What Can Martial Arts Teach Us About Modern Operations Engineering?

Operations is compared to martial arts: just as different schools of kung fu have unique styles, the field of operations also varies, but the ultimate goal remains the same – delivering reliable, secure, and scalable services.

1. Fundamentals – the basic stance

Just as a martial artist practices basic stances, an operations engineer must solidify core knowledge—basic troubleshooting, scripting, and system concepts. Without a strong foundation, advanced work becomes painful and inefficient.

2. Inner and outer skills – theory and practice

Outer skills are the visible actions: writing scripts, installing software, handling alerts. Inner skills are the theoretical understanding of computer architecture, networking, and problem‑solving methods that enable efficient work. Both are required for true expertise.

3. Tools – the weapons of choice

Having the right tools dramatically reduces manual effort. Operations teams often need to build their own tools because developers rarely maintain them. Effective tools must be reusable, abstract, and applicable across standardized environments.

4. Teamwork – the battle formation

Individual talent is insufficient without coordinated processes and a well‑organized team. Operations success depends on awareness (people), technology (tools), and processes (workflow automation) working together.

5. Automation – the strategic weapon

Automation aims to minimize human intervention in repetitive tasks, allowing the system to self‑heal and feed experience back into the workflow. Fully automated pipelines shift the role of operations engineers from manual labor to strategic design and continuous improvement.

“A single person’s brilliance is limited; a team’s brilliance is unstoppable.”

The author invites discussion on common questions about operations automation, such as its necessity for small businesses, impact on security, and whether it is merely scripting or a broader management discipline.