"There is only one principle of war and that's this. Hit the other fellow, as quick as you can, and as hard as you can, where it hurts him the most, when he ain't looking." —Sir William Slim
Warfighting involves:
1) striking
2) speed
3) strength
4) scrutiny
5) surprise
In order to win battles, you must strike. War is offensive. It is aggressive. It strikes out. It leaves a place of comfort in order to inflict discomfort on those who would come against it.
You must also strike with speed. The best way to land a punch is quickly. The faster the strike, the less able the enemy is to able to see it coming, defend themselves, or recover.
The strike must also have some strength and force behind it. If you strike first and with speed, yet without strength, it is like poking the bear with a bendy straw. It may catch him off guard, but you'll only catch hell for doing it.
A quick, powerful strike should also be aimed with scrutiny at the weakest available spot. A quick assessment of your enemy should give you a run down of vulnerable areas. The most reasonable vulnerable spot available should be the target.
Lastly, if you strike decisively, with agility, potency, precision and surprise, you may deal your enemy a deathblow before they ever have a chance to inflict any damage on you. This is the aim of warfare. If you decide you must fight, you must also decide to win; and winning is a combination of striking, speed, strength, scrutiny and surprise.
"Seeking the enemy's vulnerabilities means striking with our strength against his weakness (rather than his strength) and at a time when the enemy is not prepared. This is where we can often cause the greatest damage at the lowest cost to ourselves. In practical terms, this often means avoiding his front, where his attention is focused, and striking his flanks and rear, where he does not expect us." -- MCDP 1-3: Tactics
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