And regulation entails organizational effectiveness, a chain of command, and a structure for logistical support.

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.

Know the enemy, know yourself; your victory will never be endangered. Know the ground, know the weather; your victory will then be total.

If you are strong, appear weak. But if you are weak, appear strong.

It is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for the purposes of spying, and thereby they achieve great results.

When you shoot a bow and arrow, you aim at the clouds, not because you expect to hit them, but so that you may reach the distant target on the ground.

By altering his arrangements and changing his plans, the skillful general keeps the enemy without definite knowledge. By shifting his camp and taking circuitous routes, he prevents the enemy from anticipating his purpose. At the critical moment, the leader of an army acts like one who has climbed up a height and then kicks away the ladder behind him.