How to Read “Easy to fight and win, hard to keep the victory”
Tatakaite katsu wa yasuku kachi wo mamoru wa katashi
Meaning of “Easy to fight and win, hard to keep the victory”
This proverb expresses the truth that maintaining a victory is more difficult than achieving it. Winning a battle is often something you can accomplish with temporary effort and concentration.
However, protecting the position or achievements gained through that victory requires constant vigilance and effort.
This proverb is used to warn against complacency after achieving a goal. It also emphasizes the importance of maintenance and management after success.
Momentary achievements like passing an exam, succeeding in business, or winning a competition are the results of your efforts bearing fruit. But what awaits you afterward is a new challenge to maintain that position.
Even in modern society, this lesson applies to all fields. Companies find it harder to maintain market share than to gain it. Athletes discover that defending a championship is more difficult than winning it the first time.
Origin and Etymology
There are various theories about the exact origin of this proverb. It is believed to be influenced by ancient Chinese philosophy, especially military strategy texts.
During China’s Warring States period, many military strategy books were written. These texts clearly distinguished between “gaining victory” and “maintaining victory” as two separate stages.
In Japan, this philosophy deeply penetrated society as the warrior class became established. After the Warring States period and into the Edo period, military commanders learned from actual combat experience.
They realized that governing conquered territory stably was far more difficult than seizing it.
Looking at the structure of the phrase, the contrast between “fight and win” and “keep the victory” is clear. The former represents a temporary action, while the latter expresses a state requiring continuous effort.
This contrasting structure itself conveys the core message of the proverb.
Not only in warrior society but also in the merchant world, similar lessons were valued. The feeling that maintaining business success and passing it down as a family trade was harder than temporary success was shared by many people.
Against this social background, this proverb was widely accepted and passed down through generations.
Usage Examples
- We succeeded in launching the new business, but easy to fight and win, hard to keep the victory—responding to competitors catching up is really tough
- I’m happy we won the tournament, but easy to fight and win, hard to keep the victory, so I need to stay focused to defend the title at the next competition
Universal Wisdom
Humans have a curious quality. While working toward a goal, we can maintain strong concentration and passion. But the moment we achieve that goal, our minds begin to relax.
This proverb has been passed down for so long precisely because it sees through this essential human nature.
On the path to victory, people face clear enemies and obstacles. Because the target is obvious, we can give our all. But once we grasp victory, the situation changes completely.
What we must protect increases. The fear of losing emerges. We who were once challengers now become defenders.
Even more serious is the arrogance born from success. At the moment of victory, people tend to overestimate their own abilities.
But circumstances constantly change. Just as we were once challengers, new challengers are watching carefully for their opportunity.
What this proverb shows is the truth that life’s real trials come after you achieve success. Staying at the top requires far greater effort and humility than reaching it.
Our ancestors deeply understood this subtle aspect of human psychology.
When AI Hears This
The moment of winning a battle is an act of concentrating scattered forces and resources at one point to create order. This corresponds to what physics calls a “low entropy state”—an organized condition.
However, the fundamental law of the universe, the law of entropy increase, teaches that all order inevitably moves toward disorder over time.
What’s interesting is the asymmetry of this collapse rate. Creating the ordered state of victory requires massive energy input all at once. But maintaining that state requires equal or greater energy continuously.
For example, a refrigerator can cool instantly, but keeping things cold requires electricity flowing 24 hours a day. Moreover, the greater the temperature difference with the outside, the more energy is needed.
Victory is the same. The moment you win, your organization holds a large potential difference called “advantage” with its surroundings.
Then thermal noise like arrogance and internal conflicts emerges from within. Heat inflow like jealousy and resistance comes from outside.
The cost of continuously resisting this pressure toward disorder from both directions is far higher than the temporary concentration needed to gain victory. What physical laws show is that the difficulty of maintenance isn’t just a feeling—it’s a necessity carved into the structure of the universe itself.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches you today is that the moment of achievement is actually a new starting line. You earned a certification, got promoted, reached your goal—the real challenge begins after these joyful moments.
In modern society, the speed of change is faster than ever before. There’s no guarantee that today’s success will work tomorrow.
That’s why the attitude of continuing to learn and improve even after success is essential. We’ve seen countless examples of companies at the top declining within just a few years.
What matters is becoming humble when you achieve success. The moment you think “I’m all set now” might actually be the most dangerous moment.
There are always new challengers around you, searching for new methods. What you’re protecting today might not be protectable tomorrow.
But this isn’t a pessimistic message at all. Rather, it means there are opportunities for continuous growth.
By continuing to make efforts to protect what you’ve won, you become even stronger. Through the process of maintaining success, you develop true ability.
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