Sun Tzu quotes:

The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.

Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory.

To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.

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

Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.

Of all those in the army close to the commander none is more intimate than the secret agent; of all rewards none more liberal than those given to secret agents; of all matters none is more confidential than those relating to secret operations.

Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.

Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared.

If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.

The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.

For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.

The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.

Supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.

Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.

Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain.

The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.

It is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for the purposes of spying, and thereby they achieve great results.

There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.

Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy.

Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and you know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and you know Earth, you may make your victory complete.

Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.

It is essential to seek out enemy agents who have come to conduct espionage against you and to bribe them to serve you. Give them instructions and care for them. Thus doubled agents are recruited and used.

Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.

To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.

Victory usually goes to the army who has better trained officers and men.

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard.

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

Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust.

who wishes to fight must first count the cost

When one treats people with benevolence, justice, and righteoousness, and reposes confidence in them, the army will be united in mind and all will be happy to serve their leaders'.

Rouse him, and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spots.

There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must not be attacked, towns which must not be besieged, positions which must not be contested, commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed.

If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.

The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom our real intent.

Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack.

He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.

Be where your enemy is not.

Bravery without forethought, causes a man to fight blindly and desperately like a mad bull. Such an opponent, must not be encountered with brute force, but may be lured into an ambush and slain.

When we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away

Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible; and hence we can hold the enemy's fate in our hands.

If those who are sent to draw water begin by drinking themselves, the army is suffering from thirst. [One may know the condition of a whole army from the behavior of a single man.]

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

Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted.

Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength; attacking, a superabundance of strength.

Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy. Do not interfere with an army that is returning home.

the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.

You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended.You can ensure the safety of your defense if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked.

It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack him; if twice as numerous, to divide our army into two.

If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve.

For should the enemy strengthen his van, he will weaken his rear; should he strengthen his rear, he will weaken his van; should he strengthen his left, he will weaken his right; should he strengthen his right, he will weaken his left. If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak.

One hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the most skillful, subduing the other's military without battle is the most skillful.

Foreknowledge cannot be gotten from ghosts and spirits, cannot be had by analogy, cannot be found out by calculation. It must be obtained from people, people who know the conditions of the enemy.

There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general:(1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction;(2) cowardice, which leads to capture;(3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;(4) a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame;(5) over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.

There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must be not attacked, towns which must not be besieged, positions which must not be contested, commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed.

The rising of birds in their flight is the sign of an ambuscade. Startled beasts indicate that a sudden attack is coming.

If, on the other hand, in the midst of difficulties we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune.

A clever general, therefore, avoids an army when its spirit is keen, but attacks it when it is sluggish and inclined to return.

Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.

Therefore the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him.

Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected.

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.

The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept.

it is better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.

5,6. The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.Excerpt From: Sunzi. The Art of War.iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.

5,6. The Moral Law causes the people to be in complete accord with their ruler, so that they will follow him regardless of their lives, undismayed by any danger.

15. Hence a wise general makes a point of foraging on the enemy. One cartload of the enemy's provisions is equivalent to twenty of one's own, and likewise a single picul of his provender is equivalent to twenty from one's own store.

If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them.

There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard. There are not more than five primary colours, yet in combinationthey produce more hues than can ever been seen.There are not more than five cardinal tastes, yet combinations ofthem yield more flavours than can ever be tasted.

Expenditure

By method and discipline are to be understood the marshaling of the army in its proper subdivisions, the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the control of military expenditure.

The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself."

If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve."

The general, unable to control his irritation, will launch his men to the assault like swarming ants, with the result that one-third of his men are slain, while the town still remains untaken. Such are the disastrous effects of a siege."

Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting."

The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy."

Those who are victorious plan effectively and change decisively. They are like a great river that maintains its course but adjusts its flow...they have form but are formless. They are skilled in both planning and adapting and need not fear the result of a thousand battles: for they win in advance, defeating those that have already lost.

So a military force has no constant formation, water has no constant shape: the ability to gain victory by changing and adapting according to the opponent is called genius.

The expert in battle seeks his victory from strategic advantage and does not demand it from his men.

Confront them with annihilation, and they will then survive; plunge them into a deadly situation, and they will then live. When people fall into danger, they are then able to strive for victory.

Act after having made assessments. The one who first knows the measure of far and near wins - this is the rule of armed struggle.

Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment - that which they cannot anticipate.

Know yourself and you will win all battles. Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain.

Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night...

It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.

In the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good.

Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.

The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.

Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.

All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

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

The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.

If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight.

What is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy.

When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account from a feeling of resentment, before the commander-in-chief can tell whether or not he is in a position to fight, the result is ruin.

If we know that the enemy is open to attack, but are unaware that our own men are not in a condition to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.

The skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting.

He who wishes to fight must first count the cost. When you engage in actual fighting, if victory is long in coming, then men's weapons will grow dull and their ardor will be dampened. If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength.

Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.

If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it; if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler's bidding.

When torrential water tosses boulders, it is because of its momentum. When the strike of a hawk breaks the body of its prey, it is because of timing.

When you shoot a bow and arrow, you aim at the clouds, not because you expect to hit them, but so that you may reach the distant target on the ground.

The skilful employer of men will employ the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man.

It is essential to seek out enemy agents who have come to conduct espionage against you and to bribe them to serve you. Give them instructions and care for them. Thus double agents are recruited and used.

Go into emptiness, strike voids, bypass what he defends hit him where he does not expect you.

Until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared

And regulation entails organizational effectiveness, a chain of command, and a structure for logistical support.

When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce.

To ... not prepare is the greatest of crimes; to be prepared beforehand for any contingency is the greatest of virtues.

The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom.

Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of a trigger.

A military operation involves deception. Even though you are competent, appear to be incompetent. Though effective, appear to be ineffective.

Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.

Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting.

For them to perceive the advantage of defeating the enemy, they must also have their rewards.

The good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.

If this is long delayed, weapons are blunted and morale depressed.

Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate.

When the general is weak and without authority; when his orders are not clear and distinct; when there are no fixed duties assigned to officers and men, and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner, the result is utter disorganization.