The good
ighters of
old irst put
themselves
beyond the
possibility of
defeat, and
then waited
for anopportunity of
defeating
the enemy
Extract from: “Section IV:Tactical Dispositions”,
The Art Of Warby Sun Tzu, translated by
Lionel Giles (1910).ⶥ┩
13.
He wins his
batles by making
no mistakes.
Making no mistakes
is what establishes
the certainty of
victory, for it
means conquering
an enemy that is
already defeated.ABOUT SUN TZUSun Tzu (㶹㶩) was a
Chinese general and
military strategist
who lived during the
Eastern Zhou period
of ancient China. Also
a philosopher, he is
credited for having
written this treatise
about military strategm- The Art of War.
Source: Wikisourceⶥ㎃
14.
Hence the skilful
ighter puts himself
into a position
which makes defeat
impossible, and
does not miss
the moment for
defeating the enemy.ⶥ◩
15.
hus it is that in
war the victorious
strategist only seeks
batle ater the
victory has been
won, whereas he
who is destined to
defeat irst ights and
aterwards looks
for victory.
ⶥ⪮16.
he consummate
leader cultivates
the moral law, and
strictly adheres
to method and
discipline; thus it
is in his power to
control success.ⶥ┢
17.
In respect of
military method,
we have, irstly,
Measurement;
secondly, Estimation
of quantity; thirdly,
Calculation;
fourthly, Balancing
of chances;
ithly, Victory.ⶥ⪨
18.
Measurement owes
its existence to
Earth; Estimation
of quantity to
Measurement;
Calculation
to Estimation of
quantity; Balancing
of chances to
Calculation; and
Victory to Balancing
of chances.ⶥ▟
19.
A victorious army
opposed to a routed
one, is as a pound’s
weight placed in
the scale against a
single grain.
◝ⶥ20.
he onrush of a
conquering force is
like the bursting of
pent-up waters into
a chasm a thousand
fathoms deep. So
much for tactical
dispositions. ag