1. Sun Tzu said: We may distinguish six

kinds of terrain, to wit: (1) Accessible

ground; (2) entangling ground; (3)

temporizing ground; (4) narrow passes; (5)

precipitous heights; (6) positions at a

great distance from the enemy.

2. Ground which can be freely traversed by

both sides is called accessible.

3. With regard to ground of this nature, be

before the enemy in occupying the raised

and sunny spots, and carefully guard your

line of supplies.

Then you will be able to fight with

advantage.

4. Ground which can be abandoned but is

hard to re-occupy is called entangling.

5. From a position of this sort, if the

enemy is unprepared, you may sally forth

and defeat him.

But if the enemy is prepared for your

coming, and you fail to defeat him, then,

return being impossible, disaster will

ensue.

6. When the position is such that neither

side will gain by making the first move, it

is called temporizing ground.

7. In a position of this sort, even though

the enemy should offer us an attractive

bait, it will be advisable not to stir

forth, but rather to retreat, thus enticing

the enemy in his turn; then, when part of

his army has come out, we may deliver our

attack with advantage.

8. With regard to narrow passes, if you can

occupy them first, let them be strongly

garrisoned and await the advent of the

enemy.

9. Should the army forestall you in

occupying a pass, do not go after him if

the pass is fully garrisoned, but only if

it is weakly garrisoned.

10. With regard to precipitous heights, if

you are beforehand with your adversary, you

should occupy the raised and sunny spots,

and there wait for him to come up.

11. If the enemy has occupied them before

you, do not follow him, but retreat and try

to entice him away.

12. If you are situated at a great distance

from the enemy, and the strength of the two

armies is equal, it is not easy to provoke

a battle, and fighting will be to your

disadvantage.

13. These six are the principles connected

with Earth.

The general who has attained a responsible

post must be careful to study them.

14. Now an army is exposed to six several

calamities, not arising from natural

causes, but from faults for which the

general is responsible.

These are: (1) Flight; (2)

insubordination; (3) collapse; (4) ruin;

(5) disorganization; (6) rout.

15. Other conditions being equal, if one

force is hurled against another ten times

its size, the result will be the flight of

the former.

16. When the common soldiers are too strong

and their officers too weak, the result is

insubordination.

When the officers are too strong and the

common soldiers too weak, the result is

collapse.

17. 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.

18. When the general is weak and without

authority; when his orders are not clear

and distinct; when there are no fixes

duties assigned to officers and men, and

the ranks are formed in a slovenly

haphazard manner, the result is utter

disorganization.

19. When a general, unable to estimate the

enemy's strength, allows an inferior force

to engage a larger one, or hurls a weak

detachment against a powerful one, and

neglects to place picked soldiers in the

front rank, the result must be rout.

20. These are six ways of courting defeat,

which must be carefully noted by the

general who has attained a responsible

post.

21. The natural formation of the country is

the soldier's best ally; but a power of

estimating the adversary, of controlling

the forces of victory, and of shrewdly

calculating difficulties, dangers and

distances, constitutes the test of a great

general.

22. He who knows these things, and in

fighting puts his knowledge into practice,

will win his battles.

He who knows them not, nor practices them,

will surely be defeated.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. If, however, you are indulgent, but

unable to make your authority felt; kind-

hearted, but unable to enforce your

commands; and incapable, moreover, of

quelling disorder: then your soldiers must

be likened to spoilt children; they are

useless for any practical purpose.

27. If we know that our own men are in a

condition to attack, but are unaware that

the enemy is not open to attack, we have

gone only halfway towards victory.

28. 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.

29. If we know that the enemy is open to

attack, and also know that our men are in a

condition to attack, but are unaware that

the nature of the ground makes fighting

impracticable, we have still gone only

halfway towards victory.

30. Hence the experienced soldier, once in

motion, is never bewildered; once he has

broken camp, he is never at a loss.

31. Hence the saying: If you know the

enemy and know yourself, your victory will

not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and

know Earth, you may make your victory

complete.