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[Ts'ao Kung explains the Chinese meaning of the words for the

title of this chapter: "marching and countermarching on the part

of the two armies with a view to discovering each other's

condition." Tu Mu says: "It is through the dispositions of an

army that its condition may be discovered. Conceal your

dispositions, and your condition will remain secret, which leads

to victory; show your dispositions, and your condition will

become patent, which leads to defeat." Wang Hsi remarks that the

good general can "secure success by modifying his tactics to meet

those of the enemy."]

1. Sun Tzŭ said: The good fighters of old first put themselves

beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an

opportunity of defeating the enemy.

2. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but

the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy

himself.

[That is, of course, by a mistake on the enemy's part.]

3. Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against

defeat,