Selling Blue Elephants: How To Make Great Products That People Want Before They Even Know They Want Them

Chapter 11. Asia Calling, Ltd.: The China Angle

A very loose translation of Russian gang wisdom says that the one with bare hands cannot withstand a direct hit by a large brick. Translating that to today’s realpolitik, the awakening colossus known as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) is hanging over Westerners’ heads. It is true that one cannot directly resist the blow of a brick. But some martial arts professionals can challenge that. To do so—at least, as we see it in Jackie Chan movies—these professionals challenged by a nemesis with potentially higher “brute force” realize that they need to be more agile, more trained, smarter, and better prepared than their opponents are. They have to be more adept and perceptive, adapting to the attacker’s ...