Escape is the Best Policy…
‘Retreat is another form of advance. A good man does not fight a losing battle’ – Old Chinese Maxim. When faced with unfavourable conditions, retreat.
Attack when conditions are more favourable.
In order to attain the ultimate victory it is sometimes necessary to accept a temporary defeat and by escaping; to preserve one’s strength.
Lu Bang, who escaped repeatedly as a commander, spent 4 unsuccessful years warring against his rival Xiang Yu before he reunited China. Each time he was defeated he retreated and waited for a more favourable time to attack again.
Xiang was defeated once. But once was enough for someone who did not understand the art of escape and to save face he took his own life on the banks of the Wu River.
Escape may not be heroic but it does insure that one can fight another day. Escape can form part of an important military element and can enable an army to regroup and fight another day.
An example of a great escape took place in 1940 when a third of a million Allied soldiers evaded a German trap on the coast of France at Dunkirk and crossed the English Channel to safety.
The Chinese have made an art form out of escape, whereas the Japanese, who had no room to escape and regroup, developed a philosophy of death before dishonour.
This last strategy of the 36 is the most popular in China and school children are taught it:
‘If I can fight and win, I will fight. If I cannot win, I will escape’.
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