Positional Advantage (The Place From Which You Fight)
Musashi’s strategy uses position and surroundings to gain an advantage. The passage considers light, routes of retreat, elevation, and pressure on an opponent.
THE IDEA
THE PLACE FROM WHICH YOU FIGHT
Use everything to your advantage at all times. In outdoor fights, try to keep the sun behind you. In that way, you maintain an advantage by diminishing the opponents’ capacities for sight and perception. When fighting indoors, keep a door or avenue of escape behind you. Sometimes you will be overwhelmed and must have an escape route. Always be in a position where you can look down upon the enemy. In real unarmed situations, you may keep any area free to allow you the possibility of escape if necessary. There is nothing wrong with escaping from combat if you are overpowered and honestly cannot win the fight. Get out and make sure you have provided a means to get out. Seek out the place of advantage whenever you enter into a new area. The same applies to seating arrangements around a table. Always seek to occupy the seat with the most advantage. He who has proper position controls the situation. If it is unavailable to you then get as close to it as you can, either on the left or right, depending upon how your perceptions direct you.
Whether fighting an enemy armed or unarmed, keep him on the defensive. Chase the enemy with your body and your spirit. This is excellent strategy. You can easily open targets for yourself with a little effort, but then you must have the courage to go in and kill the enemy without delay. You must be totally resolved when you are fighting; otherwise you will easily lose. By constantly creating difficulties for the enemy, you will force him to deal with more than one thing, giving you the advantage in killing him swiftly.
When you have the enemy in an awkward position, do not let him regain his composure and possibly defeat you. When the enemy is confused, you must go in for the kill. This strategy must be constantly studied.
When to use it
Business meetings: considering which seating position lets participants see and hear one another clearly.
Sports: in tennis or basketball, positioning yourself to take advantage of lighting or to force the opponent into a corner.
Military tactics: selecting high ground or using terrain to limit enemy movement and sight.
Everyday disagreements: noticing whether the physical setting makes it easy to pause or leave the conversation.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Outdoor Fight with Sun
The passage recommends keeping the sun behind you in an outdoor confrontation so that glare interferes with the opponent’s view.
Indoor Escape Route
The passage recommends keeping an avenue of escape available indoors. The purpose is to retain a route out if the encounter becomes unfavorable.
Seating at a Meeting
At a meeting, a seat with a clear view of the other participants may make it easier to follow the discussion. The useful position depends on what you need to observe; facing the door does not itself establish control.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
Think of a recent meeting or negotiation. Did you consider your seating position and its impact on your ability to observe and control the flow?
In a competitive situation (like a sports match or debate), how can you use the environment to put your opponent on the defensive?
Reflect on a time when you felt at a disadvantage. How could you have altered your physical or psychological positioning to regain control?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Musashis book of five rings the definitive interpretation of Miyamoto Musashis classic book of strategy (Kaufman, SteveMiyamoto, Musashi)