When your opponent is hurrying recklessly, you must act contrarily and keep calm. You must not be influenced by the opponent.
Too much is the same as not enough.
The way is in training.
Perception is strong and sight weak. In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things.
In strategy your spiritual bearing must not be any different from normal. Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm. Meet the situation without tenseness yet not recklessly, your spirit settled yet unbiased.
You win battles by knowing the enemy’s timing, and using a timing which the enemy does not expect.
Consider yourself lightly; consider the world deeply.
Crossing at a ford occurs often in a man’s lifetime. It means setting sail even though your friends stay in harbour, knowing the route, knowing the soundness of your ship and the favour of the day.
When in a fight to the death, one wants to employ all one’s weapons to the utmost. I must say that to die with one’s sword still sheathed is most regrettable.
You should not have a favourite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well.
A man cannot understand the art he is studying if he only looks for the end result without taking the time to delve deeply into the reasoning of the study.
Do not regret what you have done.
Do not act following customary beliefs.
If the enemy thinks of the mountains, attack like the sea; and if he thinks of the sea, attack like the mountains.
Approach the enemy with the attitude of defeating him without delay.
If you learn indoor techniques, you will think narrowly and forget the true Way. Thus you will have difficulty in actual encounters.
It is said the warrior’s is the twofold Way of pen and sword, and he should have a taste for both Ways. Even if a man has no natural ability he can be a warrior by sticking assiduously to both divisions of the Way.
Always return your weapon along the same path it traveled out on. In this way, you can use it again without having to relocate and rethink your attitude.
When you cannot be deceived by men you will have realised the wisdom of strategy.
Immature strategy is the cause of grief.