The period of such conflict. A condition of active antagonism or contention. A concerted effort or campaign to combat or put an end to something considered injurious. Fighting and open conflict is such a trite and trivial aspect of war as to be secondary. It is more than just learning how to win, it also trying to teach people to think of the costs and consequences of their actions before hand.
War is an absolute conflict.
It is all out, no holds barred, must win or be destroyed kind of thing. I studied martial arts, and learned how to disarm people who had guns or knives, or how to strike deadly blows, but I seriously doubt there will ever be a circumstance where I would have to employ them. I am including my interpretations of The Art of War . And after each of my summaries, I include a translation of the original text. Every person can get their own lessons from life and literature.