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Sun Tzu is famous for his strategy manual The Art of War. In modern times this manual has been applied to domains such as business, but has it been applied to martial arts? Can Art of War be applied to martial arts? Are there aspects that are particularly applicable?
Understanding how an opponent thinks and their available weapons can determine the best strategy to engage them using your own strengths. For example, fighting a boxer at close range where you can grapple but they cannot punch you effectively may be a better alternative than engaging at punching distance.
Modern martial arts is not so concerned with the morale and motivation of conscripts, but the behavior of the opponent is critical. Annoying is a simple tactic that can cause a poor temperment to become impatient and make mistakes.
There are many possibilities:
Fighting always has risks, and achieving your goals without fighting is best.
Conserve your energy. Make the opponent exert more energy. Don't fully commit until their energy is flagging.
You define the arena. "Don't box a boxer. Don't wrestle a wrestler." This is a common strategy in MMA.
Don't charge in, make the opponent initiate so you can riposte cleanly. If they're crowding you, strike at grievous targets, such as the knees or eyes. (Musashi talked about stabbing at the face, which is not an optimal choice, except to deter or unsettle your opponent.)
A common strategy—throwing feints and weak strikes to annoy and force the opponent to defend. Don't let them rest, and try to piss them off to degrade their decision-making.
No brainer—attack openings—people often drop their guard. Don't drop your guard—be conservative and disciplined.
Attack openings, but then quickly attack new openings when they move to defend.
This is actually a fairly good description of the tai chi notion of "pushing toward the center", but it has general applicability. Also explicates the tai chi notion of already moving force into the next vector "before the opponent" when countering. More concretely, even if you begin to step back just after an opponent steps forward, you can arrive at your new position more quickly.
Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing.
Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.
He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.
Be flexible! Be able to do a little of everything. (It is said of GTA that it is not the best FPS, or the best driving game, or the best flying game, but is has all three, and thereby dominates:)
