Tuesday 2 July 2013

The art of war

Henry Merwin Shrady: Cavalry

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.”
“Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.”
“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win”
“All warfare is based on deception.”
“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
“To know your Enemy, you must become your Enemy.”
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”
“Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate.”
“Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain.”
“All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.”
“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity”
“The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.”
“So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.”
“One mark of a great soldier is that he fight on his own terms or fights not at all.”
“Hold out baits to entice the enemy.  Feign disorder, and crush him.”
“Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.”
(And many more from Sun Tzu book The art of war)


(Manowar - Warriors of the world)