The Strategic Stack: Guiguzi Core Principles and Vol. 2

The foundation layer

1. 揣摩 Chuai Mo — reading people. Probe at the emotional extremes. Joy, fear and anger are the keys that unlock true intentions.
2. 开合 Kai He — opening and closing. The master principle. One open, one close. Control the rhythm of the interaction and you control the outcome.
3. 伏熊法 Fu Xiong Fa — strategic patience. The Crouching Bear. Accumulate power in stillness; act only at the moment of maximum vulnerability.

The application layer

4. 抵巇 Di Xi — targeting fractures. Never attack strength. Find the internal contradictions and the seams, then apply pressure.
5. 飞钳 Fei Qian — the flying clamp. Positioning via elevation. Use praise and status to clamp targets into commitments.
6. 忤合 Wu He — alignment and alliances. Knowing when to join, when to separate, and when to flip the board.
7. 决 Jue — decisive judgment. The pivot of all affairs. Resolve doubt before acting.

Key frameworks

• Eigenvector Geopolitics — map power as directions and magnitudes in a multi-dimensional field, not as static points.
• The Zenyatta Protocol — decision-making where the substrate, human or AI, is irrelevant; only the accuracy of the attention matters.
• Defensive Anchoring — the Draymond path. Build the floor so the Strategist can reach for the ceiling.