What you want to fight for and what you want to get out of it
The best way to fight, as described in the Art of War by Sun Tzu, was to “win without fighting.” The one who wins may be good at the time, but he will surely suffer losses in repeated battles, such as losing his own soldiers, running out of food, and destroying the land. On the other hand, the loser will be frustrated and look for an opportunity to take revenge, and in any case, in the long run, battles involve sacrifices on both sides and a negative chain of events. To avoid this, it is necessary to have useful information to formulate efficient strategies, which is why Japan has created the “ninja,” professionals who gather information.
In ninja terms, omitting battles is “strategy,” so you may feel more relaxed if you think of it as devising ways to “not lose” without being obsessed with winning. Not getting into the same ring is another option to conserve your energy and stamina. Another strategy is to take a different approach from a head-on collision, such as （1）focusing on what you can do at this moment (i.e., improving your skills), （2）shifting the timing with your opponents (i.e.,taking a moment to pause), or (3)daring to make a choice that others would not complete (i.e., changing the concept of winning). By changing your perspective in this way, your choices will expand from unexpected discoveries, and you may be the one who benefits in the end.
If the game is unavoidable, research your opponent thoroughly and think carefully about the purpose of the fight and what you want to gain from the victory. Do you simply want to win, do you want to get results and be recognized by others, what is it that you want to get, or do you want to make someone else happy? If your purpose is that clear, your actions will be more concrete, and you will be able to focus on what you can do at that moment.
By the way, the ninja’s supreme mission was to “survive,” so if it looked like they were going to have a fight, they just ran away! There is even a perception that much of ninjutsu was intended to buy time to escape. When they don’t use force, they use wisdom. And in the end, this will lead to making the most of not only yourself but also others.
