Sun Zi wrote one of the oldest existing pieces on military and in The Art of War, he discusses the six types of terrain. If used correctly as a tactic during a war, it goes without saying that people will get a well-deserved victory. The writer offers insights into six terrains and how important they can be to anyone who wants to achieve an upper hand in a war. They include “accessible ground, entangling ground, temporizing ground, narrow passes, precarious heights and positions at a great distance from the enemy” (Tan 50). The six terrains give military men and women insights into mastering their terrain and use that as a tool to attack opponents, they can also be used in any situation especially when people want to achieve certain goals.
It becomes easy for commanders to move their armies when they understand the terrain and in case they do not know it well, they can take the least time possible to know it. The military can be moved in the most inhospitable terrains in a way that helps them pursue their enemies with minimum detection or subdue them while using a few strengths in their favor. For instance, then the terrain is narrow, armies are advised to occupy them first and then wait for the arrival of the enemy (Tan 53). Managers can also use some of these tactics to motivate other employees to work towards achieving a company’s misson.
The lessons learned from the art of war as presented by Sun Zi are crucial because they are sure to give anyone an upper hand in winning all kinds of trials. When the terrain is accessible, one is expected to be careful and act with a lot of caution, when there is a lot of distance then a military group or anyone can use that to reorganize and strategize to their advantage. It is just like going for an examination; one is expected to start preparing early if they want to get good grades.
Work Cited
Tan, Han Hong. Sun Zi’s The Art of War. Queensland: H H Tan Medical P/L, 2002. Print
