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The Thirty-Six Stratagems comprise thirty-six military strategies that were used in numerous ancient Chinese battles. Essentially, it is a compilation of military tactics and wisdom gained from the history of warfare and competition in China. While the authorship and date of compilation are uncertain, it is generally believed to have been collected from the ancient times until the early Qing Dynasty, mostly from the 5th century onwards. Although there are legends attributing the authorship to individuals like Sun Tzu and Zhuge Liang, it appears to be a collection of thoughts and ideas from various authors over time.

The first mention of the Thirty-Six Stratagems appears to be in the “Book of the Southern Qi” (Nanjishu) during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period (479–502 AD). The current version was printed after the original was discovered in 1941 in Sanshui City, gaining popularity after it was mentioned in the Chinese national newspaper in 1961.

Eight Trigrams Diagram: fundamental concepts in Chinese cosmology and philosophy. Here’s a breakdown of the terms: The eight Bagua symbols can be combined in pairs, resulting in a total of 64 possible combinations. These combinations are known as hexagrams. Each hexagram represents a unique situation or phase of change.

At the core of Chinese warfare lies the belief in natural laws governing warfare, upon which strategies are based. Like any reality, the circumstances of war are constantly changing. This aligns with the concept of the I Ching (The Book of Changes). The I Ching seeks to understand and predict these natural laws of change. In this way, the Thirty-Six Stratagems can be seen as an extension of the I Ching’s philosophy. Notably, around 29 of the 36 strategies directly reference the I Ching’s 64 hexagrams.

Before applying strategy to warfare, one must deeply understand both their own situation and that of the enemy, as emphasized in the Art of War. The Thirty-Six Stratagems are divided into six sections, each containing six strategies, implying the application of strategies according to different situations:

• Strategies for situations where one holds the advantage
• Strategies for face-to-face encounters
• Offensive strategies
• Strategies for confusing situations
• Strategies for gaining advantageous positions
• Strategies for desperate situations

Each strategy is succinctly described in four characters, and in the final section, six strategies are each mentioned in three characters.

The Thirty-Six Stratagems for Success

This is a collection of tricks you can use to win in any situation, not just battles! Here are some examples:

• Winning Strategies:
  • Hide Your Plans: Don’t let your enemies know what you’re up to. Keep them guessing!
  • Attack Their Weak Spot: If your enemy is strong overall, find a weak area you can exploit. This could be a place they care about, a shortage of supplies, or even an unreliable ally.
  • Use Others to Fight: If fighting yourself is risky, trick someone else into attacking your enemy for you.
  • Wait for the Right Moment: Don’t rush into battle. Fight when you’re strong and your enemy is weak.
  • Attack When They’re Vulnerable: If your enemy is having problems, take advantage of it!
  • Surprise Attack: Confuse your enemy by attacking somewhere unexpected.
    
    
• Other Strategies:
  • Lie and Make Up Stories: Sometimes a good lie can get you what you want.
  • Fake One Thing, Do Another: Distract your enemy with a fake attack, then hit them where they least expect it.
  • Let Others Fight First: Wait for other enemies to weaken each other, then swoop in and take advantage.
  • Be Friendly But Dangerous: Gain your enemy’s trust, then strike when they’re off guard.
  • Make a Big Show, But Do Nothing: Do something strange to get a reaction from your enemy and reveal their plans.
  • Lure Your Enemy Away: Get your enemy to leave their strong position so you can defeat them more easily.
  • Take Out the Leader: If the enemy’s army follows their leader, take out the leader to break their morale.
  • Cut Off Their Supplies: Don’t fight the enemy directly, take away their resources so they can’t fight at all.
  • Confuse and Take Advantage: Create chaos, then use it to your benefit.
  • Disguise Yourself: Escape or trick your enemy by hiding your true identity.
  • Surround Your Enemy: Trap your enemy before attacking so they have nowhere to run.
  • Make Friends Far Away, Attack Close By: Ally with distant countries and attack your neighbors – it’s easier to fight close to home.
  • Borrow Help, Then Betray: Use an ally’s resources to defeat another enemy, then turn on your ally and take them out too!
    
    
• Advanced Strategies:
  • Change the Rules: Disrupt your enemy’s plans by messing with their tactics and routines.
  • Criticize Indirectly: Warn someone without directly accusing them.
  • Act Crazy to Fool Them: Pretend to be incompetent to make your enemy underestimate you.
  • Trap Your Enemy: Lure your enemy into a dangerous situation where they’re trapped.
  • Fake It to Make It: Make something weak seem strong, or something strong seem weak, to deceive your enemy.
  • Take Over from Within: Infiltrate your enemy and become the leader from the inside.
    
    
• Last Resort:
  • Run Away and Fight Another Day: If you can’t win, retreat and try again later. This is the most famous strategy – sometimes running away is the smartest thing to do!
    
    

Related Readings

The Thirty-Six Stratagems Of War

The Thirty-Six Stratagems (三十六計 Sānshíliù Jì) is a book that collects the knowledge of the Chinese people about warfare, listing a series of strategies or tricks to impose themselves in a war conflict, which any military leader and strategist should know.