INTRODUCTION

This is a survival primer, covering both civilian and military applications. The military strategic and tactical doctrines that follow are based on deception, the creation of false appearances to mystify and delude the enemy, the unexpected approach, ready adaptability to an enemy’s situation, flexible and coordinated maneuver of separate combat elements, and swift concentrated attack against points of weakness.

If we were to assign priorities to hostilities, as Sun Tzu said:

1. Attack the enemy’s plans
2. Disrupt the enemy’s alliances

Combining sound planning based on solid information, with a focused drive or will, leads to swift victory. The army (or your means of attack) should be the instrument that delivers the coup de grace to an enemy previously made vulnerable. A prerequisite to victory is to make proper preparations with respect to the enemy’s capability so that the result is decided beforehand. Information keeps us strong. The victorious army attacks a demoralized and defeated enemy. The key to winning a war is to take away the enemy’s ability to wage war. Destroy the enemy’s will and capability to fight, and you will be victorious. First set them up, then go in for the kill.

Leadership is key. The essential elements of battle that a good commander
not just considers, but masters, turning them to his advantage, are:

• Organization
• Maneuver
• Control
• Terrain
• Weather

The ultimate art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. This applies to military combat as well as hand-to-hand combat. Your mind is always your greatest weapon. Your primary target is the mind of the enemy or opposing commander. You must attack the mind of your enemy. The best commanding officer strikes only when the situation assures victory. To create this situation is the ultimate responsibility of command. Before engaging the enemy, force him to disperse, because when he disperses and attempts to defend everywhere at once he is weak everywhere, enabling you to maximize the use of your forces (Economy of Force). Dispersement contributes to confusion.

Vulnerability is not measured solely in physical terms. An opposing commander may be vacillating, rash, impulsive, arrogant, stubborn, or easily deceived. Elements of his forces may be poorly trained, disaffected, cowardly, hungry, poorly equipped, or ineptly commanded. He may have selected a poor position. He may be over-extended, his supplies low, his troops exhausted. These conditions constitute voids and provide opportunities for an imaginative commander to devise an advantageous plan of attack.

The same factors determine the “shape” of an army. A good commander bases his plans on the enemy’s “shape.” “Shape him,” Sun Tzu says. Always concerned with probing and observing the enemy, a wise general simultaneously uses every possible means to prevent the enemy from “shaping” him. You must combine the forces of distraction (fixing the enemy) with the forces of decision (flanking). These forces are intertwined like the symbols for the yin and the yang. Their blows are correlated. Tactically, you present the obvious (fixing the enemy) then you engage with the unexpected and unorthodox (flanking the enemy). This enables you to strike decisive blows when and where the enemy is least prepared and does not anticipate them. This is true whether the conflict is between entire armies, small units in the jungle, or between you and an attacker(s) on the street.

In one instance when I was about to be attacked by a gang of five attackers, I made believe I was gay so that I could approach the five attackers with my hands out (open) in a non-threatening way (they had thought I was going to be their next victim). This allowed me to get within range of the leader, closing a gap of 8 to 10 feet. I was able to close to 2 feet, bringing him inside my kill-zone, and then with a loud ki-ai that froze them all for an instant, in one series of motions I crushed the ringleader’s windpipe, blinded the attacker next to him, and broke the knee of the attacker next to him. The other two ran. Had I tried to attack from ten-plus feet, they would have had time to prepare, pull weapons, separate and circle, etc. It might have turned out very differently. I “fixed” them in place by becoming what was for them a non-threatening object of amusement and derision, and “flanked” them with a surprise attack that broke them mentally as well as physically. By the time they realized what was happening, it was way too late.

Cowards attack those they perceive to be weaker than they are. When they realize they’ve made a mistake, their will usually crumbles. If they had the courage to deal with a dangerous “enemy,” they would not pick a seemingly defenseless victim; so the last two ran away. The essence of self-defense is not having to defend yourself. But if you must fight - WIN. The last two were the most dangerous because the element of surprise was gone. Distance would once again have to be closed, and distance gave them time to pull weapons. But because my attack was so unexpected, brutal, efficient, and effective, they lost their will to fight (they never expected a fight to begin with). So for those two at least, I didn’t have to defend myself. I attacked in a way that broke their spirit, attacking their collective mind, not just their bodies. Attacking their mind caused the last two to run.

Not fighting is better.

“To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles
is not the highest skill. To subdue the enemy
without fighting is the highest skill.”
* Sun-Tzu

You must be adaptable to existing situations, the way water adapts itself to the terrain. You must be flexible, often adapting your tactics to the enemy’s situation. This is not a passive concept. You give the enemy enough rope to hang himself. If he is aggressive, bait him into rushing headlong into a trap. Under certain conditions you may yield a piece of territory, feign a retreat, or even sacrifice a portion of your force, to gain a more valuable objective. You choose the ground on which you want to engage, draw the enemy into it, and give battle there on your own terms. Combat is not just a collision of armed men. Superior numbers alone do not confer an advantage. Superior tactics and the element of surprise are far more valuable than mere numbers.

This is one reason why small unit Special Forces LRRP teams were able to inflict a disproportionate amount of damage on the enemy in Vietnam. This is also why the Viet Cong were able to inflict a disproportionate amount of damage on US and ARVN line troops. This is why a skilled martial artist can defeat someone larger and stronger; using a combination of misdirection, surprise, and then sudden, and lethal attacks against an enemy’s weakest point. Only an idiot goes toe-to-toe with an unknown enemy, by choice.

Uncommon common sense is the key to both victory, and survival. “It only happens to the other guy” are famous last thoughts. Training and preparation are essential to success. Train to be effective and flexible, to be able to analyze each situation and react accordingly; whether in combat, or defending your home.

The more sweat on the training field, the less blood on the battlefield.

“Rules of Engagement” is also a collection of survival tips. It is in no way a complete or definitive treatise on the subject, either civilian or military. No answer applies in a vacuum. The situation always dictates the rule. This primer is just the tip of the iceberg. Seven basic laws for survival are:

• Train
• Learn to control your panic
• Do not fear FEAR, fear is your friend - use it.
• Use your head - its all just uncommon common sense
• Never, never quit until its over
• Your mind is your greatest weapon
• Awareness - Awareness - Awareness

Inner Peace does not come from the avoidance of conflict. It comes from the ability to cope. Inner peace and self-confidence therefore go hand in hand. I am talking about the exact opposite of paranoia and hysteria. I’m not talking about being a vigilante or living your life with a siege mentality. I’m talking about living a long, full, peaceful life, because you are confident in the knowledge that you can and will handle whatever nasty little turn life may hand you. The reality is, as a result, life is less likely to hand one to you at all. You cannot enjoy life if you live it afraid. Your safety and the safety of your family are too important to leave to chance.

So please don’t live your live with the attitude of the guy who jumped off the roof of The Empire State Building and, as he plummeted past the 30th floor, said to himself, “So far so good!”

Inner Peace does not come from the avoidance of conflict.
Inner Peace comes from the ability to cope.

Trezza’s Rules of Engagement

By reading this material, you signify that you have read and agreed to our disclaimer.