A warrior who is prepared to fight must also be prepared to die.

Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never at a loss.

When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal.

Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay its price.

Those who excel in war first cultivate their own humanity and and maintain their laws and institutions. By these means they make their governments invincible.

You can ensure the success of your attacks if you only attack places that are undefended. You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked. Therefore, that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.

The ultimate in disposing one's troops is to be without ascertainable shape. Then the most penetrating spies cannot pry in nor can the wise lay plans against you.