He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious.

If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain to be in peril.

He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.

Opportunities multiply as they are seized.

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 they thereby  achieve great results.

Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move.

That general is skilful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skilful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.

All war is based on deception. All war is deception.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.

Secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move.

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

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

The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim.

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

There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited.

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

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

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.

The Art of War, Sun Tzu 544 BC=496 BC