Should one ask: 'how do I cope with a well-ordered enemy host about to attack me?' I reply: seize something he cherishes and he will conform to your desires.

A sovereign of high character and intelligence must be able to know the right man, should place the responsibility on him, and expect results.

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

Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it.

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.

As water shapes its flow in accordance with the ground, so an army manages its victory in accordance with the situation of the enemy.

Factors in the art of warfare are: First, calculations; second, quantities; third, logistics; fourth, the balance of power; and fifth, the possibility of victory is based on the balance of power.