Themes
The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him.
— Sun Tzu · The Art of War
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
A description of skilful competition: the clever combatant pushes their own will onto the opponent while refusing to let the opponent do the same. It's about holding the initiative, being the one who sets the terms rather than the one who's forced to respond.
Context reviewed