OFFENSE or DEFENSE? How to know which one is the right approach?

The Pen and Sword Journal - Vol 81

Hello everyone! This is an unplanned and extra article I wanted to share this week with you.

Strategy isn’t a fixed formula, it’s the ability to adapt dynamically after picking up the rhythm of the fight.

Sometimes, the smartest move is to come out strong and take charge right away.

By putting constant pressure on your opponent, you throw them off balance, before they can establish rhythm or confidence.

At other times, victory comes from staying patient and strong. A solid defense wears out your opponent and might even frustrate them.

When they tire and start making mistakes, that’s the perfect moment to strike strong and with precision.

The key is knowing when to act and when to be patient.

📌𝙉𝙤𝙬, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙨𝙠, “𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚?”

There’s no black and white answer, but here are some suggestions:

👉 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙊𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚:

- 𝙊𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙧: If they take time to find their rhythm, overwhelm them early to prevent them from gaining confidence or settling into their strategy.

- 𝙊𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨: Exploit their vulnerabilities by applying relentless pressure, forcing them to reactive mode and make mistakes.

- 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧: If you’re physically stronger or have more stamina, a high-pressure offense can quickly demoralize or wear down your opponent.

- 𝙊𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙢: Fighters who rely heavily on building momentum become unbalanced when you interrupt their flow early.

👉 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙥𝙩 𝙖 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝘿𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚:

- 𝙊𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚: Keeping your vigilance and guard up will force them to punch themselves out, allowing them to use much of their energy.

- 𝙊𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙜𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚: Maintain composure, keep a tight defense, and let their frustration lead them into making reckless mistakes.

- 𝙊𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨: Avoid being baited by patient fighters looking for you to overcommit. Stay patient yourself, use feints, and wait for a clearer opening.

- 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧-𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨: If precise striking or counter-striking are your strong points, patience lets your abilities show when they eventually create gaps.

With time, everyone develops intuition from experience.

Sparring often, observing opponents carefully, and being honest about your strengths and weaknesses will sharpen your ability to quickly decide which strategy is best for each encounter.

That’s it for this topic. I will see you again this week with Part 4 of Ki 気: The Spirit and Inner Energy of the Warrior

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