bamboo-spear tactics; fighting with primitive weapons against a technologically superior enemy
Often used critically to describe a naive, spiritualistic approach that relies on sheer determination rather than practical means. The term originates from WWII-era rhetoric.
You can't defeat a modern army with bamboo-spear tactics.
His plan was criticized as nothing more than bamboo-spear tactics.
精神論 emphasizes mental attitude or willpower in general, while 竹槍戦術 specifically refers to the futile attempt to overcome material inferiority with sheer spirit, often with a historical/military connotation.
Compound of 竹槍 (bamboo spear) and 戦術 (tactics). The term gained currency during World War II as a symbol of Japan's desperate, spirit-over-materiel propaganda.