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36 War Strategies of Ancient China
Strategy 19
Steal the Firewood From Under the Pot
When faced with an enemy too powerful to engage
directly you must first weaken him by undermining his foundation and attacking
his source of power.
Legendary Era Japan
Japan's ancient hero Yamato Takeru was one of the eighty
children of emperor Keiko. One day he was sent to kill a notorious outlaw who
was such an expert swordsman that all who had gotten in his way were killed.
Yamato Takeru did not intend to duel with the bandit and pretended to be
ignorant of the man's reputation in order to befriend him. They became such good
friends that they even went swimming together on a regular basis. When Yamato
Takeru was assured the bandit harbored no suspicions he was ready to act. One
day when they went swimming he brought with him a wooden sword that he hid in
his travel kit. They were in the habit of racing each other around a small
island but this time while they were racing Takeru let the bandit take the lead
and, once he was out of sight behind the island, Takeru swam back to shore and
quickly replaced the bandit's sword with the wooden one. After they had gotten
dressed Takeru turned to the bandit and revealed his true purpose. The bandit
immediately went for his sword, but the wooden sword had become wedged in the
scabbard. While he was struggling to draw the wooden sword, Takeru took the
bandit's head off in a single stroke.
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