The Art of Personal Competition - How Sun Tzu Would Coach Key Team Players

By Allan P. Sand

This is how Sun Tsu would guide your development as a sports player! Apply the philosophy of war to your competitive development and increase your ability to out-think and out-maneuver opponents!

2,500 years ago, a Chinese general, Sun Tzu, wrote a treatise titled "The Art of War". It summarized his lifetime experiences of what was important about warfare and battlefield management.

The first words are "The art of war is of vital importance …". This is how millions of students began their education into the philosophy of organized conflict. His words (translated by Lionel Giles) are presented here – and how they apply to you.

This book provides the guidelines to effective training, preparation, planning, thinking, and execution of your sports career. Inside are the secrets of playing smarter. You will gain new insights into how to:
- Win against better players
- Trap and misdirect opponents
- Design useful strategies
- Devise effective tactics
- Attack efficiently
- Defend aggressively

Make sure you have a pencil and notepad as you read through this book. There will be much re-evaluation of bedrock doctrine. Many current beliefs could be ill-considered dogma. Plus you will need document the many tactical ideas and concepts that will light up your consciousness.

Make sure that your coach and coaching staff get "The Art of Team Competition". This companion book will ensure that your coach will support your personal physical and intellectual skills.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Allan P. Sand
• Release date: Apr 29, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476223407

Allan P. Sand

Allan P. Sand Santa Clara, CA [e-mail] PBIA (Professional Billiards Instructor Association) and ACS (American Cue Sports) billiards instructor for ten years. My playing and competitive experience goes back over 50 years. I love the give and take of competitive sports and enjoy helping others improve their playing and thinking skills. The books I have published on Smash Words include: • Psychology of Gamesmanship – How to Manage Mind Games & Tricks – Identifies more than 80 sharks and how to prevent your opponent from using them. Also applicable to other team (football, basketball, soccer) and individual (pool, tennis, darts) sports. • The Art of War versus the Art of Pool – The philosophy of pool as defined by Sun Tzu, the Chinese general who wrote about applied warfare, 2500 years ago. • The Art of Politics & Campaigning - an easy road map to success in competition against others for a valued position. • The Art of Team Coaching - how Sun Tzu would coach coaches, including specifics on team and individual training. • The Art of Personal Competition - how Sun Tzu would guide your development as a team player. • Kitchen God's Guide for Single Guys – a humorous cooking book for bachelors BOOKS that are not available on Smashwords (file size too big): • Table Map Library - free on the billiardgods web site. 3,100+ cue ball paths and patterns. For advanced One Pocket and 9 Ball players. • Drills & Exercises for Pool & Pocket Billiards – progressive practices to improve your game, skills, and abilities. • Safety Toolbox – the defensive tools needed to advance your offensive game. Includes drills, tactics, strategies, and precision ball control drills. • Advanced Cue Ball Control Self-Testing Program – Find out if you are an "A" player now and what it takes to get there. • Cue Ball Control Cheat Sheets – the shortcuts that show how to use precise cue ball speed and spin to get position anywhere on the table. VIDEOS Also available are the following videos, which can be rented or purchased on Amazon and on the billiardgods web site: • Secrets of One Rail Kicks - simple calculations about how to figure out short and long rail kicks to another ball on the table. • Secrets of Shooting with Spin - two techniques that describe how to use side spin on the cue ball (with accuracy). • Kicking to a Bib Ball - open...

Book preview

0 Introduction

The Art of War by the ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu has become the world’s premier guide to students of military planning and battlefield management. When war is studied in depth, this ancient treatise is always at the top of the book list. He explains the thinking and planning process necessary to take control of the field of battle. He also explains the necessity of deception and distraction (gamesmanship) to winning. His recommendations are proactive. He sternly warns of the consequences of reactive thinking.

During the last 100 years, many people have applied Sun Tzu’s book on war to business, politics, and, of course, sports. His instructions, considerations, suggestions, and warnings have been directly integrated into offensive and defensive strategies and tactics. In many ways, he strives to win battles by making the opponent acknowledge his superior planning, preparation, and presentation.

This book applies the strategies and tactics of war to your personal development as a sports player. Consider yourself to be the general of an army of one. You have the same obligation to find ways to win on a personal level as that of the general. Your strategies focus on developing your knowledge, strength, and agility. Your tactics focus on the many ways to confront opponents through the use of movements and mind games. (The book The Psychology of Losing explains a wide variety of tactical tools you can utilize.) These actions become tools within your personal library of moves.

Your coach and his supporting staff will use the guidelines in The Art of Team Competition. You will use the guidelines of this book, The Art of Personal Competition.

Becoming a key team player

Participation in sports should be done whole-heartedly with a personal commitment to become as skillful as possible. This book describes and defines what must be done to become an important contributor to the team’s success.

If you accept this personal challenge to dedicate mind and body, work harder than the standards the coach demands. Before the season begins and between practices, set aside time to strengthen yourself and develop fundamental skills. It is up to you to develop yourself. The coach looks for two things when the season starts - natural talent and hard workers.

Natural talent will get you some early successes, but cannot carry you through the season. At a certain point, the dogged determination of lesser talented but more dedicated players will surpass you. It's the story of the tortoise and the hare. Rest on your laurels and you lose.

Your team’s history will include players who had great amounts of natural talent. They made their splash and soaked up the admiration of all. But when they stopped improving themselves, other players surpassed them. They became has-beens, unwilling to work hard. They quit the sport rather than continue embarrassing themselves.

Rather, humble and hide any personal pride in your skills. The first thing is to make the team. Then constantly prove that you deserve to stay on the team.

This book and its recommendations will guide you through the process to become a competent and capable above-average player. The results of your extra efforts will be reflected in your contributions to your team’s success.

How to study this book

Read the words of The Art of War in ITALIC. To understand its particular application, read the indented commentary. Consider how the words could make you a better player.

There are many levels of understanding buried within the words. How you interpret a section at the beginning of the season will not have the same meaning at the end of the season. Something that didn’t make sense on the first time (or two) you read it; will have immense value once you understand the context in relation to your experiences. Therefore, it is well worth your time to continuously go through the various chapters.

Keep a pencil and notepad close by as you read through this book. Highlight sections and segments whether you are reading this as a printed book or on an eBook reader. It is a good idea to document the many ideas and concepts that will light up your consciousness. As this material becomes your own, you will prove yourself to be a more thoughtful and intelligent player.

The benefits of your dedication do not stop on the playing field. Your attitude towards hard work and extraordinary effort will benefit other parts of your life, far beyond your sports career. The concepts apply just as easily to work, business, friends, and family. The rewards will extend throughout your entire lifetime.

Working with your staff coordinator

This is the person on the coaching staff who directs your physical development and coordination with your teammates. Establish a solid working relationship with him. Follow his directions with enthusiasm and dedication.

It is his job to get the best out of you and your teammates through practice and training. As your skills improve, he will notice the results. There is no need to go bragging yourself up. As he identifies your new abilities, he will incorporate them into the team’s overall efforts.

On an individual basis, he can assist you in learning additional physical skills. He can advise you on proper training procedures. He can recommend study material that will improve your thinking. He can also use you as an example of hard work as he encourages your teammates to strive for better results.

Ask for his advice and recommendations to improve. Because of your dedication to improve, he will push and prod as needed. As skills are gained, you will be assigned additional responsibilities. He has areas of knowledge that will advance your abilities and understanding of the game.

01 Calculations

Notes: Quotes from The Art of War by Sun Tzu are shown in italics. The corresponding interpretation is indented and is in regular type.

The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.

The art of personal competition begins with the mastery of physical movements. It continues with the expansion of your mental awareness. Practiced competence results in successful play-actions. Improper or incomplete preparation results in adequate performance at best and abject embarrassing failures at worst.

When accepting the responsibility to participate in the challenges of competing, the sport becomes a central and important part of your life. Accept and embrace the tasks and efforts that ensure you become more than just another competent player.

To be above average in skill, knowledge, and abilities; devote far more time to the sport then just the practices and games in the schedule. Make a strong personal commitment to perform above and beyond the coach’s minimum requirements. This is the only way to consistently contribute to the team’s success.

The art of war, then, is governed by five constant factors, to be taken into account in one’s deliberations, when seeking to determine the conditions obtaining in the field. These are:

Moral Law - causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by