Weak Points and Strong

Chapter 6 opens with the principle of initiative stated as a physical fact. Whoever arrives at the battlefield first and waits for the enemy will be fresh; whoever arrives second and rushes into action will be exhausted. The skilled fighter imposes his will on the enemy and never allows the enemy to impose its will on him. By offering advantages, he can draw the enemy to where he wants them; by threatening damage, he keeps them away. Appear at positions the enemy must rush to defend. March swiftly to places they do not expect. An army can march great distances without strain if it moves through territory the enemy has left undefended.

By uncovering the enemy's dispositions while concealing your own, you can concentrate your forces while the enemy must scatter his. When you are concentrated and the enemy is scattered, you pit your whole against their parts — your many against their few. Never reveal where you intend to fight; this forces the enemy to defend everywhere at once, spreading his forces thin. The general who must defend everywhere has weakened himself in every direction. The general who forces that situation on his enemy has achieved a decisive concentration before the battle begins. Even against superior numbers, you can prevent the enemy from fighting on their terms.

The chapter closes with the image that has given it its place in the history of strategic thought. Military strategy is like water. Water naturally flows downhill, away from high ground. In war, the principle is the same: avoid the enemy's strengths and strike at his weaknesses. Water shapes its course according to the terrain; the commander shapes his victory according to the enemy he faces. As water has no fixed shape, warfare has no fixed formula. Never repeat the same winning tactic. Let your methods be shaped by the infinite variety of circumstances. The five elements are never equally dominant; the seasons cycle; everything changes. So must strategy.