Warfare is the art of deception.
When capable of fighting, feign inability; when ready to act, feign inaction.
When near the enemy, make him believe you are far away; when far away, make him think you are near.
Lure him with gains; attack him when he is in disorder.
Guard against him when he is fully prepared; avoid him when his forces are strong.
Harass him to provoke his anger; flatter him to make him arrogant.
Wear him out when he rests; sow discord to divide his allies.
Strike where he is unprepared, and appear where he does not expect you.
These are the secrets to victory in war, which must never be revealed in advance.
Note
A great military strategist and thinker in ancient China, who lived in the late Spring and Autumn Period. He authored The Art of War, the world’s earliest and most influential military classic. His strategic thoughts have been widely applied in military, politics and management worldwide.
The Art of Deception
The core tactical idea of this passage. It refers to using false appearances and various stratagems to mislead the enemy.
Twelve Stratagems of Deception
The twelve tactical methods summarized in this text, covering disguise, temptation, disturbance, division and other tactics.
Strike where unprepared
A timeless military principle, emphasizing sudden and unexpected assault.
Confidential military secrets
Ancient military stressed strict secrecy of battle plans, for leaked strategies would lead to failure.
The Battle of Maling
To illustrate the principle of “Deception” and the “Twelve Stratagems,” let us examine the Battle of Maling, a decisive conflict during the Warring States period where the strategist Sun Bin (a descendant of Sun Tzu) defeated the general Pang Juan of the Wei state. This battle is a textbook example of “Feigning Inability” and “Striking Where Unprepared.”
The Setup: The “Retreating Army”
Sun Bin was tasked with defending the Zhao state against Pang Juan’s aggressive invasion. Instead of meeting Pang Juan’s fresh and powerful army head-on (which would violate the principle of avoiding a strong force), Sun Bin chose to retreat strategically.
He ordered his cooks to build 100,000 stoves on the first day of retreat. The next day, the number of stoves was reduced to 50,000, and on the third day, only 20,000 stoves were built.
The Deception: “Feigning Inability”
Pang Juan, observing the rapid decrease in the number of stoves, fell for the ruse. He assumed that Sun Bin’s soldiers were deserting in large numbers due to low morale and fear. This played directly into the tactic of “Luring with gains” (making the enemy believe victory was imminent) and “Feigning Inability.”
Believing Sun Bin’s army was collapsing, Pang Juan abandoned his heavy infantry and supply wagons, pushing forward with only his elite light cavalry to chase down what he thought was a fleeing enemy. This decision made his army “unguarded” and “unprepared” for a real fight.
The Execution: “Strike Where Unprepared”
Sun Bin had accurately calculated that Pang Juan would reach the narrow pass of Maling by nightfall. Sun Bin had hidden thousands of crossbowmen in the woods along the steep paths. He even marked a specific tree to serve as a signal.
When Pang Juan arrived, exhausted and compressed in the narrow defile, he saw the marked tree and ordered a torch to be lit to read the writing. As the torch was raised, Sun Bin gave the order: “Strike where unprepared, appear where unexpected.”
The Wei army was annihilated in the ambush. Pang Juan, defeated and humiliated, committed suicide. Sun Bin had not only won through superior numbers but by masterfully applying the “Art of Deception.”
兵者，詭道也。故能而示之不能，用而示之不用，近而示之遠，遠而示之近。利而誘之，亂而取之，實而備之，強而避之，怒而撓之，卑而驕之，佚而勞之，親而離之。攻其無備，出其不意，此兵家之勝，不可先傳也。
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