The Art of War

27. All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer,
    but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory
    is evolved.

28. Do not repeat the tactics which have gained
    you one victory, but let your methods be regulated
    by the infinite variety of circumstances.

29. Military tactics are like unto water; for water in its
    natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards.

30. So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong
    and to strike at what is weak.

31. Water shapes its course according to the nature
    of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works
    out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing.

32. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape,
    so in warfare there are no constant conditions.

33. He who can modify his tactics in relation to his
    opponent and thereby succeed in winning, may be called
    a heaven-born captain.

34. The five elements (water, fire, wood, metal, earth)
    are not always equally predominant; the four seasons make
    way for each other in turn.  There are short days and long;
    the moon has its periods of waning and waxing.


VII. MANEUVERING


 1. Sun Tzu said:  In war, the general receives his
    commands from the sovereign.

 2. Having collected an army and concentrated his forces,
    he must blend and harmonize the different elements thereof
    before pitching his camp.

 3. After that, comes tactical maneuvering,
    than which there is nothing more difficult. 
    The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists
    in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.

 4. 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.

 5. Maneuvering with an army is advantageous;
    with an undisciplined multitude, most dangerous.

 6. If you set a fully equipped army in march in order
    to snatch an advantage, the chances are that you will be
    too late.  On the other hand, to detach a flying column
    for the purpose involves the sacrifice of its baggage
    and stores.

 7. Thus, if you order your men to roll up their
    buff-coats, and make forced marches without halting day
    or night, covering double the usual distance at a stretch,
    doing a hundred LI in order to wrest an advantage,
    the leaders of all your three divisions will fall into
    the hands of the enemy.

 8. The stronger men will be in front, the jaded
    ones will fall behind, and on this plan only one-tenth
    of your army will reach its destination.

 9. If you march fifty LI in order to outmaneuver
    the enemy, you will lose the leader of your first division,
    and only half your force will reach the goal.

10. If you march thirty LI with the same object,
    two-thirds of your army will arrive.

11. We may take it then that an army without its
    baggage-train is lost; without provisions it is lost;
    without bases of supply it is lost.

12. We cannot enter into alliances until we are
    acquainted with the designs of our neighbors.

13. We are not fit to lead an army on the march
    unless we are familiar with the face of the country--its
    mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices,
    its marshes and swamps.

14. We shall be unable to turn natural advantage
    to account unless we make use of local guides.

15. In war, practice dissimulation, and you will succeed.

16. Whether to concentrate or to divide your troops,
    must be decided by circumstances.

17. Let your rapidity be that of the wind,
    your compactness that of the forest.