Acting in a market implies to face out competition, a sort of fight against sellers. There are some parallel and interdependent contests about profit increase, market share and sales volume, handling some marketing elements (e.g. price, product, distribution, promotion, etc).
Judo Business Strategy is (not-self-evident) model for managing what element to modify and in which directions, taking advantage of speed and agility on competitors and changes in the market. Judo Strategy consists of three components:
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Movement: assessing contest space and building a map of it
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Balance: countering the competitor’s move
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Leverage: using some competitor’s strenght against him (requiring to put in place some stratagems)
Judo Strategy could be easily explained using concept from:
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Sun Tzu Ping-Fa (The Art of War): 13 chapters about “Winning Empire without War”
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San Shi Liu Ji (The 36 Stratagems): 6 chapters about stratagems
Movement
This is the first phase, intended for building up a strategy. The following Ping-Fa chapters will apply:
Chapter |
Name |
Meaning |
Chinese |
I |
Laying Plans |
Detailed Assessment and Planning |
始計,始计 |
II |
Waging War |
The importance of Organisation and Structure for the Challenge |
作戰,作战 |
IV |
Tactical Disposition |
Positioning in term of features and efforts |
軍形,军形 |
V |
Directing |
Controlling the use of Energy and Power. Divide et Impera |
兵勢,兵势 |
IX |
Moving the Force |
Movement and Development of Troops |
行軍,行军 |
X |
6 Terrains |
Classification of Terrain for Situational Positioning |
地形 |
XI |
9 Situations |
The 9 types of Battleground |
九地 |
Balance
This is the second, you are fighting, currently. The following Ping-Fa chapters will apply:
Chapter |
Name |
Meaning |
Chinese |
III |
Strategic Attack |
The plan of the offense |
謀攻,谋攻 |
VI |
Illusion & Reality |
Mixing-Up Weaknesses and Strenghts, in order to confuse instead of persuade |
虛實,虚实 |
VII |
Engaging the Force |
Actual Military Maneuvers |
軍爭,军争 |
VIII |
9 Variations |
Adaptability through 9 changes of tactics |
九變,九变 |
XII |
Attack by Fire |
Starting up an Incendiary Attack |
火攻 |
XIII |
Employing Spies |
Intelligence and Espionage |
用間,用间 |
Leverage
In order to take advantage of enemy strenght, you must use a smart trick, classified as the following on the base of context (from the simplest ones to the more complex ones):
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Shengzhanji: Stratagems for Battles Won
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Dizhanji: Stratagems for Indecisive Battles
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Gongzhanji: Stratagems for Offensive Battles
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Hunzhanji: Stratagems for Multiple party Battles
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Bingzhanji: Stratagems for Unification and Annection Battles
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Baizhanji: Stratagems for Battles Lost