Sun Tzu said: When a general receives orders from the ruler and assembles the army:
Do not camp on difficult ground. Form alliances on crossroads. Do not linger on barren ground. Devise stratagems when trapped in enclosed ground. Fight bravely when on deadly ground.
Some roads must not be taken, some enemies must not be attacked, some cities must not be assaulted, some territories must not be contested. Even royal commands may be disobeyed if they conflict with the battlefield situation.
A general who understands the advantages of these nine adaptations truly knows how to wage war. Without this knowledge, even if he knows the terrain, he cannot make use of it. Leading troops without mastering these flexible tactics, he cannot bring out the full strength of his men, even with favorable ground.
Note
This excerpt from Chapter 8 of The Art of War lays terrain rules for five ground types and five flexible military exceptions, including disobeying unsuitable royal orders. Mastery of such adaptive “nine variations” lets generals leverage terrain fully; ignorance wastes geographic advantages and troop strength.
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.
Nine adaptations
Core flexible principles for dealing with different terrains and situations.
Terrain rules
Corresponding strategies for five typical dangerous lands.
Disobey improper royal orders
The right of frontline generals to make on-the-spot decisions.
Flexible tactics
The key to utilizing terrain and soldiers effectively.
孫子曰：凡用兵之法，將受命於君，合軍聚眾；圮地無舍，衢地合交，絕地無留，圍地則謀，死地則戰，途有所不由，軍有所不擊，城有所不攻，地有所不爭，君命有所不受。故將通于九變之利者，知用兵矣。將不通于九變之利者，雖知地形，不能得地之利矣。治兵不知九變之術，雖知地利，不能得人之用矣。
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