Treatise on Armament Technology: Volume 3

Military Strategy Evaluations: The Methods of the Sima

If prohibitions do not result in the cessation [of disorder], one cannot share a meal with the masses. If the prohibitions do not bring about a cessation [of noise or chaos], then when it comes time for combat?—

The original text is clipped here; context suggests the character is "combat" (dou).

If they are confused, they can be instructed; if they are submissive, the enemy can be overcome. If the men are suspicious, you cannot share a meal with them; you must endure their disorder [to find its cause].

In all battles, use physical strength for endurance, so that the men may remain well-fed and rested. Win through Qi original: 氣 (qi); refers to the vital energy, morale, and fighting spirit of the soldiers.. Maintain stability through long-standing formations; the momentum of your positions must be firm and solid.

Win by leveraging danger In a perilous position, the core heart becomes firm; if things are too easy, discipline falters, but in danger, it can be solidified. Win through fresh spirit.

For those soldiers who are newly deployed: use armor to provide stability and use weaponry to achieve victory. Through the use of arms

and a sharp spirit, victory can be attained.

In all cases, chariots are stabilized by density therefore chariots must be deployed in a tight, packed array; infantry are stabilized by sitting when the foot soldiers crouch or sit, their formation becomes firm; armor

is stabilized by weight being heavy and thus solid; while weapons achieve victory through lightness only then can they be wielded effectively to win.

When men have a heart for victory, they look only at the enemy. To wish to defeat the enemy, one must focus the men's vision. When men have fear in their hearts, they look only at the source of their fear.

They look [at the commander]. If they fear the general's discipline more than the enemy, they will be victorious. When these two states of mind—the desire for victory and the fear of authority—are settled and balanced, the two benefits act as one. To manage these two is the commander’s duty; it is entirely a matter of Quan original: 權 (quan); often translated as "power," here it refers to the tactical weighing of circumstances and the exercise of authoritative discretion..