If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame. But if his orders are clear, and the soldiers nevertheless disobey, then it is the fault of their officers.

Weak leadership can wreck the soundest strategy

The supreme excellence is not to win a hundred victories in a hundred battles. The supreme excellence is to subdue the armies of your enemies without having to fight them.

One mark of a great soldier is that he fight on his own terms or fights not at all.

In conflict, straightforward actions generally lead to engagement, surprising actions generally lead to victory.

The skillful tactician may be likened to the shuai-jan. Now the shuai-jan is a snake that is found in the Ch'ang mountains. Strike at its head, and you will be attacked by its tail; strike at its tail, and you will be attacked by its head; strike at its middle, and you will be attacked by head and tail both.

Therefore a victorious army first wins and then seeks battle; a defeated army first battles and then seeks victory.