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Art of War -The 36 Strategies- Ancient Chinese War Tactics

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Based on 16 ratings
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David Yao

"Thirty-six Strategies" or " Thirty-six Stratagems "refers to the ancient Chinese thirty-six tactics of war, originated in the Northern and Southern Dynasties ( 420 AD – 589 AD), formed a book in the Ming Dynasties (1368 AD – 1644 AD) and Qing Dynasties （1644 AD—1912 AD）. It is a military strategic book based on Chinese ancient excellent military thinking and rich experience of the War struggles, is one of the long-lasting cultural heritage of the Chinese nation.We present “The 36 Strategies” in plain style Chinese, together with the best possible English translation we can, and our unique way of "Vocabulary Builder".The whole series are suitable for the foreigners who are in the intermediate and advanced level (similar to

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Expand their chinese knowledge
  • Expand their chinese vocabulary
  • Peek the art of war

Syllabus

Introduction
Winning Strategy 胜战计Shèng zhàn jì
36 Strategies - 01 瞒天过海 Fool The Heaven To Cross The Sea
36 Strategies - 02 围魏救赵 Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao Part 1
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Presents ancient Chinese war tactics in plain-style Chinese, which is helpful for learners looking to improve their reading comprehension
Explores the historical and cultural context of the Thirty-Six Strategies, offering insights into Chinese military thinking and cultural heritage
Examines the application of the Thirty-Six Strategies in various historical scenarios, providing a unique perspective on ancient Chinese warfare
Features a unique "Vocabulary Builder" approach, which can help learners expand their Chinese vocabulary while studying military strategies
Includes both Chinese and English translations, which may be useful for learners to compare and contrast the nuances of each language
Requires learners to have an intermediate to advanced level of Chinese, which may exclude beginners from fully benefiting from the course

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Reviews summary

Ancient chinese strategy & language insights

According to learners, this course offers a positive exploration of the ancient Chinese 36 Strategies, providing historical context and explanations for each one. Many students appreciate the rich historical examples that illustrate how these strategies were applied in ancient times. The course also includes Chinese language components, which some find helpful for vocabulary building and cultural understanding, though others focused purely on the strategic concepts. While reviewers generally find the content insightful, there's a mix of opinions on how easily these historical tactics translate to modern business or daily life applications without further interpretation. Overall, it's seen as a valuable resource for understanding a significant part of Chinese history and strategic thought.
Helpful for language learners, optional for others.
"The inclusion of Chinese vocabulary and pronunciation was a nice bonus for me as a language learner."
"If you're just here for strategy, the Chinese parts might be a distraction, but they're well-explained."
"I appreciated the 'Vocabulary Builder' aspect, it enhanced my understanding of the original terms."
"Good for getting a feel for the Chinese terms associated with the strategies."
Mixed views on applying strategies today.
"It's interesting history, but applying these to modern business requires significant interpretation."
"I found it challenging to see direct application to my professional life without more guidance."
"Some strategies feel highly relevant even today, while others seem purely historical."
"Wish there was more focus on how to adapt these concepts for contemporary situations."
Provides fascinating historical case studies.
"Learning about the historical examples for each strategy was incredibly insightful."
"The historical anecdotes truly bring the strategies to life and make them memorable."
"I really enjoyed hearing the stories from Chinese history that illustrated the use of these tactics."
"The context provided by the historical case studies was a major plus."
Clear breakdowns of each ancient strategy.
"The explanation of each strategy is quite clear and easy to follow."
"I liked how each of the 36 strategies was presented with its meaning and historical context."
"They broke down the strategies well, making complex ideas understandable."
"The course provided a solid foundation in understanding these ancient tactics."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Art of War -The 36 Strategies- Ancient Chinese War Tactics with these activities:
Review 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu
Provide a foundational understanding of military strategy and tactics.
View Sun Tzu's Art of War: The Manga Version: The... on Amazon
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'The Art of War'.
  • Read the book, focusing on key strategic concepts.
  • Compare and contrast Sun Tzu's principles with the 36 Strategies.
Review Chinese History
Provide historical context for the 36 Strategies.
Browse courses on Chinese History
Show steps
  • Review key periods of Chinese history.
  • Focus on the Warring States period and the Three Kingdoms period.
  • Research the historical figures mentioned in the course.
Vocabulary Flashcards
Reinforce vocabulary acquisition through repetitive practice.
Browse courses on Chinese Vocabulary
Show steps
  • Create flashcards for new Chinese words from each lesson.
  • Review the flashcards daily.
  • Use the words in sentences to improve retention.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Discuss Strategies with Peers
Deepen understanding through collaborative discussion and analysis.
Show steps
  • Form a study group with other students.
  • Choose a strategy from the course.
  • Discuss the strategy's meaning, application, and historical context.
  • Share personal insights and interpretations.
Review 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'
Provide rich historical context and examples for the 36 Strategies.
View ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS: THE COMPLETE SET on Amazon
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'.
  • Read the book, focusing on key battles and strategic decisions.
  • Identify instances where the 36 Strategies are employed.
Create a Presentation on a Strategy
Solidify understanding by teaching a strategy to others.
Show steps
  • Select a strategy from the course.
  • Research the strategy in depth.
  • Prepare a presentation explaining the strategy.
  • Present the strategy to classmates or colleagues.
Analyze Modern Applications of the Strategies
Apply the strategies to contemporary situations to demonstrate mastery.
Show steps
  • Choose a modern context (business, politics, etc.).
  • Identify situations where the 36 Strategies could be applied.
  • Write a report analyzing the potential outcomes.

Career center

Learners who complete Art of War -The 36 Strategies- Ancient Chinese War Tactics will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Intelligence Analyst
An intelligence analyst gathers and interprets information to assess potential threats and opportunities, similar to understanding the complex strategies of ancient warfare. This course exploring the 'Thirty-Six Strategies' helps develop a crucial understanding of deception, maneuvering, and strategic thinking. By examining historical military tactics, an analyst may better anticipate an adversary's actions, interpret information, and form recommendations, thereby enhancing their skills in identifying patterns, understanding motivations, and ultimately making informed decisions. Learning from varied examples of strategic thinking, as offered by this course, may allow one to generate more nuanced analyses when working as an intelligence analyst.
See salaries and explore the career path for Intelligence Analyst
Strategic Planner
A strategic planner develops long and medium term plans for an organization, a role where understanding the intricacies of strategy are crucial. The 'Thirty-Six Strategies' provide rich case studies in how to approach challenges with a multi-faceted plan. This course may be useful to develop a mindset that approaches challenges with creative and indirect solutions. By studying the various historical contexts and applying these principles to business, a strategic planner may formulate responses to complex situations. Examining the art of maneuvering from an ancient Chinese perspective may allow one to appreciate the complexity of creating strategies, making this a good course for those in strategic planning.
See salaries and explore the career path for Strategic Planner
Negotiator
A negotiator requires a deep understanding of strategy, psychology, and the art of persuasion, all of which are explored in 'The 36 Strategies.' Understanding the tactics of deception, maneuvering, and exploiting weaknesses is invaluable for successful negotiations. This course may develop a strategic mindset, enhance the ability to anticipate an opponent's actions, and provide a deeper appreciation of how to gain a positional advantage. By familiarizing oneself with the methods of ancient warfare and applying them to the context of negotiation, one may become a more effective negotiator, learning strategies beyond straightforward bargaining.
See salaries and explore the career path for Negotiator
Project Manager
A project manager oversees the planning, execution, and completion of projects. This course may help with understanding how to approach a challenge with a multi-faceted approach. The 'Thirty-Six Strategies' offer an array of tactics, including deception and the ability to anticipate an opponent's actions. A project manager must approach projects with a complete plan, anticipating potential problems, and adapting to changing circumstances. This course may help one to consider various approaches and improve awareness and foresight, allowing a Project Manager to consider multiple angles of attack when solving a problem, and ultimately become a better leader.
See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager
Risk Manager
A risk manager identifies and assesses potential threats to an organization, developing strategies to mitigate those threats. This course exploring 'The 36 Strategies' offers insights into anticipating an adversary's actions, recognizing vulnerabilities, and developing strategic responses. This may be useful to a risk manager, allowing them to approach challenges with a more informed perspective. By understanding how ancient military leaders approached conflicts, one may see how to identify and manage business risk, allowing that person to adopt different angles of attack when managing risk to better protect an organization.
See salaries and explore the career path for Risk Manager
Business Development Manager
A business development manager focuses on identifying and pursuing opportunities for growth, a role where strategic thinking is needed to gain a competitive edge. The 'Thirty-Six Strategies' provide lessons in how to approach challenges with a multi-faceted approach. This course may help one to think strategically, and to approach challenges with creative and indirect solutions. By studying the various historical contexts and applying these principles to business, a business development manager may develop stronger strategies for growth and approach the marketplace from new angles. This course helps build a foundation in strategic thinking and maneuvering, skills useful in the business environment.
See salaries and explore the career path for Business Development Manager
Market Analyst
A market analyst studies market conditions to understand trends and predict future developments, similar to anticipating an opponent's moves on the battlefield. This course studying 'The 36 Strategies' help someone develop a strong grasp of maneuvering and strategic thinking. This course may help one identify subtle shifts in the market and develop strategies based on that understanding. Examining the methods of ancient warfare may allow a market analyst to make more nuanced interpretations when studying market data, understanding trends based on market actions.
See salaries and explore the career path for Market Analyst
Political Analyst
A political analyst studies political events and trends, offering insights into the motivations and strategies of various actors, a role where strategic thinking is key. The 'Thirty-Six Strategies' offer a historical lens for understanding how decisions are made, including the role of deception and strategic maneuvering. This course may be useful to develop a more nuanced interpretation of political behavior. By examining the strategies of ancient conflicts, a political analyst may better understand the political landscape. Specifically, by understanding examples of deception, such as those in 'The 36 Strategies', a political analyst may become more adept at interpreting political actions.
See salaries and explore the career path for Political Analyst
Operations Manager
An operations manager oversees all activities related to production including strategic planning, process improvement, and resource management, similar to military logistics and strategy. While not teaching the specifics of supply chains, this course exploring 'The 36 Strategies' may be useful for a person interested in better understanding decision making. By studying ancient warfare, operations managers may improve their strategic mindset and approach problems with a more multi-faceted approach. The course may help an operations manager understand the importance of planning and adaptability by studying historical examples, making them more effective leaders.
See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Manager
Teacher
A teacher develops lesson plans to communicate knowledge and ideas to a variety of students. 'The 36 Strategies' is designed to help learners expand their vocabulary in Chinese, and this course may help a teacher understand the importance of pedagogy. By understanding how this course uses 'Vocabulary Builder,' a teacher may gain exposure to novel ways of communication for a complicated topic. Specifically for a language teacher, the course may provide a better understanding of how to approach communicating complex topics, and the teacher may use these lessons when crafting their own lesson plans.
See salaries and explore the career path for Teacher
Translator
A translator must have a deep understanding of both source and target languages. The course materials for this course feature a parallel Chinese and English text, and may provide additional insight into the challenge of translation. This course studying 'The 36 Strategies' may help a translator in Chinese to English improve by learning more about language in context. Specifically, examining nuanced translations of ancient Chinese strategic terms may improve one's ability to perform translations in other fields, and the course's vocabulary exercises may build upon existing knowledge.
See salaries and explore the career path for Translator
Librarian
A librarian organizes and manages information resources, making them accessible to users. While not directly tied to library science, this course studying 'The 36 Strategies' provides exposure to a unique set of texts and may help a librarian broaden their understanding of different types of historical documents. By studying the structure of ancient Chinese texts, a librarian may become more aware of ways to organize their library materials. Specifically, this course may provide exposure to historical texts that would inform that person's practice as a librarian.
See salaries and explore the career path for Librarian
Historian
A historian studies and interprets past events, including military history, which 'The 36 Strategies' directly addresses. While this course is not specifically about historical analysis, the primary source text may be extremely helpful as it is derived from historical battle strategies. By examining the methods of ancient Chinese warfare and their cultural context a historian may gain a new perspective. This kind of primary source material is invaluable to the study of history, and this course may give a historian access to novel material.
See salaries and explore the career path for Historian
Content Creator
A content creator produces engaging written, visual, and auditory content, and 'The 36 Strategies' may offer a unique source of inspiration. By studying the ways in which ancient strategists communicated their ideas, a content creator may gain a fresh perspective. This course exploring the methods of communication in ancient texts may allow the content creator to better relate to their target audience by learning how ideas were communicated in the past. This course provides an unusual source of material for storytelling, and it may help one to create content for a variety of platforms.
See salaries and explore the career path for Content Creator
Tour Guide
A tour guide leads groups of people and provides information about locations or topics. The course materials for this course on 'The 36 Strategies' feature historical content that may be of interest to a tour guide. By examining the historical context of these ancient Chinese texts, a tour guide may gain access to novel information. Although the subject matter is specific, this course may provide a rich source of information for a tour guide, especially one working with historical or cultural tours.
See salaries and explore the career path for Tour Guide

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Art of War -The 36 Strategies- Ancient Chinese War Tactics.
Cover image
Sun Tzu's the Art of War: The Manga Version
Save
Provides the foundational text for understanding military strategy and tactics. It offers a broader context for the 36 Strategies, revealing the underlying principles of warfare and strategic thinking. Reading 'The Art of War' will enhance comprehension of the course material and provide a deeper appreciation for the historical and philosophical roots of these strategies. It widely studied text in military academies and business schools.
Sun Tzu's Art of War: The Manga Version: The Full...
Paperback
$$
Cover image
Romance of the Three Kingdoms: The Complete Set
Save
This historical novel provides rich context and examples for many of the 36 Strategies. It classic of Chinese literature that vividly portrays the political and military landscape of the Three Kingdoms period. Reading this book will enhance your understanding of the historical figures and events referenced in the course. While not strictly required, it offers valuable background information and makes the strategies more relatable.
ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS: THE COMPLETE SET
Hardcover
$$

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Effort
14.5 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructor
David Yao
Language
English
Traffic lights
Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Presents ancient Chinese war tactics in plain-style Chinese, which is helpful for learners looking to improve their reading comprehension
Explores the historical and cultural context of the Thirty-Six Strategies, offering insights into Chinese military thinking and cultural heritage
Examines the application of the Thirty-Six Strategies in various historical scenarios, providing a unique perspective on ancient Chinese warfare
Features a unique "Vocabulary Builder" approach, which can help learners expand their Chinese vocabulary while studying military strategies
Includes both Chinese and English translations, which may be useful for learners to compare and contrast the nuances of each language
Requires learners to have an intermediate to advanced level of Chinese, which may exclude beginners from fully benefiting from the course
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