Thoughts from a Master

Some ideas to contemplate...

"The general rule for the use of the military is that is is better to keep a nation intact than to destroy it. It is better to keep an army intact than to destroy it. It is better to keep a division intact than to destroy it. It is better to keep a battalion intact than to destroy it, it is better to keep a unit intact than to destroy it."
- Master Sun Tzu

"Therefore those who win every battle are not really skillful-those who render others' armies helpless without fighting are the best of all."
- Master Sun Tzu

"Therefore one who is good at martial arts overcomes others' forces without battle, conquers others cities without siege, destroys others' nations without taking a long time."
- Master Sun Tzu

"If you cannot be strong, and yet cannot be weak, this will result in your defeat."
- Master Meng Shi

"Invincibility is a matter of defense, vulnerability is a matter of attack."
- Master Cao Cao

"Those skilled in defense hide in the deepest depths of the earth. Therefore they can preserve themselves and achieve complete victory."
- Master Sun Tzu

"Everyone calls victory in battle good, but it is not really good."
- Master Sun Tzu

"Those who use arms well cultivate the WAY and keep the rules. Thus they can govern in such a way as to prevail over the corrupt."
- Master Li Quan

"Disorder arises from order, cowardice arises from courage, weakness arises from strength."
- Master Sun Tzu

"A surrounded army must be given a way out. Surround them on three sides, leaving one side open, to show them a way to life."
- Master Cao Cao

"To be violent at first and winde up fearing one's people is the epitome of ineptitude."
- Master Sun Tzu

And finally.... "When you do battle, even if you are winning, if you continue for a long time it will dull your forces and blunt your edge; if you besiege a citadel, your strength will be exhausted. If you keep your armies out in the field for a long time, your supplies will be insufficient."
- Master Sun Tzu

This text comes from the 'Art of War' written and commented on over two-thousand years ago. Does anybody see any similarites to the wars going on in our 'modern' age???


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Well done Voice, a man of honor Sun Zi was ('tis Sun Zi)
The Art of War was written hundreds of years ago to advance Chinese military succes. Employed for quite some time then forgotten after a while.
In 1772, a French Jesuit named Joseph Amyot translated it and Napolean applied it to his European campaigns and used it as the basis of his maxims.

Cao Cao was a genious as was Meng Shi, however Lin Hsiang-ju was most deifnetly a better tactician than Lian Qu.

Voice, might I inquire as to what led you to post this information?
- Tass

Originally posted by Tassadar
Well done Voice, a man of honor Sun Zi was ('tis Sun Zi)
The Art of War was written hundreds of years ago to advance Chinese military succes. Employed for quite some time then forgotten after a while.
In 1772, a French Jesuit named Joseph Amyot translated it and Napolean applied it to his European campaigns and used it as the basis of his maxims.

Cao Cao was a genious as was Meng Shi, however Lin Hsiang-ju was most deifnetly a better tactician than Lian Qu.

Voice, might I inquire as to what led you to post this information?
- Tass

Trying to expand the number of cross-fertilized permeatations that can result from new information and ideas. I also believe that these 'gems of wisdom' can be used to decipher world events in ways not restricted to our "in-the-moment-cultural-bias".

I am also a fan of Cao Cao. His expansion of Sun Tzu's ideas are the clearest, in my opinion. As below,

Master Sun: "Therefore a victorious army wins first and then seeks battle; a defeated army first battles and then seeks a victory."
Cao Cao: "This is the difference between those with a strategy and those without forethought."


Brilliant and I think appropiately suited to some aspects of our current Gulf Wars.


You are all absolutely free