Sun Tzu's Art of War for Women. Catherine Huang

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      Thus it is said that if you know:

      1. The enemy and yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles;

      

      2. Yourself but not the enemy, for every victory you will also suffer a defeat;

      3. Neither the enemy nor yourself, you will be defeated in every battle.

4: Military Disposition

       Sun Tzu wrote:

      In ancient times, the skilled warriors protected themselves—indeed, made themselves invulnerable—while awaiting an opportunity to defeat the enemy.

      Securing yourself against defeat lies in your own hands; the opportunity to defeat the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. Thus the able fighter can secure himself against defeat, but cannot be certain of defeating the enemy.

      Hence the saying: You may know how to conquer the enemy, but the time may not be ripe to implement your plan.

       Defense/Offense

      If conditions do not favor an attack, you must set up your defense; when you can defeat the enemy, then go on the offensive. A defensive posture implies insufficient strength; attacking suggests abundant strength.

      The general who is skilled in defense hides in the most secret recesses of the earth; he who is skilled in attack strikes forth from the upper heights of heaven. Thus on the one hand they protect themselves, and on the other, achieve a complete victory.

       Excellence

      To view a victory only when it lies within the image of the masses is not the height of excellence. Nor is a victory for which the entire empire expresses its admiration and approval.

      Similarly, lifting an autumn hair is hardly a sign of great strength; observing sun and moon no sign of sharp vision; and hearing the clash of thunder no sign of acute hearing. When the ancients called a fighter clever, he not only won, but did so with ease because he only conquered opponents who were easy to defeat.

      For this reason, his victories did not cause celebration of his reputation for wisdom or courage. He won his battles by making no mistakes, for avoiding errors is what establishes the certainty of victory. This means conquering an opponent who is already defeated.

      In other words, one who excels at warfare first establishes a position from which he cannot be defeated and does not miss an opportunity to defeat the enemy. In this sense, the winning strategist seeks battle only after establishing the conditions for victory, whereas the losing army fights first, before seeking to assure success.

      A leader of excellence cultivates the Law (Tao) and strictly adheres to method and discipline; thus it is in his power to control success.

       Method

      Military methodology consists of:

      1. Measurement of terrain (derived from space);

      2. Estimation of forces (derived from measurement of terrain);

      3. Calculation of manpower (derived from estimation of forces);

      4. Balancing of strength (derived from calculation of manpower); and

      5. Victory, (derived from all of the above).

      Thus the victorious army is like a ton measured against an ounce, whereas the defeated force is like the ounce that is overwhelmed by the ton. And so the conquering force resembles the bursting of a mountain of restrained water into a thousand-fathom valley.

      

5: Energy

       Sun Tzu wrote:

      Commanding a large force is basically the same as commanding but a few. It is merely a matter of configuration, assignment and signals.

       Direct (Orthodox) and Indirect (Unorthodox)

      The way to ensure that your entire army can withstand the brunt of the enemy’s attack unbeaten is through unorthodox and orthodox maneuvers.

      Attacking the enemy like a grindstone wedged into an egg is an example of strong against weak, substantial vs. vacuous.

      The usual way to engage a battle is by direct attack, although indirect tactics will also be needed in order to win. The resources of a commander gifted in applying the indirect are as infinite as Heaven and Earth and unlimited as the flowing rivers. Similar to the movement of the moon and sun, they end and then begin again, reborn like the four seasons.

      The basic sounds number no more than five, and yet their combinations can produce more music than can ever be heard. Likewise, there are only five primary colors (blue, yellow, red, white, and black), but their blends create more hues than can be seen. And there are but five cardinal tastes (sour, acrid, salt, sweet, bitter), whose mixtures yield more flavors than can be tasted.

      In battle, there are only two methods of attack: direct and indirect; yet in combination they enable an inexhaustible series of maneuvers. Direct and indirect flow in harmony within an endless cycle. Who could exhaust the possibilities of their union?

      

       Force and Timing

      The configuration of force (or power) is like a torrent of water pushing stones along its course.

      The quality of timing (constraint) is reflected by the well-timed swoop of a falcon, which enables it to strike and overwhelm its prey. Therefore the good fighter will be focused in his attack and constrained in his timing. This configuration can be compared to releasing the trigger of a drawn crossbow.

      The appearance of disorder may be simulated where there is really no disorder. In the midst of battle, your forces may appear confused and yet remain impregnable to defeat. As simulated chaos derives from control, so is (pretended) fear from courage and (feigned) weakness from strength. Order and disorder are based on numbers; courage and fear depend upon the configuration of force; and strength and weakness rely upon deployment.

      Thus one who is skilled at keeping the enemy on the move forces the enemy to react to the impressions he creates. He offers something (perhaps a chariot or a few horses) that the enemy is compelled to take, keeps them moving, and then sets up an ambush.

      The clever warrior relies upon the strategic effect of force without relying on his troops. This enables him to select the right men and to apply his strategy.

      He utilizes strategic force to command his men like rolling logs or stones downhill. Note that wood and stone are motionless when stable, but capable of movement on a slope. Depending on their shape, it is the nature of a log or stone to remain motionless on level ground and to move when on a slope. Square-shaped forms will stop, but round ones are capable of rolling.

      Thus the strategic force of a good leader is like rolling rounded boulders down a tall mountain slope. Such is the strategic configuration of force.

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