Sunzi Chapter 6 Weaknesses and Strength

Content Chapter 6 Weaknesses and Strengths

The idiom “the early bird (catches the worm)” means success comes to those who prepare well and put in effort. It works the same for the war and in business. According to Sun Tzu, “Those who arrive first to the battle field will have more advantages than those who are late.” This is because first mover always have sufficient time to prepare and rest for the war. However the late comers will have to rush into the battle and become exhausted.

By holding the first comer advantage , he can getting the enemy to approach of his own accord; or, by inflicting damage, prevent the enemy to draw near. If the enemy is taking his ease, distress and harass him;  if well supplied with food, starve him out; if quietly encamped, force him to move. 

An effective attack must come with a good planning and tricks. Therefore , knowing the situation and time of battle is important. If you know the place and the exact time for war, then you can arriving early at the battleground, and have sufficient time to prepare and rest. Always choose the suitable location as battlefield will lead to success. You can attacks to the places where the enemy least expected plus the enemy’s rescue cannot be reached and hold on the places that cannot be attacked.

Another key point in this chapter is flexibility and adaptability. According to Sun Tzu, military tactics are like a natural phenomenon of water. It flows from high grounds to lower. In the same manner that disposition of army should be to avoid strong and attack weak. Such as water flowing according the situation of the ground so army should move according the situation of the enemy in order to achive victory. There are no constant condition in the warfare but a lot of change and uncertainty just as water do not have constant shape. Whoever able to adapt the changing situations in the warfare gains the victory. However, there is no guarantee that a dominant state will last forever .

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