Swift as the wind. Quiet as the forest. Conquer like the fire. Steady as the mountain
Do not press an enemy at bay.
Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.
Appraise war in terms of the fundamental factors. The first of these factors is moral influence.
So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.
When he utilizes combined energy, his fighting men become as it were like unto rolling logs or stones. For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope; if four-cornered, to come to a standstill, but if round-shaped to go rolling down.