Be where your enemy is not.

The best victory is when the opponent surrenders of its own accord before there are any actual hostilities...It is best to win without fighting.

A kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.

Knowledge of the enemy's dispositions can only be obtained from other men.

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.

If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it; if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler's bidding.

First learn to become invincible, then wait for your enemy's moment of vulnerability.