The Thirty-Six Stratagems | Episode 22: Shut the Gate to Catch the Thief - When you block the exit, the battle is over

When people want to stop an opponent,
they try to fight them head-on.

However, the more you corner an opponent,
the more fiercely they will counterattack.

What you should be looking at is not the opponent.
It is the opponent's escape route.

[Meaning of the 22nd Stratagem of the Thirty-Six Stratagems]

　Shut the Gate to Catch the Thief(Kanmon Sokuzoku) A strategy of controlling the places the opponent passes through, such as checkpoints or gates, and sealing off their escape route.
　
　

A strategy not to defeat the opponent head-on, but to control their escape routes, retreat paths, and vital passages to restrict their movement.
What is important is
not to crush them from the front.

・Cut off escape routes
・Reduce their options
・Narrow their range of movement

By doing this,
you weaken the opponent.
This is 'Shut the Gate to Catch the Thief'.

[Modern Translation]

Even an opponent who looks strong
always has a passage they rely on.

・Sales channels
・Means of financing
・Information channels
・Routes for avoiding responsibility

Many people
attack the opponent themselves, but
the essence is different.

・Block the path they use most
・Cut off the exit they rely on most
・Control the most important gate

Then, the opponent will no longer be able to move freely.

You are not defeating the opponent.
You are taking away the conditions that allow them to move.

[Historical Example]

In his battle against Chu, Han Xin
did not just crush the enemy army head-on, but
used a method of cutting off their retreat.

The enemy army had many troops,
and a head-on collision would result in heavy attrition.

Therefore,

・Control supply lines
・Seal off retreat paths
・Secure key points first

Then,

The enemy lost their escape route,
and could no longer maintain their combat strength.

As a result,
before any major head-on battle,
the outcome had already been decided.

It was not that the enemy was annihilated.
It was that their exit was blocked.

[Business Case Study]

A certain company
was struggling against a competitor that was disrupting the market using price as a weapon.
The competitor was strong.

・Repeatedly offering low prices
・Stealing new customers
・Having short-term momentum

Many companies would:

・Counter with price cuts
・Increase advertising
・Engage in a head-on competition

However, they ended up exhausted.

Nevertheless,
one company succeeded in stopping the competitor's momentum
while protecting its own profits.

Why were they able to stop them?

This company
analyzed the competitor's growth path.
As a result,

・Dependence on acquiring new customers
・Dependence on low prices
・A customer structure that makes switching easy

were discovered to be supporting their growth.
Therefore,

・Increasing long-term corporate contracts
・Combining unique services
・Strengthening high-quality support
・Increasing switching costs

Then,

・Existing customers became harder to lose
・They could no longer be stolen by price alone
・The competitor's expansion speed slowed down

As a result,

・The competitor's momentum slowed
・The company's own profits were maintained
・They succeeded in protecting their market share

This company did not attack the competitor.
They blocked the competitor's exit.

[Explanation]

This business executive thought as follows.

1. "Head-on competition leads to a war of attrition"

Price competition, advertising competition, and short-term countermeasures are disadvantageous.

are disadvantageous.

2. "Find the opponent's escape route"

It is necessary to analyze what the competitor relies on.

3. "Block the exit"

You just need to cut off customer churn paths, reliance on low prices, and switching routes.

is all that is needed.

4. "Stop their movement without fighting"

In this way, they blocked the opponent's movement path rather than the opponent themselves.

This is precisely what is meant by
Shut the Gate to Catch the Thief.

[Business Application Examples]

1. Sales Competition

Secure key customers before the competition does

2. Organizational Management

Eliminate mechanisms that allow for shirking responsibility

3. Negotiation

Reduce the opponent's alternative options

What they have in common is,

not looking at the opponent, but
looking at the opponent's path

is what it is.

[Core Message]

Do not defeat the opponent.
Block their escape route.

[Summary]

Shut the Gate to Catch the Thief is
not a strategy of crushing with force.

・See through the opponent's path
・Block the most important exit
・Deprive them of free movement

It is a strategy for that purpose.

Those who are truly strong
avoid fighting head-on and exhausting themselves.

When the opponent loses the path they can move on,
the battle is almost decided.

The one who waits at the gate wins in the end.

Next Episode Preview

The Thirty-Six Stratagems | Episode 23
Befriend Distant States and Attack Neighbors - Suppress the near, partner with the far

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