He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.

If the enemy opens the door, you must race in.

In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them.

So there are five ways of knowing who will win. Those who know when to fight and when not to fight are victorious. Those who discern when to use many or few troops are victorious. Those whose upper and lower ranks have the same desire are victorious.

Plan for what is difficult while it is easy, do what is great while it is small.

Of old the expert in battle would first make himself invincible and then wait for his enemy to expose his vulnerability.

In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory. In battle, there are not more than two methods of attack.. the direct and the indirect; yet these two in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers.