In order to successfully conduct espionage and sabotage, the shinobi-whether a man or a woman-had to get close enough to the enemy leader; and for that reason the shinobi had to be well-versed in understanding human nature; assessing character; discovering personality flaws; and surmising intentions. From there, the shinobi would proceed to deceive, manipulates, exploit, and ultimately defeat the enemy; an enemy who was not a simple robber, mugger, or criminal but rather another warrior clan, an opposing fiefdom, an army from a neighboring province. For this reason, fighting skill means little or nothing in the larger context of the shinobi curriculum.