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SfC Home > Competition > Explanation of the book The Art of War by Sun Tzu - Strategies to Win Competitions. Also refer to army, China, military, strategy, tactics, troops, killing, opponent, victory, plans, attack, enemy, defenses, energy, maneuvering, variation, marching, terrain, fire, spy, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu: 10. Terrainby Ron Kurtus (18 December 2005) You need to be aware of the terrain and its affect on your soldiers, as well as the enemy. This will allow you to fight with advantage. From a position of this sort, if the enemy is unprepared, you may sally forth and defeat him. But if the enemy is prepared for your coming, and you fail to defeat him, then, return being impossible, disaster will ensue. knowing these things is a test of a great general. Questions you may have are:
This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz near the end of the lesson. Six kinds of terrainWe may distinguish six kinds of terrain, to wit:
Accessible groundGround which can be freely traversed by both sides is called accessible. With regard to ground of this nature, be before the enemy in occupying the raised and sunny spots, and carefully guard your line of supplies. Then you will be able to fight with advantage. Entangling groundGround which can be abandoned but is hard to re-occupy is called entangling. From a position of this sort, if the enemy is unprepared, you may sally forth and defeat him. But if the enemy is prepared for your coming, and you fail to defeat him, then, return being impossible, disaster will ensue. Temporizing groundWhen the position is such that neither side will gain by making the first move, it is called temporizing ground. In a position of this sort, even though the enemy should offer us an attractive bait, it will be advisable not to stir forth, but rather to retreat, thus enticing the enemy in his turn; then, when part of his army has come out, we may deliver our attack with advantage. Narrow passesWith regard to narrow passes, if you can occupy them first, let them be strongly garrisoned and await the advent of the enemy. Should the army forestall you in occupying a pass, do not go after him if the pass is fully garrisoned, but only if it is weakly garrisoned. Precipitous heightsWith regard to precipitous heights, if you are beforehand with your adversary, you should occupy the raised and sunny spots, and there wait for him to come up. If the enemy has occupied them before you, do not follow him, but retreat and try to entice him away. Great distanceIf you are situated at a great distance from the enemy, and the strength of the two armies is equal, it is not easy to provoke a battle, and fighting will be to your disadvantage. Principles connected with EarthThese six are the principles connected with Earth. The general who has attained a responsible post must be careful to study them. Six calamitiesNow an army is exposed to six calamities, not arising from natural causes, but from faults for which the general is responsible. These are:
FlightOther conditions being equal, if one force is hurled against another ten times its size, the result will be the flight of the former. InsubordinationWhen the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is insubordination. CollapseWhen the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is collapse. RuinWhen the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, and on meeting the enemy give battle on their own account from a feeling of resentment, before the commander-in-chief can tell whether or no he is in a position to fight, the result is ruin. DisorganizationWhen the general is weak and without authority; when his orders are not clear and distinct; when there are no fixes duties assigned to officers and men, and the ranks are formed in a slovenly haphazard manner, the result is utter disorganization. RoutWhen a general, unable to estimate the enemy's strength, allows an inferior force to engage a larger one, or hurls a weak detachment against a powerful one, and neglects to place picked soldiers in the front rank, the result must be rout. Courting defeatThese are six ways of courting defeat, which must be carefully noted by the general who has attained a responsible post. Test of a great generalThe natural formation of the country is the soldier's best ally; but a power of estimating the adversary, of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers and distances, constitutes the test of a great general. He who knows these things, and in fighting puts his knowledge into practice, will win his battles. He who knows them not, nor practices them, will surely be defeated. If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it; if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler's bidding. The general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, whose only thought is to protect his country and do good service for his sovereign, is the jewel of the kingdom. Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death. If, however, you are indulgent, but unable to make your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce your commands; and incapable, moreover, of quelling disorder: then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children; they are useless for any practical purpose. If we know that our own men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, but are unaware that our own men are not in a condition to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory. If we know that the enemy is open to attack, and also know that our men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the nature of the ground makes fighting impracticable, we have still gone only halfway towards victory. Hence the experienced soldier, once in motion, is never bewildered; once he has broken camp, he is never at a loss. Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete. SummaryYou need to be aware of the terrain and its affect on your soldiers, as well as the enemy. A good general will avoid calamities and take advantage of the terrain. ResourcesThe following are resources on this subject. WebsitesBooksTop-rated
books on Warfare Strategies The Art of War by Sun Tzu; Running Press Book Publishers (2003) $4.95 MiscellaneousMini-quiz to check your understanding1. Why is knowledge of the terrain important before a battle? 2. What could happen if the leader underestimated the enemy? 3. How can a leader create faithful soldiers? If you got all three correct, you are on your way to becoming a Champion in Winning Competitions. If you had problems, you had better look over the material again. What do you think?Do you have any questions, comments, or opinions on this subject? If so, send an email with your feedback. We will try to get back to you as soon as possible. Share linkFeel free to establish a link from your website to pages in this site. 
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