Sun Tzu – Art of War – Chapter 10 – Terrain

There are six kinds of terrain:

• Accessible ground
• Entangling ground
• Timeless ground
• Narrow passes
• Precipitous heights
• Ground at a distance

Ground which can be freely traversed is accessible ground. One must occupy this ground before the enemy, in the sunny and raised places.

Ground which can be abandoned but difficult to re-occupy is entangling ground. From this position it is possible to attack the enemy, but if victory is not won, return is impossible.

Ground which does not provide advantage to the first who arrives is timeless ground. From this position bait the enemy to enter on its own, and when part of their forces have arrived, attack.

With narrow passes, if you occupy them first, strengthen your forces there and wait for the enemy. If the enemy occupies a narrow pass, do not attack if it is at full strength.

With great heights, occupy the raised and sunny places, and wait for the enemy. If the enemy has arrived before you, do not follow, but retreat and bait the enemy to follow.

If you are situated a great distance from the enemy with armies of equal strength, it is not easy to provoke a battle and fighting will be to your disadvantage.

There are six kinds of failure which are the result of poor leadership.

• Flight
• Insubordination
• Collapse
• Ruin
• Disorganization
• Rout

If one force is hurled against another ten times its size, the result will be flight.

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 soldier too weak, the result is collapse.

When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, and upon meeting the enemy give orders of their own, the result will be ruin.

When the leader is weak and without authority; when orders are not clear and distinct; when there are no fixed duties assigned to forces, and the ranks are haphazard, the result is disorganization.

When a leader is unable to estimate the enemy’s strength and allows inferior forces to engage a larger one or hurls a weak detachment against a powerful one, and neglects to place select forces in the front ranks, the result must be a rout.

The natural formation of a country is the combatant’s best ally, but the ability to estimate the adversary, to control the forces of victory, to shrewdly calculate difficulties, dangers, and distances–these constitute the test of a great leader.

If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight, even if the master forbids it. If fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight, even if the master orders it.

The leader who advances without desiring fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect and serve his country, is the treasure of the land.

Regard your forces 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 until death.

If, however, you are indulgent and unable to make your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce your commands; and incapable of resolving disorder: then your soldiers will be as spoiled children, useless for any practical purpose.

If we know that our forces are ready to attack, but do not know that the enemy is protected from attack, we have only gone halfway towards victory.

If we know that the enemy is open to attack, but do not know that our forces are not ready to attack, we have gone only halfway to victory.

If we know that the enemy is open to attack and also know that our forces are ready to attack, but we do not know that the nature of the terrain makes fighting impractical, we have still gone only halfway towards victory.

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.

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