August 2, 2025 • 7 mins
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter six, Weak Points and Strong Sunsu said, whoever is
first in the field and awaits the coming of the
enemy will be fresh for the fight. Whoever is second
in the field and has to hasten to battle will
arrive exhausted. Therefore, the clever combatant imposes his will on
(00:22):
the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to
be imposed on him. By holding out advantages to him,
he can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord.
Or by inflicting damage, he can make it impossible for
the enemy to draw near. If the enemy is taking
(00:42):
his ease, he can harass him. If he is well
supplied with food, he can starve him out. It quietly encamped,
he can force him to move. Appear at points which
the enemy must hasten to defend, more swiftly to places
where you are not expected. An army may march great
(01:05):
distances without distress. If it marches through country where the
enemy is not you can be sure of succeeding in
your attacks. If you only attack places which are undefended,
you can ensure the safety of your defense if you
only hold positions that cannot be attacked. Hence, that general
(01:25):
is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what
to defend, and he is skillful in defense, whose opponent
does not know what to attack, O divine art of
subtlety and secrecy. Through you, we learn to be invisible.
Through you inaudible, and hence we can hold the enemy's
(01:47):
fate in our hands. You may advance and be absolutely irresistible.
If you make for the enemy's weak points. You may
retire and be safe from pursuit if your mood movements
are more rapid than those of the enemy. If we
wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement,
(02:08):
even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and
a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some
other place that he will be obliged to relieve. If
we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the
enemy from engaging us, even though the lines of our
encampment be merely traced out on the ground. All we
(02:30):
need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in
his way. By discovering the enemy's dispositions and remaining invisible ourselves,
we can keep our forces concentrated while the enemies must
be divided. We can form a single united body while
(02:51):
the enemy must split up into fractions. Hence there will
be a hole pitted against several parts of a hole,
which means that we shall be many to the enemies few.
And if we are able thus to attack an inferior
force with a superior one, our opponents will be in
dire straits. The spot where we intend to fight must
(03:14):
not be made known, for then the enemy will have
to prepare against a possible attack at several different points,
and his forces being thus distributed in many directions, the
numbers we shall have to face at any given point
will be proportionately few. For should the enemy strengthen his van,
(03:36):
he will weaken his rear. Should he strengthen his rear,
he will weaken his van. Should he strengthen his left,
he will weaken his right. Should he strengthen his right,
he will weaken his left. If he sends reinforcements everywhere,
he will everywhere be weak. Numerical weakness comes from having
(03:57):
to prepare against possible attacks. Miracle strength from compelling our
adversary to make these preparations against us. Knowing the place
and the time of the coming battle, we may concentrate
from the greatest distances in order to fight. But if
neither time nor place be known, then the left wing
(04:18):
will be impotent to succor the right, the right equally
impotent to succor the left. The van unable to relieve
the rear, or the rear to support the van. How
much more so if the furthest portions of the army
are anything under a hundred lee apart, and even the
nearest are separated by severallee. Though according to my estimate
(04:42):
the soldiers of Huay exceed our own in number, that
shall advantage them nothing in the matter of victory. I say, then,
that victory can be achieved though the enemy be stronger
in numbers. We may prevent him from fighting scheme so
as to discuss for his plans and the likelihood of
their success. Rouse him and learn the principle of his
(05:05):
activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself so as
to find out his vulnerable spots. Carefully compare the opposing
army with your own, so that you may know where
strength is superabundant and where it is deficient. In making
tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to
(05:28):
conceal them. Conceal your dispositions, and you will be safe
from the prying of the subtlest spies, from the machinations
of the wisest brains. How victory may be produced for
them out of the enemy's own tactics. That is what
the multitude cannot comprehend. All men can see the tactics
(05:51):
whereby I conquer, But what none can see is the
strategy out of which victory is evolved. Do not repeat
the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let
your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.
Military tactics are like unto water. For water, in its
natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards.
(06:17):
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 nature of the ground over
which it flows. The soldier works out his victory in
relation to the foe whom he is facing. Therefore, just
as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there
(06:39):
are no constant conditions. He who can modify his tactics
in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning,
may be called a heaven born captain. The five elements water, fire, wood, metal,
earth are not always equally predominant before reasons make way
(07:01):
for each in turn. There are short days and long
The moon has its periods of waning and waxing. End
of Chapter six
Chapter six, Weak Points and Strong Sunsu said, whoever is
first in the field and awaits the coming of the
enemy will be fresh for the fight. Whoever is second
in the field and has to hasten to battle will
arrive exhausted. Therefore, the clever combatant imposes his will on
(00:22):
the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to
be imposed on him. By holding out advantages to him,
he can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord.
Or by inflicting damage, he can make it impossible for
the enemy to draw near. If the enemy is taking
(00:42):
his ease, he can harass him. If he is well
supplied with food, he can starve him out. It quietly encamped,
he can force him to move. Appear at points which
the enemy must hasten to defend, more swiftly to places
where you are not expected. An army may march great
(01:05):
distances without distress. If it marches through country where the
enemy is not you can be sure of succeeding in
your attacks. If you only attack places which are undefended,
you can ensure the safety of your defense if you
only hold positions that cannot be attacked. Hence, that general
(01:25):
is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what
to defend, and he is skillful in defense, whose opponent
does not know what to attack, O divine art of
subtlety and secrecy. Through you, we learn to be invisible.
Through you inaudible, and hence we can hold the enemy's
(01:47):
fate in our hands. You may advance and be absolutely irresistible.
If you make for the enemy's weak points. You may
retire and be safe from pursuit if your mood movements
are more rapid than those of the enemy. If we
wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement,
(02:08):
even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and
a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some
other place that he will be obliged to relieve. If
we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the
enemy from engaging us, even though the lines of our
encampment be merely traced out on the ground. All we
(02:30):
need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in
his way. By discovering the enemy's dispositions and remaining invisible ourselves,
we can keep our forces concentrated while the enemies must
be divided. We can form a single united body while
(02:51):
the enemy must split up into fractions. Hence there will
be a hole pitted against several parts of a hole,
which means that we shall be many to the enemies few.
And if we are able thus to attack an inferior
force with a superior one, our opponents will be in
dire straits. The spot where we intend to fight must
(03:14):
not be made known, for then the enemy will have
to prepare against a possible attack at several different points,
and his forces being thus distributed in many directions, the
numbers we shall have to face at any given point
will be proportionately few. For should the enemy strengthen his van,
(03:36):
he will weaken his rear. Should he strengthen his rear,
he will weaken his van. Should he strengthen his left,
he will weaken his right. Should he strengthen his right,
he will weaken his left. If he sends reinforcements everywhere,
he will everywhere be weak. Numerical weakness comes from having
(03:57):
to prepare against possible attacks. Miracle strength from compelling our
adversary to make these preparations against us. Knowing the place
and the time of the coming battle, we may concentrate
from the greatest distances in order to fight. But if
neither time nor place be known, then the left wing
(04:18):
will be impotent to succor the right, the right equally
impotent to succor the left. The van unable to relieve
the rear, or the rear to support the van. How
much more so if the furthest portions of the army
are anything under a hundred lee apart, and even the
nearest are separated by severallee. Though according to my estimate
(04:42):
the soldiers of Huay exceed our own in number, that
shall advantage them nothing in the matter of victory. I say, then,
that victory can be achieved though the enemy be stronger
in numbers. We may prevent him from fighting scheme so
as to discuss for his plans and the likelihood of
their success. Rouse him and learn the principle of his
(05:05):
activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself so as
to find out his vulnerable spots. Carefully compare the opposing
army with your own, so that you may know where
strength is superabundant and where it is deficient. In making
tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to
(05:28):
conceal them. Conceal your dispositions, and you will be safe
from the prying of the subtlest spies, from the machinations
of the wisest brains. How victory may be produced for
them out of the enemy's own tactics. That is what
the multitude cannot comprehend. All men can see the tactics
(05:51):
whereby I conquer, But what none can see is the
strategy out of which victory is evolved. Do not repeat
the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let
your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances.
Military tactics are like unto water. For water, in its
natural course runs away from high places and hastens downwards.
(06:17):
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 nature of the ground over
which it flows. The soldier works out his victory in
relation to the foe whom he is facing. Therefore, just
as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there
(06:39):
are no constant conditions. He who can modify his tactics
in relation to his opponent and thereby succeed in winning,
may be called a heaven born captain. The five elements water, fire, wood, metal,
earth are not always equally predominant before reasons make way
(07:01):
for each in turn. There are short days and long
The moon has its periods of waning and waxing. End
of Chapter six
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