Tiger on the mountain

Lure the tiger off its mountain lair[edit]

• (調虎離山／调虎离山, Diào hǔ lí shān)
• Never directly attack an opponent whose advantage is derived from its position. Instead lure him away from his position thus separating him from his source of strength.

Well I can't think of anyone that I care to attack. However, I have made it a point in my life to put myself in awkward situations. To Challenge myself and try to see people's point of view who I don't agree with. To help others. To extend myself. 

Now don't get me wrong. I have a very diverse background and upbringing. So sometimes I don't look like I would fit in in a certain place, but actually I am quite comfortable there. Often this is means being around people who do not look like me. But actually I come from a similar background. 

But now I literally live on a mountain...and I think I am going to go to where I am comfortable. I tried really hard to understand people of a different viewpoint. And I think I tried hard enough for other's sake. From now on any effort will be more for me, or the people who actually reciprocate help. Which can be new people I meet. I won't be close minded. But I need to find where my mountain is and stay there. 

借屍還魂

Borrow a corpse to resurrect the soul[edit]

• (借屍還魂／借尸还魂, Jiè shī huán hún)
• Take an institution, a technology, a method, or even an ideology that has been forgotten or discarded and appropriate it for your own purpose. Revive something from the past by giving it a new purpose or bring to life old ideas, customs, or traditions and reinterpret them to fit your purposes

Not that the Wong Fei Hung song is underused. In fact it is overused. But when I taught it to my kids. I realized that it is an awesome self affirmation. I was looking for some cool stuff to say in the morning. The Our Father and the Hail Mary honestly, have problems when you look at the words themselves. The words are not very empowering. But Nam Yi Dong Ji kerng is. the only problem is for female students But you can easily just sing Lui yi dong ji kerng, so whatev.

Basically Kung Fu itself, was resurrected and re-purposed and if you are looking media to teach the idealogy of Kung Fu you have access to so many movies (many of which Mandy Chan is in)

The HK gangster movies too. I mean if you wanted to brainwash yourself... there is no shortage of stuff to sing, watch, and and even physically practice. It's amazing that this stuff has been used mostly as a means for entertainment. One could argue that the God of Gamblers movies probably increased profits at casinos...

But there is a lot of negative stuff that goes with these old movies too. Nam Yi Dong Ji kerng is pretty clean. 

Personal:

I have been pretty depressed recently. And I realized I haven't been singing this song in the mornings. So a) I should gt back into that

b) I need to start teaching classes, because that gave me an adrenaline rush that was able to satisfy me. 

In other words, I have to teach... sort of like it is a drug. And I have to teach people that are interested in learning. 

So really,  I should open a school. It sounds so simple and so many people have done it I mean if I am ADDICTED to teaching, then it makes sense that I should open a school. Even if I break even, that is actually a profit when you are comparing it to alcoholism, gambling, or an opioid addiction. 

I mean I guess I could lose money. 

I could also make money.

Only writing this did I realize that I sort of have no option. I have to teach Kung Fu. 

I mean yes there are other things that could satisfy me too. Maybe even more so. But all of those things are dependent on others on so many ifs... and I guess I could pursue those simultaneously. 

Take the opportunity to pilfer a goat 順手牽羊／顺手牵羊, Shùn shǒu qiān yáng

This one I took to heart when my Uncle Francis taught it to me.

Not so much the pilfering... but you take what you can get. Basically after my mom died he offered me some money and I was gonna be all Chinese and refuse it and he was like,"That's not what I want to here. You take what you can get."
There are several ways of looking at this.

First let's look at the pilfering way. I am reminded of Truman Capote's in cold blood where the killer is taking coins from under the bed after murdering a whole family. This is even lower class than the pilfering the goat in the example.

But here is another example.

Once in Boston, I helped this lady carry her bag to the train station. When she got there she tried to tip me and I refused at first and she was like, "please don't make me chase you I don't have the energy I'm old."

This was before my Uncle had taught me the lesson. I took her money reluctantly, but you have to remember that when someone is trying to give you something.... to refuse it can be rude too. Not only rude but it will hurt their feelings.

Later in a snowstorm (actually it was in New Jersey) and post Uncle Francis's lesson, I was helping this guy shovel out.

I did it in horse stance and enrgenitically.

"Aww man I didn't ask you to do this." (btw it only sort of matters but he was black and I am white passing)

"I'm just getting a work out." I said. Because of the proximity to New York. He probably thought all of this was a hustle. I actually was just getting a work out and had nothing better to do. I didn't want to be stuck in the hotel room. I had run on the treadmill at their little gym and that really messed up my lungs because of the nasty air. So shoveling was a way to get out of that. Because I treated it like Kung Fu, I was shoveling harder than say the normal person would shovel. I was not looking for money.


But when he handed me $20  I said "Thanks!" just as Kung Fu energetically.

That money bought my family some yummy dumplings at 88 which was the only store that did not close because of the snow and was within walking distance.

And I know you cannot judge a whole race based on one or two interactions. But I will just say that I like how this man PAID me and $20! Bam!

I will always remember it even though that $20 is long gone, the experience of getting it and buying dumplings with it in a blizzard is still there almost 5 years later.


Personal: Well the above was personal too but more up to date.

Today was a Kung Fu day. Thursdays is usually sparring day. I have made a point to try and be a better father. So there was no scolding. The kids jumped the Card board Coscto box that is our hit pad. And that was a lot more fun than usual. Then they did sticks which was dangerous as hell for me and then I fought them with sticks, back and forth between going against me with a stick and just attacking the card board. Then we did "swords" which were just shorter metal sticks and then knife against sword (could use a plastic bottle but in this case I used a duplo building block) and we ended with double sword against the stick.

We had to do slow and controlled... but honestly we did a lot of moves (Noah that is. Jonah is not ready) Looked pretty cool. I saw that the time just flew by and we were working out.

"Would you do this everyday?" I asked.

Noah paused. "I still like having says off."

So we will keep it like that.

Friday is a day off with optional Lion Dance. Saturday is supposed to be fighting forms.... but given that Jonah simply isn't ready and that Shao is actually doing pretty well at the free styling weapons... maybe we will just do some light lion dance.

I found where the Asians are in the neighborhood. Different types of Chinese.

Maybe we can get some kind of lion dance thing going after all. Maybe it will just be seasonal.  And maybe Grace can help with the Lion dance class.




We are actually going to go someplace to do Chess and Yoga I think and a birthday party so we will see if any lion dance happens this weekend.

Sacrifice the plum tree to preserve the peach tree (李代桃僵, Lǐ dài táo jiāng)

Wikipedia says this is the scapegoat strategy...I am often a scapegoat.... but I don't see these words meaning that (i'm only reading the English.)

A Western example for me has always been Sacrificng the Western Roman Empire to Barbarians so that you can keep the Eastern Roman Empire (the Byzantine Empire... did I remember that right?)

Anyway, to try and hold everything down and keep everything going you might end up losing everything. Instead, something's gotta give.


Personal:

My kids have been lying to me about homework. And I have been slacking a bit on teaching them Kung Fu. Basically, i am going to have to really go over their Homework with them, really watching them do it, which is annoying because there is no way these kids can't do it themselves. They could have done this homework years ago except that sometimes the instructions are a bit confusing and unclear.

Hell maybe I'll just do the damn thing for them. It's not that they won't learn that way. They are ahead of this shit. They know how to read. They know more math than they are doing in their grade. They are learning more when left to their own devices. Perhaps for peace at home, I will just hold their hand on these foolish assignments.

Because something's gotta give.

And I have my assignments that I need them to do. Like Kung Fu, and maybe I should start having them write Chinese. Hell maybe I should be like one of those annoying as super moms and be all hippy and liberal. "Is that what you want to do? Wow that's great, let's write another word. Now let's do algebra honey." Cause this Manly raising the kids shit ain't working. And I need a distraction.

To distract myself from how I am feeling I will play the role of the supportive loving father and husband.

I will save my rage for my forms.

Hide a knife behind a smile[edit] (笑裏藏刀／笑里藏刀, Xiào lǐ cáng dāo) Charm and ingratiate yourself with your enemy. When you have gained his trust, move against him in secret.

I see people do this all the time. And even more often then this you see people calling out people for doing this on Facebook.


I say if you can actually manage to ingratiate yourself with enemies... hell why not actually make them friends and do the whole love your enemies bit.

I would say do away with the knife completely... but at least know that others are moving against you. Defend yourself....protect yourself... I don't I guess.


I was actually thinking about knives and "protecting yourself" the other day when I heard there was a stabbing in Boston's Chinatown. The thought was this.

If you stab someone to protect yourself with a blunt object, you will probably deter them just as much. It's just that you are less likely to kill them. Where as a knife raises the possibility of killing them. Not saying a dull knife like this can't kill someone too it's just that you are less likely to.

Personal:


The other day I went to the bathroom in the middle of the night and somehow between doing that and coming back I forgot that I know longer sleep on a bed on the floor (which is really meant for Jonah and sort of misjudged distance in the dark. I thought it was pretty funny.

Since then Noah has joined me on the floor preferring that to his own bed, and I think we are going to be getting rid of some of the furniture including some of the beds.


Now We won't redo the whole house with Tatami mats... but I really do like that Japanese style of no furniture... especially when I got the opportunity to visit the Royal Palace (Kyoto right? So embarrassing I forget, and a lot of Japanese Citizens are kind of pissed that it's only tourists that get to visit) But anyway, it's not less luxurious to sleep on the floor or not have any furniture. I like how there is just more space. And it's not even like this house is small. But more space is just nicer to me. I like that spartan feel. And you can arrange a few things around that are manageable. Well we aren't any where near that yet, but that's what I'm going for.

How is life?

Well someone mentioned that from the way I talk, they would guess that I am loneley and bored.

It is true.


But to be honest, I am beginning to feel it is not where I am geographically. It is just where I am emotionally. I won't lie. I am struggling. And there seems to be no reason to.

It is difficult to be cut off from everything.

"You have your kids, you have your family.." people could say.

Yes.

 I do.

And now I even have a job so there is some social interaction there. But I realize that say when I had a customer service job in Chinatown, it was cool to see all these people you know all at once every day. At work!

And then you go hang out and see even more people.

And in  a way I even felt loneley then.


Always in my life I have always been yearning for something or someone or some change or some experience. And I think most people are like this.



It's just that I seem to be particularly distraught recently because I guess when you are little you believe, when I grow up I will have this, and then when you are a young adult you have all this potential and dreams. Now I am not middle aged or old. But I sort of see a sea of suburban comfortable mediocrity out into the horizon. And it is exactly what I wished for as a child. That rock hard stability.

Maybe it is all just that or maybe I just need to make more friends. Maybe I am just projecting.

But I just felt like before I was able to fill the void with distractions, and now I long for some of those distractions which felt like real connections and mild adventures.

I knew and worked with other creative people and talked with people everyday before at the playground, at a restaurant, at the park.

I even feel like maybe if this house had more people, that it would be more fun.

My kids don't seem to mind at all somehow. They are adequately distracted by each other, either fighting or playing.

You know what is strange, my surrounding remind me so much of my childhood. Of the Philadelphia house and simultaneously of the apartment I grew up in with my father and mother there and so I am having constant flashbacks.


And I guess I am getting caught in fantasy thinking about what could be or what was or how my father must have felt to be here in this country, not speaking English, but still having lots of friends.... and how gambling is actually a better hobby than just sitting here alone, even if you might lose money.


But also thinking about what really makes my blood rush, if it is not the roll of the dice, what makes my heart beat faster if it is not the roar of Mah Jong tiles clacking against each other.


And of course I hone in on more recent events.

It is difficult to leave them behind, but perhaps more painful to try to clutch at what isn't there.

I suppose a knife is not the only thing that can be hidden behind a smile.

Climbing

Horse stance

Samurai bots

Tired if hiding

Watch the fires burning across the river (隔岸觀火／隔岸观火, Gé àn guān huǒ)

This actually reminds me of a Chinese children' s story that I learned in Chinese school (yes that's right a few things actually managed to seep in at Kwong Kow. I still remember the little drawings and though my reading sucked I vaguely remember the teacher's explanation.)

The story I am thinking of involves a hunter or maybe just some dude watching two tigers.

Basically I think at first he sees one tiger. and he's like, "oh shit." and then he sees two tigers. And then they start fighting each other. And one kills the other one and then the guy just picks up a club and kills the half dead surviving tiger.

Sounds hard to kill a tiger with a club. But I swear it was tigers in the story and not like dogs.... maybe it was dogs but lo fu is ringing in my ears.


I'm all about just letting your enemies battle themselves in theory. Of course I probably get involved with things more often then I should.

But then going in after ward when the enemy is weakened. I guess I never do that.
Something to ponder.

Personal:

Today Noah threw up on the bus because he got car sick, but he got sent home anyway. Rules. I made a note (for documentation purposes) that he tends to get carsick and was told that next time they will take that into account and that we may decide together whether it is sickness (like a virus) or just car sickness.

Openly repair the gallery roads, but sneak through the passage of Chencang[edit] (明修棧道,暗渡陳倉／明修栈道,暗渡陈仓, Míng xiū zhàn dào, àn dù Chéncāng)

Wow that's a good one... I have no idea how to use it.

Except that, is it me or does it seem like China looked like it was slowly gaining on us and they said their military was like 100 years behind us (this is when I was in College, ten years ago) and then BAM! It's like technologically they have leaped into the future and we're still like riding normal trains and using cash and credit cards and their paying for their noodles, made the same way still, with their phones.

So they have the best of both worlds going and it's like we are repeating the 80's for kicks.


Anyway, this weekend was pretty awesome. (actually not over yet is it.)

We went to a Halloween party at a distant cousin of Grace's house.

I saw a bunny, which means something to me.

I cleaned out a closet... which is always good.

Gong Gong took the kids to Chinatown for haircuts. They were brats... but me and Grace went to the Korean Spa.

It was fun. It was social.

I studied at the Spa and I got double takes.... from other people studying at the Spa,,,, because they were all Asian and I think they were like, "What's that white guy doing studying at the Spa like he's Asian."

I'm doing more Kung Fu.

Think I'm gonna pick up some other hobbies, like making lion heads (my frame got thrown out by accident when the Junk guys came.) and maybe making shilellaghs and even swords. There is space for a forge here.

I have more of a yearning to have a real sword now and I have the space to practice with it on private property so why not. But buying one would be stupider than making one.

But yeah have to clean stuff out first. Still a lot of junk.

The basement might turn into a work out Kung Fu (kid friendly) which will be handy in the winter.

Might put in two punching bags....

Or maybe it makes more sense to have it be an art studio....We'll see.


That new Van Gogh movie has me thinking about doing my ink painting again. Just painting on everything. The supplies are collecting dust so might as well use them, better than throwing them out.

無中生有／无中生有, Wú zhōng shēng yǒu) A plain lie. Make somebody believe there was something when there is in fact nothing. One method of using this strategy is to create an illusion of something's existence, while it does not exist. Another method is to create an illusion that something does not exist, while it does

This is one you see a lot in the media. 

For instance, the Las Vegas shooter story. Recently they are making a big deal about how law enforcement handled the situation. That the shooter got an extra 15 minutes and it took them that long to put it together that the shooter was not at the concert itself, that the security guard had been shot and called 911... I heard the story second hand and then briefly skimmed the news story but I actually exploded mid conversation because, YOU try to figure all that out in 15 minutes. In fact the story was told to me confusingly and that took longer than 15 minutes. 

I am not a super "I love law enforcement all the time all the way." but I agree with their take that the media is making something out of nothing. They did the best they could and did pretty well. You could say we are ill equipped to handle situations like these... but to me.... 15 minutes to figure out the guy is in the hotel? 

That's fast. 

Remember, that's while being shot at and all that. 

Another making something out of nothing? 

Well I would say the Nazi Rally's. Ok not exactly nothing. But they have been around for a while and giving them a platform? Probably not helpful. But then other stuff happened and so the media moved on. 

Data disagregation. 

Getting more boxes to check for Asians. 

Really not a big deal. Turned into a huge debate and protests and talking about racism and all that. 

That is something out of nothing. If you are against the government collecting data... first of all you are a hypocrite if you own a smartphone. Second, you don't have to check the boxes. 

Anyway, None of that was about me really.

I just cleaned out a closet full of DVDs. Gong Gong made me put them in boxes, theoretically to transport to Maryland... to the SOUTH, instead of throwing them away. 

I would say keep the personal home videos and toss the rest that is on Youtube for free anyway... in your hand at all times if you have a smart phone. 

I put some board games and toys in there that the kids wanted to keep. The toys will eventually go but when the weather gets cold the kids will need something to play with inside... so not yet. 

I want to get some sort of video game system. The kids are playing very simple games on Scratch anyway and doing it as if it is illegal by hiding under things... and then fighting each other about turns. So I want to get something with four controllers so that we can all play. 

I like non screen time games... but you have to admit that you can have a lot more games on a computer than if you have to have the physical games. 

Still haven't learned to play Mah Jong... But that would be something cool to do. 

After work I have been doing hard Kung Fu. Like Hai! and Ha! really loud. Haven't done it like that since I was a teenager really. And that's the last time I was in this sort of social situation... makes you wonder. 

Like I don't even warm up. I just get home change and go, take a break with salute to sun, and then another form. I usually sort of have time for three forms, and then I run to pick up the kids from the bus stop. 

Only today, Gong Gong pulled in right as I got home. So I couldn't do it. To top it off. I semi twisted my ankle walking down the hill to go to the bus stop.

I would have done Kung Fu on the front lawn (because I can see if the bus is coming) but all the neighbors can not only see me... but its like I am putting on a show... also I was afraid they might call the police and that's the last thing I need. 

But anyway, I can feel mu ankle is slightly not 100% We'll see tomorrow. 

I did Kung Fu on it in the back yard anyway after I picked up the kids. 

Maybe that was a bad idea. 

But at this point I have to do Kung Fu. Not for health but for stress. 

It's just annoying that I injured my ankle. 

Ehhh

Maybe I'm making something out of nothing. 

Make a sound in the east, then strike in the west[edit] (聲東擊西／声东击西, Shēng dōng jī xī)

Is this really that different from Man tian guo hai? Maybe I should just start doing this sort of thing around the house too my kids... for fun.

Are there 35  strategies of getting your kids to do their homework? Because Shao totally just lied to me today and so we had to do homework later at night... again.

I started watching the Water Margin stories with them. Just like a traditional Chinese family with the tv blasting during dinner and Shao unable to eat properly because he couldn't look away. I think they might even learn Chinese.

It's the one that was made in the 90's. I prefer the actors and the director in that one. And the song. It's good exposure. Plus its for me.

I noticed that I am feeling frustrated being separated from my culture. So I need to over compensate with the TV series and probably music. Except it's just not convenient to blast music. You might as well put on an actual show. Most of what is keeping me "busy" is throwing stuff away. I feel Like I won't be able to do anything until the house is clean. And of course there is work, and i am taking a paralegal course, which is difficult to do with the kids around.

And I do full on Kung Fu. like forms without even warming up and haiya-ing and almost diu lei pking too except I try to keep all the moves positive. A form is less intentionally violent than say hitting a punching bag I think... though I think we will get one of those in the basement at some point...

In the meantime I tied these kick board for swimming to a tree outside. That is more for the kids... but maybe I should hit it too to release tension. Suburban American life is all very tense I think, with the veneer of peacefulness on the surface.   Maybe we should find the appropriate times and opportunities to hit the drums and do lion dance too. Oh yeah, we did sort of do that yesterday, like a mini exorcism of the house while Grace cooked dinner Mostly it was to distract the kids from fighting.

(趁火打劫/趁火打劫, Chèn huǒ dǎ jié)

The weekends are always busier than the week somehow. I never did get around to making those flash cards. I'll think I'll do it the second go around.

And yeah, I guess I won't do the weekends for these updates. Just a Monday recap.

"Loot a burning house" I thought about this one a lot. The take what you can get strategy... oh wait, no that's the pilfer a goat strategy. This one is about taking advantage of a country falling apart at the seams. The kicking a dog when it's down... dude the 8 countries (G8 US included) totally did this one to China after the boxer rebellion, or before or during, depending whose telling the story.

I think these strategies are just what jerks do naturally without thinking.
Anyway, one of te things we did this weekend was pay people to take stuff away from our house. I imagined trying to explain this to someone from back in the day when this strategy was written. Like, you would actually pay someone to take your stuff away. Good stuff that works. Metals, plastics, glass. STUFF. Treasure back then.

Treasure now to Amah.

We still have a lot of stuff, the two trucks put a small dent and the feng shui flows better. The company tries to donate what they can too.

Also try to explain to the people back then that people wouldn't steal this stuff. That the stuff people really want to steal is your personal information, your id numbers, the name of your  parents and maiden names. Stuff you would announce to everyone back then. Stuff that defined you... but that people could never "steal"

They wouldn't think you were crazy actually they would just think you were talking about witch craft or religion.

We also went to a STEAM fair. Basically a science fair run by high-schoolers. A lot of the fairs around here.... they are more community oriented. They are like the August moons of old, but all run by high schoolers. All the ideas I always had and said people should do in Chinatown.... that's how stuff is run here. So basically I have nothing to try and work toward and there is no need for my involvement. In a way I have no purpose. Maybe we'll do a lion dance at the library for Chinese New Year.... but maybe they already have something too.


We also went Apple picking again.

Monday was Columbus Day, supposedly slow. Not a holiday here for the children but still widely celebrated.  


I think it is important that I write everyday, and not law stuff. Otherwise I will lose my mind. So I have started writing another novel....I will keep it on my Adam Cheung Blog. And continue with this 36 Strategies calendarng type deal. Maybe after the 36 strategies instead of doing it again I will move onto some other sort of saying that are more positive. Or maybe a Tarot card a day or something. We'll see.

以逸待劳, Yǐ yì dài láo)

Off topic... but I think I should make little 36 strategy flash cards and teach them to the kids. I had a big poster of it in JP... but the flash cards would be more manageable.

But this one is basically chill out while your enemy wears himself out.

Again....I think I am usually the one who won't chill.

So today I actually brought a statue of a Buddha to work. We were getting rid of it along with a  lot of other of Amah's things.

How this came to be is a crazy story....which I cannot post about. And I posted about some embarrassing health issues so you know that it was some shit to witness.

ehhhh f it

I basically went nuts listening to Grace complain about how Noah ate chips and that the house wasn't clean all weekend and threw away a ton of stuff.


The stuff had been out and I wanted her to look through it before tossing it.

I after that I drank too much sake and almost died. I threw that away too.

But I later rescued Amah's Japanese children doll (because it reminded me of Shao and Dai... only in a weird creepy nightmarish way) and also this Geisha doll, which actually reminds me of Amah and I realized that that might be why she bought it... and a million dried food goods that I had to sleep next to.

My only experience with wearing out the enemy is to allow Amah to wear her self out... but actually this strategy often just drives me to insanity.

Wearing out the enemy by being the peaceful Buddha is the typical Kung Fu stereotype and it is assumed that all martial artists will take this approach. I am not against this strategy... it is very white crane, where you would just be still and through a side shot of some sort. Not attacking for no reason or doing moves for no reason.

Like protests without clear purpose for instance. If you are doing it to prepare that is one thing, but if it is to get stir crazy and waste your energy it might not be as useful


Instead of wearing  out my enemy (which I don't really have any) I will work to just chill more in general.

借刀殺人／借刀杀人, Jiè dāo shā rén

This one I always remember and you always see it in politics. You also always see it on the playground. I noticed girls tend to employ this strategy more than boys.

I think tat most of the strategies are probably considered to be immoral in terms of cultural norms. Even in China in day to day life really. It's just that since the book exists politicians and the like respect the strategies...but if you don;t have the above cool saying to show respect you will just use the other colloquialism which is that you get others to do your dirty work.

Kill with a borrowed sword sounds cooler and legitimizes the action while the more American saying makes it sound disgusting.... even though this strategy is pretty well employed in American Foreign policy.

Personal experience....

hmmmm you know what I realize. Not only do I not usually start fights with people... I also just don't try to attack people in these other ways. Whether it is suing or trolling or yelling.... it's not only that I am averse to violence, I am averse to the negativity... and yet I am actually not as averse to confrontation. I mean I sort of am.... but when I just can't take it I go all out.


So to use this strategy I would really have to be in a war, in that mind set.  Are other people always in that mind set? I guess they are. I guess most people are actually incredibly violent in their intentions. It's just that they don't fight physically.

I practice Kung Fu... but actually in my surroundings growing up I was also one of the least likely to get into a fight.

But I can't say that I am some sort of hippie peace lover either. I mean I think I strive to be that way. But everyone knows I can have a temper and lose my patience.


This strategy (and probably most of the 36), requires you not to lose your temper and also be very violently minded.

Going through them one a day I just realize that though I readily recognize all these behaviors in others immediately, I am averse to all of them. And at the same time I notice that a lot of people would not recognize these behaviors in others..... but are very quick to do them themselves.

(圍魏救趙／围魏救赵, Wéi Wèi jiù Zhào)

The explanation for this... I don't like. Basically it says (on Wikipedia) to attack the weakest link.

When I read that... I was thinking, damn I am totally just not a 36 strategies kind of guy. But then I just read the title part again and even though the meaning might be the same, the emphasis is on rescuing Zhao... ie a positive.

In other words, yeah I attack a weakness but the goal is to saves something.

Anyway, I guess I don't really go around attacking people's weaknesses. I just take note of everyone's and of course my own.

Mostly my personal experience with this one is people pointing out my weaknesses and implying that they will attack them.

Again, I guess I am totally not a 36 strategies kind of guy but more of a Buddhist and a Bushido type of dude... which is kind of hard to say for me...

But I'm not going to go around looking for everyone's weaknesses and starting trouble.

But what I will do is to take into account my weaknesses... and then try not to have them be weaknesses.

What does that mean and why did I say Buddhism and Bushido?

Well, ultimately, you can't control anything really. Nothing is yours. In the Dhamapada it says something like "the fool says, sons are mine, wealth is mine," etc. but really nothing is yours. Once you recognize this, you can't be afraid of losing what you don;t really have. Not to be all depressed and also not care about gaining what "you don't really have"

And then Bushido?

It says that "nothing is guaranteed except honor."

In other words.., you don;t know if you will live, or in a less drastic situation if this or that was the factor that destroyed or helped you. But you can control how you reacted to the situation.... if you were honorable.

Honorable is a loaded term.

So for me it's more about, did I act how I wanted to act. Was I true to my self and my own honor or style of honor.

In other words, if the world were going to end tomorrow anyway... would you realy let the fact that someone was going to do this this and this to you be the reason that stopped you from doing what you wanted to do?

Now the 36 strategies are talking about war. But heck not only is all fair in love and war... but weather or many things can change the outcome. That is not to say act foolishly. But just because say... this country will destroy this weaker ally if you attack.... okay so maybe you shouldn't attack. But should you attack anyway? Also, are you attacking because you are afraid?

If nothing is guaranteed but honor... then just make sure you stay true to yourself. Don't attack crazily (unless that is the type of country you are, which would be a rogue country of bandits)  But also you can't let your life be dictated by another country all the time simply because of the threat of war. Because in the end... nothing is guaranteed anyway.

Man tian guo hai

I realize that the more I have to write about... the less I am really able to write openly, and I may have to start an old school journal written by hand. In any case, I'm going to start doing a strategy of the day for the 36 strategies. I tried to cut and paste, but I couldn't do it on the phone.

Today's strategy is man tian guo hai.

Hide from heaven and cross the ocean. The old slight of hand.

I'm not really a strategist, but part of this would be to add personal experience. Here's mine. I never need to mastermind, because it would appear that I use th8sbdtartegy all the time. But the truth is, with most of the things I do I don't actually have a clear intention. Or rather I may have an idea but I'm not really sure. I realize that in life, I have achieved more or less what I wanted in childhood. One good say my true core intention was to have a certain kind if house and certain kinds of children. Right down to how it all looks. I have exactly what my childhood self always ached for while fearing being kicked out of the projects. I wanted a house that was like my grand mother's.

Perhaps I had some sort of inner psyche that tricked my adult self into following certain things or even fighting against them, ultimately bringing me to my childhood self's true intention...even to go so far as that childhood self be coming flesh and blood in my second son.

Well when I cycle through all 36 I will start at the beginning again and we'll see what I have to say about it next time.