According to Sun Tzu in Chapter 5, what is the first action taken by the 'good fighters of old'?
Explanation
This question tests the understanding of the fundamental principle of tactical dispositions as outlined by Sun Tzu, which prioritizes security and invulnerability as the foundation for victory.
Other questions
In Chapter 5, from where does the opportunity to defeat the enemy arise?
What does Chapter 5 state is the relationship between knowing how to conquer and being able to do it?
According to Chapter 5, ss. 6, what does adopting an attacking posture indicate about a force's strength?
What metaphor is used in Chapter 5, ss. 7 to describe a general who is skilled in defense?
In Chapter 5, what is considered 'not the acme of excellence' in warfare?
What does the phrase 'to lift an autumn hair' signify in the context of Chapter 5, ss. 10?
According to the commentary by Tu Mu in Chapter 5, ss. 12, why do the victories of a great general bring him no reputation for wisdom or credit for courage?
What establishes the certainty of victory, according to Chapter 5, ss. 13?
How does Chapter 5, ss. 15, contrast the approach of a victorious strategist with that of one destined for defeat?
In Chapter 5, ss. 17, what is the first element listed in the sequence of military method?
According to the sequence outlined in Chapter 5, ss. 18, what does 'Balancing of chances' owe its existence to?
In Chapter 5, ss. 19, a victorious army is metaphorically compared to an 'I' weighed against a 'SHU'. What is the weight of a SHU?
What metaphor does Sun Tzu use in Chapter 5, ss. 20, to describe the onrush of a conquering force?
What enables the consummate leader to control success, according to Chapter 5, ss. 16?
According to the commentary on Chapter 5, ss. 3, how does Chang Yu say a good fighter secures himself against defeat?
What is the metaphor used in Chapter 5, ss. 7 for a general skilled in attack?
In Chapter 5, seeing the sun and moon is used as an example of something that is not a sign of what?
What does Mei Yao-ch'en's commentary on Chapter 5, ss. 11, say about a fighter who only sees the obvious?
What is the key action of a skillful fighter, according to Chapter 5, ss. 14?
According to the commentary from Ho Shih on Chapter 5, ss. 15, what is the first step in warfare?
Which is the correct sequence of the five elements of military method as listed in Chapter 5, ss. 17-18?
What is the weight of the ancient Chinese unit 'I' according to the note by Li Ch'uan of the T'ang dynasty mentioned in the commentary for Chapter 5, ss. 19?
In Chapter 5, which of these is NOT used as an example of something that is 'no sign' of a great or special ability?
What does the commentator Ts'ao Kung mean by seeing 'the plant before it has germinated' in his remarks on Chapter 5, ss. 8?
Defensive tactics are a sign of insufficient strength, while offensive tactics are a sign of what, according to Chapter 5, ss. 6?
What is the final, fifthly, element of military method mentioned in Chapter 5, ss. 17?
What does Chapter 5, ss. 5 identify as the implication of 'security against defeat'?
According to the commentary on Chapter 5, ss. 8, the story of Han Hsin attacking the army of Chao is used to illustrate what concept?
What is the meaning of conquering an 'enemy that is already defeated,' as described in Chapter 5, ss. 13?
In the comparison of a victorious army to a routed one in Chapter 5, ss. 19, what is the point of the metaphor?
According to Chapter 5, security against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity for victory is provided by whom?
What is the result of achieving a complete victory through skilled defense and attack, as described in Chapter 5, ss. 7?
According to Tu Mu's commentary on Chapter 5, ss. 9, what constitutes 'true excellence'?
Who is the clever fighter, as described by the ancients and cited in Chapter 5, ss. 11?
In Chapter 5, what is the source to which 'Measurement', the first step of military method, owes its existence?
In Chapter 5, 'taking the offensive' is associated with what concept?
According to the commentary in Chapter 5, the phrase 'autumn hair' refers to what?
What does Ch'en Hao's commentary on Chapter 5, ss. 13 suggest is the reason a general who makes no mistakes can conquer an 'already defeated' enemy?
What is the second step in the five-part 'military method' outlined in Chapter 5, ss. 17?
According to the commentary on Chapter 5, ss. 19, which commentator corrected Chu Hsi's statement that an 'I' equaled 20 oz, stating it was 24 Chinese ounces?
What concept is illustrated by the statement 'to hear the noise of thunder is no sign of a quick ear' in Chapter 5, ss. 10?
In Chapter 5, ss. 18, 'Victory' is said to owe its existence to which preceding element of military method?
What is the title of Chapter 5?
According to the commentary on Chapter 5, ss. 1, what does Ts'ao Kung say is the meaning of the chapter's title?
What does Tu Mu's commentary suggest is the relationship between concealing and showing dispositions in Chapter 5?
According to Chapter 5, ss. 3, a good fighter can secure himself against defeat but cannot do what?
What does Wang Hsi's commentary in the introduction to Chapter 5 say a good general can do?
In Chapter 5, the commentary explains that the metaphor 'hides under the ninth earth' indicates what?
What is the main idea conveyed by the paradox that a victorious strategist 'only seeks battle after the victory has been won' in Chapter 5, ss. 15?