A skilled commander directs an army like the Shuairan, a serpent of Changshan Mountain. Strike its head, and its tail comes to defend. Strike its tail, and its head turns back. Strike its middle, and both head and tail attack together.
Question: Can an army be made to act like this serpent? Answer: Yes.
The people of Wu and Yue were bitter enemies, yet when they shared a boat in a storm, they aided one another like left and right hands.
Chaining horses and burying wheels to hold formation cannot guarantee unity. Making all soldiers fight as one relies on sound governance. Using both strong and weak units well lies in mastering terrain.
A true master of warfare leads a whole army as if commanding a single man, for shared hardship compels them to unite.
Note
A capable general commands troops like the mountain serpent Shuairan, whose head and tail coordinate instantly. Shared danger unites foes, while smart governance rather than rigid restraints ensures the whole army acts as one.
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.
Shuairan serpent
A classic metaphor for coordinated army formation.
Unity amid crisis
Hostile sides will cooperate when facing shared trouble.
Governance over force
Wise management works better than rigid restraints.
故善用兵者，譬如率然；率然者，常山之蛇也，擊其首，則尾至，擊其尾，則首至，擊其中，則首尾俱至。敢問：「兵可使如率然乎？」曰：「可。」夫吳人與越人相惡也，當其同舟濟而遇風，其相救也如左右手。是故，方馬埋輪，未足恃也，齊勇若一，政之道也；剛柔皆得，地之理也。故善用兵者，攜手若使一人，不得已也。
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