So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.

Rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him

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.

Nothing is more difficult than the art of maneuver. What is difficult about maneuver is to make the devious route the most direct and to turn misfortune to advantage.

Who can determine where one ends and the other begins?

When the position is such that neither side will gain by making the first move, it is called temporising ground.

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