The Art of War — Sun Tzu

The Art of War

Sun Tzu · License: Public domain · Source

• 15. Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of a trigger. ¶341
• 16. Amid the turmoil and tumult of battle, there may be seeming disorder and yet no real disorder at all; amid confusion and chaos, your array may be without head or tail, yet it will be proof against defeat. ¶343
• 17. Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline, simulated fear postulates courage; simulated weakness postulates strength. ¶345
• 18. Hiding order beneath the cloak of disorder is simply a question of subdivision; ¶347
• concealing courage under a show of timidity presupposes a fund of latent energy; ¶349
• masking strength with weakness is to be effected by tactical dispositions. ¶351
• 19. Thus one who is skillful at keeping the enemy on the move maintains deceitful appearances, according to which the enemy will act. ¶353
• He sacrifices something, that the enemy may snatch at it. ¶355
• 20. By holding out baits, he keeps him on the march; then with a body of picked men he lies in wait for him. ¶356
• 21. The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals. ¶358
• 23. Thus the energy developed by good fighting men is as the momentum of a round stone rolled down a mountain thousands of feet in height. So much on the subject of energy. ¶362
• ----------------------------------------------------------------- ¶365
• 1. Sun Tzu said: Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted. 2. Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him. ¶368
• 3. By holding out advantages to him, he can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord; or, by inflicting damage, he can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near. ¶370
• 4. If the enemy is taking his ease, he can harass him; ¶372
• if well supplied with food, he can starve him out; if quietly encamped, he can force him to move. 5. Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected. 6. An army may march great distances without distress, if it marches through country where the enemy is not. ¶374
• 7. You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended. ¶376
• You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked. ¶378
• 8. Hence that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack. ¶380
• 9. O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible; ¶382
• 12. If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground. All we need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in his way. ¶386
• 13. By discovering the enemy's dispositions and remaining invisible ourselves, we can keep our forces concentrated, while the enemy's must be divided. ¶388
• 18. Numerical weakness comes from having to prepare against possible attacks; numerical strength, from compelling our adversary to make these preparations against us. ¶394
• 19. Knowing the place and the time of the coming battle, we may concentrate from the greatest distances in order to fight. ¶396
• 21. Though according to my estimate the soldiers of Yueh exceed our own in number, that shall advantage them nothing in the matter of victory. I say then that victory can be achieved. ¶400
• 22. Though the enemy be stronger in numbers, we may prevent him from fighting. Scheme so as to discover his plans and the likelihood of their success. ¶402
• 23. Rouse him, and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity. ¶404
• Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spots. 24. Carefully compare the opposing army with your own, so that you may know where strength is superabundant and where it is deficient. ¶406
• 25. In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them; ¶408
• conceal your dispositions, and you will be safe from the prying of the subtlest spies, from the machinations of the wisest brains. ¶410
• 26. How victory may be produced for them out of the enemy's own tactics--that is what the multitude cannot comprehend. 27. All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved. ¶412
• 28. Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances. ¶414
• 29. Military tactics are like unto water; for water in its natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards. 30. So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak. ¶416
• the four seasons make way for each other in turn. ¶420
• There are short days and long; the moon has its periods of waning and waxing. ¶422
• ----------------------------------------------------------------- ¶425
• 1. Sun Tzu said: In war, the general receives his commands from the sovereign. 2. Having collected an army and concentrated his forces, he must blend and harmonize the different elements thereof before pitching his camp. ¶427
• 3. After that, comes tactical maneuvering, than which there is nothing more difficult. ¶429
• The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain. ¶431
• 4. Thus, to take a long and circuitous route, after enticing the enemy out of the way, and though starting after him, to contrive to reach the goal before him, shows knowledge of the artifice of DEVIATION. ¶433

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