Chapter 6 · Weak Points and Strong

Sun Tzu said: Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second will arrive exhausted. 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. You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended. Military tactics are like unto water; water in its natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards. 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 ground; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe. Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.