VIII. VARIATION IN TACTICS

SUN TZU ON THE ART OF WAR

THE OLDEST MILITARY TREATISE IN THE WORLD

孫子兵法

Translated from the Chinese

By LIONEL GILES, M.A. (1910)

VIII. VARIATION IN TACTICS

 1. Sun Tzu said:  In war, the general receives

    his commands from the sovereign, collects his army

    and concentrates his forces

 2. When in difficult country, do not encamp.  In country

    where high roads intersect, join hands with your allies. 

    Do not linger in dangerously isolated positions. 

    In hemmed-in situations, you must resort to stratagem. 

    In desperate position, you must fight.

 3. There are roads which must not be followed,

    armies which must be not attacked, towns which must

    be besieged, positions which must not be contested,

    commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed.

 4. The general who thoroughly understands the advantages

    that accompany variation of tactics knows how to handle

    his troops.

 5. The general who does not understand these, may be well

    acquainted with the configuration of the country, yet he

    will not be able to turn his knowledge to practical account.

 6. So, the student of war who is unversed in the art

    of war of varying his plans, even though he be acquainted

    with the Five Advantages, will fail to make the best use

    of his men.

 7. Hence in the wise leader's plans, considerations of

    advantage and of disadvantage will be blended together.

 8. If our expectation of advantage be tempered in

    this way, we may succeed in accomplishing the essential

    part of our schemes.

 9. If, on the other hand, in the midst of difficulties

    we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate

    ourselves from misfortune.

10. Reduce the hostile chiefs by inflicting damage

    on them; and make trouble for them, and keep them

    constantly engaged; hold out specious allurements,

    and make them rush to any given point.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. These are the five besetting sins of a general,

    ruinous to the conduct of war.

14. When an army is overthrown and its leader slain,

    the cause will surely be found among these five

    dangerous faults.  Let them be a subject of meditation.