Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will.

Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.

Invincibility depends on one's self; the enemy's vulnerability on him.

Should the enemy forestall you in occupying a pass, do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned, but only if it is weakly garrisoned.

Unless you know the mountains and the forests, the defiles and impasses, the lay of the marshes and swamps, you cannot maneuver with an armed force. Unless you use local guides, you cannot get the advantages of the land.

If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve.

In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them.