Comparing the Way of the Craftsman to the Strategy of a Warrior

COMPARING THE WAY OF THE CRAFTSMAN TO THE STRATEGY OF A WARRIOR

It is important to understand what the goal of an "art" is. Once that is understood it is easy to pursue the "spirit" of it. To study carpentry you study the correlation of materials and so I can compare the Way of the warrior to the Way of the craftsman. To study the sword you study war, weapons, and men. To study craftsmanship you study the project, the tools, and men. You will succeed or fail in either one depending on your attitude towards the "spirit of the thing." There can be no let up to your study, regardless of the path you choose, even though you may have mastered a particular level. You must search constantly for still more understanding of your chosen art.

If there is no discipline, how can there be a true realization of an ideal? How can a man be trusted to perform in society if he does not understand what society needs? To act in harmony with the environment of where you are you must understand the need for certain rules. If you do not, then you will not be able to control others. If you cannot control others, then how can you expect to attain perfection in your own ideal?

It is essential for the leader to know the rules of the game: which rules work, which rules do not work, which rules can be changed to suit a particular need, which rules, when changed, will create additional problems, and which will not.

Craftsmen are familiar with the quality of the materials they use in their work. A man must not assume that another man's uniform or armament is an indication of his strength. Many warriors have always relied on the "look" of their armor to intimidate the enemy. Do not assume that what appear to be finely crafted goods will hold up under use. The truth is that strength lies in the interior of the warrior: in his heart, his mind, and his spirit. The same applies to weapons. An excellently crafted weapon is incapable of acting of its own accord— it must be wielded. The extent to which a weapon is well crafted is based solely on the ability of the craftsman. The strengths and weaknesses of the materials used must be understood by the craftsman. A merchant, on the other hand, must rely solely on his ability to manipulate others into believing that his goods are the best. That is the Way of the merchant. The farmer knows when his produce is good and when it is inferior. That is the Way of the farmer. The warrior knows in his heart when he is correct in action and when he is issuing false bravado. All men are the same except for their belief in their own selves, regardless of what others may think of them.

The supervisor on a construction job must assign tasks to his men according to their known abilities. Who is good at what specific aspect of the project? Who can lay floors, who can tile the roof, connect the drainage system? Should this not also be true for warriors? The warrior leader must understand himself before he can understand the realities of commanding others to do his bidding, especially when teaching is involved. Only when each soldier has been observed can the commander know which warrior will be able to perform a specific act. Otherwise, only chaos can result.

The supervisor of a job should circulate among his men to appraise their strengths and weaknesses. He must praise them where they earn praise and admonish them when they do not fulfill the requirements of the job. But he must praise and admonish equally or there will be a loss of morale and the job may not be finished correctly. Likewise, a commander must walk among his men if he is to expect a certain level of performance. If he is unaware of the skills of each warrior, how can he know to whom to assign tasks? The commander must praise and admonish in the same manner. This is a virtue of strategy. Why would a commander want a spearman to join the line of archers?

Even if there is tremendous spirit on the part of the spear-man, with no experience with the bow his best efforts can only be mediocre.