT THE WAY OF STRATEGY IS

The Way is a specific, deliberately sustained methodology. The ancient masters must be studied constantly, without respite—even when a practitioner believes he has grasped the knowledge. A warrior is responsible for his own weapons just as a craftsman is responsible for his own tools: good results are impossible without the necessary respect for one’s instruments. Time must be devoted to training, practicing, and maintaining one’s weapons, however gifted a man may be. Each aspect of the craft must be examined over and over again, without concern for time or energy spent, whether physical or mental. Only then can the weapon become the soul of the samurai.

Deep engagement with the craft reveals what is meant by “the spirit of the thing.” That spirit guides a warrior to his own greatness, but it cannot be approached with a demand for immediate gratification. The Universe does not work that way, nor could it and still expect perfection to emerge. Permit the spirit to permeate your being, and it will use you as its instrument. When a warrior truly understands his chosen weapons and cares for them as part of himself, he gains self-assurance. He may then become a commander. A craftsman likewise must understand the spirit of his tools and care for them as his own self, melding with them to become the end product.

A warrior must be proficient in all the tools of his trade. He should understand the functions of every weapon and all aspects of military organization. A lancer should understand the sword, a kempoist should understand jujitsu technique, and a doctor should know carpentry—how else can one meet the unexpected without understanding how an opponent’s weapons work? Constant study of every facet of the warrior’s craft is essential to grasping the true value of one’s own skills. This is what the ancients meant by “thinking deeply about things.” And such study must extend beyond the warrior’s immediate tools. A man cannot understand the perfections and imperfections of his chosen art if he cannot see the value in other arts. Following rules only develops technique up to a point; to advance further one must seek other knowledge. To learn the sword, study the guitar. To learn the fist, study commerce. To study only the sword narrows the mind and prevents outward growth.

Technique alone is never the end of an art. Those who excel in outward technique, no matter the art, are not necessarily able to teach its true meaning. Teachers who lack understanding of the inner and outer worlds of their art mislead students who mistake flashy performance for mastery. Only a constant search from within, based on one’s own life, can reveal the truth—it is an entirely personal matter. Commercialism does nothing to enhance that reality, though it may point a person to the start of the path. In our society there are four classes—samurai, farmers, artisans, and merchants—each fulfilling necessary functions and capable of achieving perfection by its own means. Yet the warrior class lives a higher ideal, and it serves no one to confuse profit with profitability. Selling oneself on the superficial design of a school symbol is an injustice to students and bad karma, for it fools the unknowing into equating skill with surface appearance. The “spirit of the thing itself” cannot be deceived.

Do not fall into the error of finishing one part of a job without planning its continuation. If you construct a desk, you must plan for drawers, knobs, and every detail; otherwise the work may appear pleasing on its surface but will in reality be disharmonious with the Universe. Masters always plan for contingency, even when they appear to be improvising. A seemingly impromptu presentation is valid only when the teacher has devoted adequate study and preparation, allowing him to deliver the knowledge in proper sequence. A master achieves the Way by being completely devoted to the art, while the art itself reveals its true identity only when the “spirit of the thing” feels comfortable with the warrior as its vehicle.

If you wish to learn this Way of strategy, you must do sufficient research and study. That means devoting yourself to these ideas to the degree that you feel you will have accomplished what you set out to accomplish. The level of commitment you give will indicate to the Way what it should reveal of itself to you. I knew what I was going to do when I began this book, and my steadfast devotion permitted the “spirit of the thing itself” to produce the results.