Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu (孫子 Sūn Zǐ; c. 6th century BC) was a Chinese general, military strategist, and philosopher who lived in the Eastern Zhou period of ancient China. Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, a widely influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thinking. He is also known as Sun Wu (孫武; Sūn Wǔ), and Chang Qing (長卿; Cháng Qīng).
Biographical information from: Wikiquote
Alternative Names for Sun Tzu
Alternate spelling - Different orthographic variant:
- Sun Wu (English (en))
- 孫武 (Chinese (zh))
- 長卿 (Chinese (zh))
- Chang Qing (English (en))
Transliteration - Phonetic conversion to another script:
- Sūn Zǐ (Chinese written in Latin script (Pinyin) (zh-Latn))
- Sūn Wǔ (Chinese written in Latin script (Pinyin) (zh-Latn))
- Cháng Qīng (Chinese written in Latin script (Pinyin) (zh-Latn))
Primary canonical name - The main standardized name:
- 孫子 (Chinese (zh))
One hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the most skillful, subduing the other's military without battle is the most skillful.
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One mark of a great soldier is that he fight on his own terms or fights not at all.
To begin by bluster, but afterwards to take fright at the enemy's numbers, shows a supreme lack of intelligence.
mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy
Foreknowledge cannot be gotten from ghosts and spirits, cannot be had by analogy, cannot be found out by calculation. It must be obtained from people, people who know the conditions of the enemy.
You must be swift as the wind, dense as the forest, rapacious as fire, steadfast like a mountain, mysterious as night and mighty as thunder.
If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame.
If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve.
If you are near the enemy, make him believe you are far from him.
If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are now
Those who are skilled in combat do not become angered, those who are skilled at winning do not become afraid. Thus the wise win before they fight, while the ignorant fight to win.
Sun Tzu Wu was a native of the Ch`i State. His Art of War brought him to the notice of Ho Lu, King of Wu. Ho Lu said to him: “I have carefully perused your 13 chapters. May I submit your theory of managing soldiers to a slight test?
Attack by Stratagem
Hence that general is skilful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skilful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.
Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.