Chapter 10 · Terrain · 地形

Passage 10-4

我出而不利, 彼出而不利, 曰支. 支形者, 敵雖利我, 我無出也, 引而去之, 令敵半出而擊之, 利.

Ground where neither side benefits from advancing is called stalemating. Here, even if the enemy offers advantage, do not advance. Withdraw to lure him out, then strike when half his force has emerged—this is advantageous.

What does this passage really mean for modern strategy?

Ask Sun →

Explore Further

These passages from other chapters connect to the themes in Passage 10-4:

Crossing Mountains Passage 9-1 孫子曰: 凡處軍相敵: 絶山依谷, 視生處高, 戰隆無登, ... Crossing Rivers Passage 9-2 絶水必遠水, 客絶水而來, 勿迎之於水內, 令半濟而擊之利. Key Ground Passage 11-3 入人之地而不深者, 爲輕地. Difficult Ground Passage 11-7 入人之地深, 背城邑多者, 爲重地. Open Ground Passage 11-4 我得則利, 彼得亦利者, 爲爭地. Death Ground Passage 11-9 所由入者隘, 所從歸者迂, 彼寡可以擊吾之衆者, 爲圍地.

More from Chapter 10: Terrain (地形)

Passage 10-1: Sun Tzu said: Terrain types include: accessible, entrapping, stalemating, narrow... Passage 10-2: Ground both sides can traverse freely is called accessible. On accessible terrai... Passage 10-3: Ground easy to enter but difficult to exit is called entrapping. On such terrain... Passage 10-5: On narrow terrain, occupy it first and fully man it to await the enemy. If the e... Passage 10-6: On precipitous terrain, occupy high, sunny ground first to await the enemy. If t... Passage 10-7: On distant terrain with balanced forces, initiating battle is difficult and disa... Passage 10-8: There are six types of army failure: flight, insubordination, deterioration, col... Passage 10-9: Equal forces sent one against ten—flight Strong troops with weak officers—insubo... Passage 10-10: Senior officers angry and insubordinate, engaging the enemy on impulse without t... Passage 10-11: A weak general lacking strictness, unclear instruction, no consistent standards ... Passage 10-12: A general who cannot assess the enemy, engages many with few, attacks the strong... Passage 10-13: Terrain assists military operations. Assessing the enemy to achieve victory, cal... Passage 10-14: If the Way of battle ensures victory, fight even if the ruler forbids it. If it ... Passage 10-15: Treat troops like infants—they will follow you into deep valleys. Treat them lik... Passage 10-16: Knowing your troops can strike but not that the enemy cannot be struck—half vict... Passage 10-17: Therefore, one who knows warfare moves without confusion, acts without exhaustio...