Chapter 4 · Strategic Positioning · 軍形

Passage 4-9

故善戰者, 立於不敗之地, 而不失敵之敗也. 是故勝兵先勝, 而後求戰, 敗兵先戰, 而後求勝.

The master warrior takes a position where defeat is impossible and never misses an opportunity to defeat the enemy. Thus: - The victorious army first wins, then seeks battle - The defeated army first fights, then seeks victory

"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win" (勝兵先勝而後求戰). The principle of predetermined victory.

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These passages from other chapters connect to the themes in Passage 4-9:

Temple Calculation Passage 1-15 夫未戰而廟算勝者, 得算多也; 未戰而廟算不勝者, 得算少也... Assessing Advantage Passage 1-9 故校之以七計, 而塞其情. 曰: 主孰有道, 將孰有能, 天... Know Enemy, Know Self Passage 3-13 故曰, 知彼知己, 百戰不殆; 不知彼而知己, 一勝一負, ... 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... 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... Knowing Terrain Alone Is Not Enough Passage 10-13 夫地形者兵之助也. 料敵制勝, 計險阨遠近, 上將之道也....

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 4-10: 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... Passage 4-12: A victorious army is like a heavy weight against a light one—a yì against a zhū....