Sun Tzu Decoded
Chapter 4 · Strategic Positioning · 軍形

Passage 4-12

故勝兵若以鎰稱銖, 敗兵若以銖稱鎰. 勝者之戰民也, 若決積水於千仞之溪者, 形也.

A victorious army is like a heavy weight against a light one—a yì against a zhū. When the victor unleashes his forces, it is like releasing pent-up waters into a thousand-fathom gorge. This is strategic positioning (xíng).

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These passages from other chapters connect to the themes in Passage 4-12:

Managing the Many Passage 5-1 孫子曰: 凡治衆如治寡, 分數是也. 鬪衆如鬪寡, 形名是也... Formlessness Passage 6-9 故形人而我無形, 則我專而敵分. 我專爲一, 敵分爲十, 是... Appear Where Unexpected Passage 6-5 微乎微乎, 至於無形; 神乎神乎! 至於無聲, 故能爲敵之司... Making Plans Unknowable Passage 6-16 故策之而知得失之計, 作之而知動靜之理, 形之而知死生之地,... Salt Marsh Terrain Passage 9-3 欲戰者, 無附於水而迎客, 視生處高, 無迎水流, 此處水上... High Ground Passage 9-5 平陸處易, 而右背高, 前死後生, 此處平陸之軍也. 凡此四...

More from Chapter 4: Strategic Positioning (軍形)

Passage 4-1: Sun Tzu said: In ancient times, skillful warriors first made themselves invincib... Passage 4-2: Thus the skillful warrior can make himself invincible but cannot guarantee the e... Passage 4-3: Therefore: Victory can be foreseen but cannot be forced. When you cannot be defe... Passage 4-4: Those skilled in defense conceal themselves as if beneath the nine-layered earth... Passage 4-5: Foreseeing victory that anyone could foresee is not the height of excellence. Wi... Passage 4-6: Lifting an autumn hair requires no great strength. Seeing the sun and moon requi... Passage 4-7: In ancient times, those called skilled in war won victories that were easily won... Passage 4-8: Their victories were inevitable—inevitable because they established the conditio... Passage 4-9: The master warrior takes a position where defeat is impossible and never misses ... Passage 4-10: Those skilled in war cultivate the Way and preserve the laws. Thus they can gove... Passage 4-11: The principles of warfare: 1. Measurement (dù)—assessing dimensions 2. Estimatio...