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An army may be likened to water, for just as flowing water avoids the heights and hastens to the lowlands, so an army avoids strength and strikes weakness.

Sun Tzu

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Sun Tzu
Military Personnel
Philosopher
Strategist
Writer
Kingdom of Qi
Sun Wu
Sun Zi
Changqing
Weakness
Hastens
Strength
Likened
Water
Avoids
War
Heights
Art
Flowing
May
Height
Strikes
Army
Lowlands

More quotes by Sun Tzu

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A clever general... avoids an army when its spirit is keen, but attacks it when it is sluggish and inclined to return. This is the art of studying moods. Disciplined and calm, he awaits the appearance of disorder and hubbub among the enemy. This is the art of retaining self-possession.
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And therefore those skilled in war bring the enemy to the field of battle and are not brought there by him.
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Knowledge of the enemy's dispositions can only be obtained from other men.
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Whoever is the first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy will be fresh for the fight... Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy... 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.
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To capture the enemy's entire army is better than to destroy it to take intact a regiment, a company, or a squad is better than to destroy them. For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the supreme of excellence. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence.
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Thus those skilled in war subdue the enemy's army without battle .... They conquer by strategy.
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It is sufficient to estimate the enemy situation correctly and to concentrate your strength to capture him. There is no more to it than this. He who lacks foresight and underestimates his enemy will surely be captured by him.
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And regulation entails organizational effectiveness, a chain of command, and a structure for logistical support.
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Great results, can be achieved with small forces.
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Being unconquerable lies with yourself being conquerable lies with your enemy.
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When he utilizes combined energy, his fighting men become as it were like unto rolling logs or stones. For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope if four-cornered, to come to a standstill, but if round-shaped to go rolling down.
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We may distinguish six kinds of terrain, to wit: (1) Accessible ground (2) entangling ground (3) temporising ground (4) narrow passes (5) precipitous heights (6) positions at a great distance from the enemy.
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Winning isn't enough. The acme of all skill is to defeat your enemy before taking the field.
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When I have won a victory I do not repeat my tactics but respond to circumstances in an infinite variety of ways.
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These are the six ways of courting defeat - neglect to estimate the enemy's strength want of authority defective training unjustifiable anger nonobservance of discipline failure to use picked men.
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In the tumult and uproar, the battle seems chaotic, but there is no disorder, the troops appear to be milling about in circles but cannot be defeated.
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The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.
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If you follow the enemy's shifts and changes, you can always find a way to win.
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Every battle is won before it is fought.
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To persuade your enemy to (retreat) before the fight is to defeat them even before the battle begins. An enemy made ally is no longer an enemy.
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