ATTACK WHERE HE IS UNPREPARED; SALLY OUT WHEN HE DOES NOT EXPECT YOU. SUN TZU

Attack where he is unprepared; sally out when he does not expect you. Sun Tzu

I have already discussed the importance of not disclosing your strategy to your enemy so that he has to expend his energy in many different areas. This causes him to waste vast amounts of energy either defending against nonexistent threats or planning to attack you in the wrong places, and gives you an advantage both mentally and strategically.

Using secrecy in this way gives you the upper hand against your enemy, and it provides you with an opportunity that I haven’t discussed yet – the element of surprise.

If you are watchful and pay attention to what defensive strategies your enemy is putting in place, this opens the door for you to attack in the places which he has left weak or defenseless. It is almost impossible for someone to defend every area at once.

There will be some weak spots in your enemy’s strategy; this is where you want to attack. Not only do you want to attack your enemy’s weak points, but you want to do it as soon as possible so he does not have time to catch his mistake and make the appropriate adjustments.

This is what Sun Tzu meant by “sally out.” The term sally means to rush or spring out suddenly. By doing this, you take your enemy by surprise and catch him off guard. The element of surprise is a formidable weapon. It doesn’t matter how prepared your enemy is for a frontal assault if your attack comes from the rear.

For this reason, flexibility is very important when it comes to your strategy. Don’t lock yourself into one game plan. If you see an opening, be prepared to change your strategy to take advantage of it. Bohdi Sanders ~ excerpt from Defensive Living