What is essential in war is victory, not prolonged operations.
One defends when his strength is inadequate, he attacks when it is abundant.
In conflict, straightforward actions generally lead to engagement, surprising actions generally lead to victory.
One who sets the entire army in motion to chase an advantage will not attain it.
When he utilizes combined energy, his fighting men become, as it were, like rolling logs or stones... The energy developed by good fighting men is as the momentum of a round stone rolled down a mountain thousands of feet in height.
Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never peril.