Sun Tzu's Art of War for Women. Catherine Huang
earth against the walls will take another three months to finish.
Meanwhile, the general may not be able to control his impatience and may launch his men into the assault like swarming ants. In such a case he will lose one-third of his force, and the city will remain untaken. Such are the disastrous effects of a siege.
The skillful leader subdues the enemy’s troops without fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them, and overthrows their realms without a prolonged battle. His objective is to exercise his mastery while preserving his forces intact, leaving his weapons sharp and enabling him to preserve his military gains. Such is the strategy of a successful campaign.
Following the Odds
In most cases, the best strategy for deploying troops is the following:
1. If your strength equates to ten to the enemy’s one, surround them;
2. If five to one, attack them;
3. If two to one, divide your army into two separate forces;
4. If your strength is equal to theirs, attack when other circumstances favor you;
5. If you are slightly inferior in numbers, protect yourself and seek to circumvent the enemy;
6. If you are overmatched, avoid them.
Although a small force may fight well, a lack of flexibility will result in its being captured by the larger force.
The Wrong Stuff
The general is the pillar of the state. If he is strong and competent in all regards, the state will be likewise strong; if the pillar is defective, the state will weaken. Either way, the ruler of the state can create difficulties for the military in three specific manners:
1. By commanding the army to advance or retreat without understanding their position and circumstances. This is called hobbling the army.
2. By attempting to govern an army in the same way as he administers a kingdom, with no knowledge of the conditions that affect the army. This confuses and unsettles the officers.
3. By issuing commands to the army despite ignorance of military principles and tactical circumstances. This makes the officers doubtful.
Confusion and doubt are destined to invite trouble from neighboring rulers. Such anarchy will open the door to an opponent’s victory.
The Right Stuff
These five essential factors will assure victory to the side whose general:
1. knows when to fight and when not to fight;
2. knows how to deploy both superior and inferior forces;
3. whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks;
4. has prepared himself and waits to take the enemy unprepared;
5. is capable and is not interfered with by the ruler.
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