Raging water rushing at great speed can carry boulders away – this is the power of momentum.
A fierce bird swoops down and breaks its prey – this is the precision of timing and interval.
Thus a skilled warrior creates a dangerous momentum and strikes with a tight, swift interval. His momentum is like a fully drawn crossbow; his strike is like releasing the trigger in an instant.
Note
Sun Tzu is teaching that battlefield success requires a perfect balance of tension and release. Momentum(Shi) is about setting the stage so that victory is almost guaranteed by the sheer weight of your positioning. Timing/Rhythm(Jie) is about having the discipline to wait and the precision to strike in a blinding flash. Together, they ensure that when the battle is finally joined, the outcome is as inevitable as a boulder swept away by a raging river.
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.
Momentum
The overall dominant posture and accumulated power on the battlefield.
Timing & interval
The grasp of attack distance and striking rhythm, striking swiftly at the right moment.
Crossbow metaphor
A classic military analogy for accumulated power and instant release.
Analogies and imagery
Ancient Chinese believed that profound truths and ideas are difficult to express clearly with words and language, so they often used analogies and imagery to convey them indirectly.
激水之疾，至于漂石者，勢也。鷙鳥之擊，至于毀折者，節也。是故善戰者，其勢險，其節短，勢如張弩，節如機發。
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