地形

• Ground shapes outcomes. Strategy must fit structure, distance, access, and risk.
• Alternate chapter title: Terrain
• Chinese chapter title: 地形
• This chapter is grouped into three contextual rule cards while preserving the full traditional Chinese text.

• Core idea: Terrain is an ally of military force.
• Meaning: Context amplifies capability.
• Why it matters: The same team performs differently in different structures.
• How to apply: Sell where the channel fit, regulation, and customer behavior already favor you.

Original Text Explanation

孫子曰：地形有通者、有挂者、有支者、有隘者、有險者、有遠者。

Sun Zi says there are six kinds of terrain: accessible ground, entangling ground, temporizing ground, narrow passes, precipitous heights, and positions far from the enemy.

我可以往，彼可以來，曰通。

Ground that both sides can cross freely is called accessible.

通形者，先居高陽，利糧道，以戰則利。

On such ground, occupy the raised sunny places first and guard your supply line carefully. Then you can fight with advantage.

可以往，難以返，曰挂。

Ground that can be abandoned but is hard to recover is called entangling.

挂形者，敵無備，出而勝之，敵若有備，出而不勝，則難以返，不利。

From such a position, if the enemy is unready, you may sally out and beat him. But if he is ready and you fail, getting back will be difficult and disaster may follow.

我出而不利，彼出而不利，曰支。

When neither side gains by moving first, the ground is temporizing.

支形者，敵雖利我，我無出也，引而去之，令敵半出而擊之，利。

On such ground, even if the enemy offers bait, it is better not to move first. Withdraw instead, lure him out, and strike when part of his force has emerged.

隘形者，我先居之，必盈之以待敵。

With narrow passes, if you reach them first, garrison them strongly and wait for the enemy.

若敵先居之，盈而勿從，不盈而從之

If the enemy reaches a pass before you, do not force it if it is solidly held; go only if the defense is weak.

險形者，我先居之，必居高陽以待敵﹔

With steep heights, if you arrive first, hold the raised sunny spots and wait for the enemy to climb.

若敵先居之，引而去之，勿從也。

If the enemy occupies them before you, do not follow him upward. Withdraw and try to draw him off.

遠形者，勢均，難以挑戰，戰而不利。

If you are far from the enemy and both armies are equal in strength, it is hard to force battle, and fighting will not favor you.

凡此六者，地之道也，將之至任，不可不察也。

These six belong to the study of ground itself. A general in serious command must examine them closely.

• Core idea: Know the enemy and yourself to avoid danger; know timing and ground to complete the win.
• Meaning: Self-knowledge is not enough.
• Why it matters: Strategy needs internal clarity and external awareness together.
• How to apply: Pair internal capability assessment with market timing and channel reality before scaling.

Original Text Explanation

故兵有走者、有馳者、有陷者、有崩者、有亂者、有北者。凡此六者，非天之災，將之過也。

An army faces six calamities that come not from nature but from the general's own faults: flight, insubordination, collapse, ruin, disorganization, and rout.

夫勢均，以一擊十，曰走。

All else equal, if a small force is thrown against one ten times larger, the result is flight.

卒強吏弱，曰馳。吏強卒弱，曰陷。

If common soldiers are strong while officers are weak, insubordination follows. If officers are strong while common soldiers are weak, the result is collapse.

大吏怒而不服，遇敵懟而自戰，將不知其能，曰崩。

If senior officers are angry and unruly and fight on their own resentment before the commander has judged the situation, the result is ruin.

將弱不嚴，教道不明，吏卒無常，陳兵縱橫，曰亂。

If the general is weak, authority thin, orders unclear, duties unfixed, and formations sloppy, the result is disorganization.

將不能料敵，以少合眾，以弱擊強，兵無選鋒，曰北。

If a general misjudges the enemy, sends a small force against a large one, or fails to place picked troops in front, the result is rout.

凡此六者，敗之道也，將之至任，不可不察也。

These are six ways to invite defeat, and any responsible general must study them carefully.

• Core idea: Treat soldiers like children and beloved sons, and they will follow you into danger.
• Meaning: Trust grows from care and discipline together.
• Why it matters: People fight hardest for leaders who clearly protect and guide them.
• How to apply: During a hard turnaround, explain the stakes honestly and show visible care for the team's burden.

Original Text Explanation

夫地形者，兵之助也。料敵制勝，計險厄遠近，上將之道也。

The shape of the land is the soldier's natural ally, but the mark of a great general is judging the enemy, controlling the conditions of victory, and calculating difficulties, dangers, and distances well.

知此而用戰者必勝﹔不知此而用戰者必敗。

Whoever knows these things and applies them in battle will win. Whoever does not will lose.

故戰道必勝，主曰無戰，必戰可也﹔戰道不勝，主曰必戰，無戰可也。

If battle is certain to bring victory, then fight, even if the ruler forbids it. If battle cannot bring victory, then do not fight, even if the ruler orders it.

故進不求名，退不避罪，惟人是保，而利合于主，國之寶也。

The general who advances without craving fame and retreats without fearing disgrace, caring only for the country and for service to his ruler, is the state's treasure.

視卒如嬰兒，故可以與之赴深谿﹔視卒如愛子，故可與之俱死。

Treat soldiers as children and they will follow you into deep valleys. Treat them as beloved sons and they will stand with you to the death.

厚而不能使，愛而不能令，亂而不能治，譬若驕子，不可用也。

But if you are indulgent without authority, kind without enforcement, and unable to quell disorder, the troops become spoiled children and are useless in practice.

知吾卒之可以擊，而不知敵之不可擊，勝之半也﹔

If we know our own men are ready to attack but do not know the enemy is vulnerable, we are only halfway to victory.

知敵之可擊，而不知吾卒之不可以擊，勝之半也﹔

If we know the enemy is vulnerable but do not know our own men are ready, we are only halfway to victory.

知敵之可擊，知吾卒之可以擊，而不知地形之不可以戰，勝之半也。

If we know both the enemy's weakness and our own readiness but do not know the ground makes battle impracticable, we are still only halfway to victory.

故知兵者，動而不迷，舉而不窮。

So the experienced soldier is never confused once he moves and never at a loss once camp is broken.

故曰：知己知彼，勝乃不殆﹔知天知地，勝乃可全。

Hence the saying: know the enemy and know yourself, and victory stays beyond doubt; know Heaven and know Earth, and victory can be made complete.