From the very first conflict of man, something must have been learned from that experience.  As dramatic as death must have been, the will to defeat this natural law outweighed every other desire.   Others who perhaps watched this struggle must have remembered details of this conflict to be used in their own battles in the near future.  And as time went on warriors began to plan their defense as well as their attack.  Even to the point of preparing where they slept at night, to where they gathered their food. This structured method of life started to be planned and prepared in advance.  And thought out with others in the group before anything was final.  This was the birth of strategy, and how we as humans have survived and remain the dominant creatures on this Earth.

It is well documented throughout time, that strategy has been the deciding factor in victory and in defeat.  Not only on the battlefield is strategy vital, also in the success of all businesses, and in every relationship.  Everyone in life should have some sort of goal, a mission to fulfill.  To see this into reality you must have a plan, and more important then the plan, is the ability to make this happen.  So as Martial Artist the study of Heiho or Strategy is a must.  Strategy is like science.  Everything must have some level of provability.  I tell my students the first place to start is with common sense.  This will develop a high degree of knowledge, and provide the ability to make correct decisions at the right time.  For example: in a confrontation with another, many things can be learned with only a glance.  Look into the eyes and spirit of the opponent.  How do they hold their excitement or fear, what stance or kamae do they choose?  This will tell you of their attitude, and intentions.  What overall presence do they show you?  These are very important clues to your developing strategy.  In your training temple you should always train with a strong spirit.  And use this when you look into the eyes of your training partner.  See into their eyes, beyond their facial expressions and into their heart, it is called their Kokoro.  From here you will be able to judge the level of defense needed.  To be able to defend yourself in a fight should be quite simple after a few years of dedicated training.  To understand and know exactly when to start and stop, and how much energy is needed to survive with the least amount of injury and effort takes true reasoning of the situation and of your capabilities.  This comes only with proper and honest teaching and time to gain the experience needed.  An essential tool for everyone to learn and have as a Martial Artist is a good background and awareness in strategy.  I feel this is one of the most overlooked aspects in today's martial art community.  This is why I would like to share with you the Goho No Heiho.  These are the five laws of strategy.  This will serve as a starting point for some and the next level for others.

The first of the five is known as "Hyoshi".  Meaning that everything in life relies on timing.  If the planet began to spin faster for no particular reason, the gravity of the Earth would change and we would ultimately parish.  Everything in life has it's own unique rhythm.  This fact must be deeply studied and fully understood.  Bills must be paid on time; you must be at work at a certain time and stay until a certain time.  In combat your opponent will have a patterned rhythm that you must identify with.  You need to be able to understand why certain activities are being done, and what is being planned against you.  To have this insight and be able to identify with this gives you the power to alter or change their intentions.  Without this ability you must rely on pure reaction time and precision of your defense.  This fact reduces your chances in combat and the faster and stronger will have the advantage.  The true advantage always lies with the skill of prevention.  To the beginner timing is only focused on the rhythm of the opponent.  Then this rhythm is used against the person as a sort of weapon of self-destruction.  This is a good starting point and can be quite powerful when applied correctly to unsuspecting eyes.  Another understanding of this principle is to make sure the opponent never operates on their own speed or rhythm.  Never allowing them to be comfortable or get set in their ways is very important.  If you see this happening you must quickly change the tempo and energy of the conflict.  You can not just hastily move about either.  You must instantly study you're opponent and have information gathered from past experiences ready for combat use.  Like a soldier prepared for the worse and on edge but completely in control.  This comes only through training.  If this is not done correctly you will make a fool of yourself and put others in extreme danger.  The only way to prevent this from happening is with proper planning and a humble spirit because you bleed just like everyone else.  If you have a problem getting control of a situation, or the spirit of your opponent has become to serious threat.  It is very possible you have confronted an equal, or you are out matched and must act fast.  In this case you must have a very special strategy prepared and practiced just for this occasion.  This should be thought out deeply and should be very difficult to adapt to.  In the moment of their confusion you must have already set them up in your trap and strike them down hard and/or escape.  Remember the exact second you stopped moving with an offensive attitude is the same exact second you must start defending your life, weather you like it or not.

The next section is known as "Sudori".  This is momentum.  Everything that moves has momentum, and once the movement is started it is sometimes difficult to stop or change this.  Used with the principles of Hyoshi (timing), momentum can secure your victory.  If a well-planned trap is made the opponent will see a carefully implanted 'opportunity".  You show them a fake weakness and something that they have confidence in.  They will naturally commit with complete intentions.  When you seem in their reach, and in their mind they have you, you change the flow of momentum and destroy them.  This is best seen in Kodokan Judo.  Many Sudori type throws and counters are taught.  Tomoe Nage is the most simple and basic.  It is the favorite technique for all beginners.  Senior students seldom try this throw because it is easily defended and can put you on your back and in trouble to easy.  The throw is done with two people locked up in an attacking seize known as kumiuchi.  One student pushes forward, the other suddenly drops down between the others legs and throws them over their head or kicks with the legs to throw.  The momentum of the forward push and gravity and momentum of the roll back-wards creates the energy for the throw.  Another technique that comes to mind is Hiki Komi from Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jujutsu.  From a natural standing position you are attacked with a punch to the chudan or middle section of the body.  At the last second when the opponent thinks he has hit you, you move outside the punch catching the hand and using their momentum and stepping back with your body pulling to throw past you.  With both of these mentioned techniques the opponent is effortlessly tossed, crashing to the ground.  These types of movements completely depend on the commitment of your aggressor.  Not only showing them a target that is accessible, it must also be a threat.  To openly give a target will just raise flags of a senior student.  No skilled opponent simple gives up anything, and if they do it is surely a trap.  But if you taught them with a threat, something that they must deal with, you will have they're attention and are able to control them.  To be successful with Sudori you must have a developed spirit called Fudoshin.  This is an unmoveable heart.  When they commit to the attack you must stand there and bravely face their rage and wait until the proper moment to counter or you have wasted a valuable opportunity that may never come again.

Next we have "Tokoshi". This literally means to cross a great distance.  This can be done in two was, one is the omote form (outer method).   This is done by physically moving your body into position to either attack, or set up a proper defense or counter.  Your movement should be an illusion, un-telegraphed and hidden.  Moving in a circle and stepping closer with every couple of steps as you move your body further away gives the illusion of distance and the surprise of a quick attack.  Many times in combat you are forced away from your enemy.  This time of separation is crucial.  It is not a time of rest or to gather your thoughts.  You must consistently show the threat of attack keeping your opponent on the defensive end not allowing any opportunity to think about attacking and hurting you.  It is possible to close the distance between the two of you and rest or strategically plan.  But you must present a believable atmosphere of danger and threat as you prepare.  At all times until you have completely destroyed the will of your opponent to fight back, you must march forward.  To move backwards you will surrender all confidence and raise your adversaries.  This will happen unconsciously and will break your chain of thought and will put you in an up hill struggle to regain forward motion.  This struggle often closes the distance to fast to properly defend and you could now be in the web of their deceptions.  The second this is realized you must use momentum and timing to escape or attack with a sutemi (sacrificing attack/counter).  This will regain lost confidence and separate the distance allowing you to show attack and put the opponent back into defensive form.  This understanding is vital with a stronger more talented opponent.  It is also important to understand the ura form (inner method).  This is to separate their mind from you or the situation.  You can do this with the illusion of words to confuse them.  Talk of things completely off the subject of what is happening.  This will see if they are listening to you.  Make them confused, and put strange thoughts into they're mind.  Speak in a foreign or made up language to make them loose their will to fight.  If you confuse them correctly, they are thinking about what you are saying and trying to make some kind of sense of it.  This means they are not planning any attack or thinking about hurting you.  Also acting disabled or insane or very weak can be other options to put distance in their minds.  This is obviously a last resort but a tool if needed.

Next is Shikotai.  This is to be very close like skin or a coat of lacquer.  This strategy is effective with a taller opponent, or a long weapon like a Yari (spear) or Naginata (halberd tool). By sticking to them as close as possible you will minimize their effective range, and frustrate them by denying them room for movement.  When entering in do so by moving the body first, not with the hands or feet. Once you are in, you must attack immediately.  By moving in with the body first your spiritual energy will remain centered and balanced.  This will give you the confidence when the situation gets tough.   By reaching with the arms or kicking with the feet you extend your spirit and give a senior student something to work with and break.  I'm not saying you can't attack or set your opponent up with strikes, but when you enter you must focus on entering completely to destroy them, not giving them anything to use against you.  So you must enter with the body first, this will provide a balanced mind that has little fear.  This can be done mentally as well, by sticking close to their thoughts so you can calculate and predict their next move.  Being able to study them to find out their weaknesses is essential to survive.  If you are blind to your enemies' resources and information you will easily be defeated.  What your opponent knows about you and what they don't know is very important.  This gives you the opportunity to change what they think they know, and maximize on what they do not.  By being so close you do run the risk of being discovered and the truth of your plans revealed and your plain destroyed, so extreme caution must be used with this.  You must have them believe you are far away when you lay right under their feet.  This is the feeling of Shikotai.

The last and most important is "Minari".  This is using your appearance to achieve a tactical advantage.  Your appearance has a tremendous influence on your spiritual being. Which in return has the ability to cause a chain reaction in every aspect in your life.  If you have on dirty cloths, or your body smells, even a bad hair cut will have an effect internally on your subconscious and confidence.  If you are well groomed and dressed with confidence you appear strong, so you will act strong, and think strongly.  This has a cosmic effect on your daily actions and the way people treat you.  This will carry over into your business and social life, even relationships.  The way you look also has an effect on your opponent as well.  A very strong, positive spirit, with perfect form mentally and physically will make them cautious.  The result of this power will keep them at a distance and possible slow their attack or differ it all together.  Giving you more control over many situations in combat and in your life.  This image will keep you out of trouble and open many locked unseen doors for your future.  If someone has a strong self-image, a certain amount of effort and discipline was used to create what I like to call self-worth.  Unfortunately today in life to be healthy and have certain things in life you need money.  To have money you must have a job, and to get a job you need some kind of intelligence.  All this requires effort and confidence that builds self-worth.  The way you wear your emotions and your spirit must also be studied and fine-tuned.  You can not give your opponent any clues to your thoughts or concerns.  When you have a strong self-image it reflects a strong mind and people will respect that. So with the correct appearance, and correct thought, with correct actions all together working as one, you will have a much more complete and safe life. You've probably heard the old saying," you must dress for success", all I recommend is you start from the inside and work your way out.

This has been just a small look into the wonderful world of strategy.  So much is to be studied and understood I could write for hours.  Everyone can benefit from just studying their own habits, to see just how predictable they are.  To see the patterns or ruts they have put them-selves in.  By studying Heiho or Strategy you learn about life and how it works and all the little things that effect every moment of our lives.  And gives you the rare opportunity to take control of it and your future.  If you do not have a goal in life and a plan to succeed in it, why do you even get out of bed?  Train Hard and be safe.