Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never peril.

Now the reason the enlightened prince and the wise general conquer the enemy whenever they move and their achievements surpass those of ordinary men is foreknowledge.

One need not destroy one's enemy. One need only destroy his willingness to engage.

As water shapes its flow in accordance with the ground, so an army manages its victory in accordance with the situation of the enemy.

There is nothing more difficult than tactical maneuvering. The difficult consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain. Thus, to take a long and circuitous route after enticing the enemy out of the way, and though starting after him to contrive to reach the goal before him, shows knowledge of the artifice of deviation.

He who knows his enemy and himself well will not be defeated easily.

So it is that good warriors take their stance on ground where they cannot lose, and do not overlook conditions that make an opponent prone to defeat.