Sun Tzu Strategy is a term I hear all the time. I think that there is frequently a misunderstanding of what this refers to.

I always think that he had two basic strategies and then a series of techniques for dealing with individual scenarios which could be intertwined for a endless range of options that he could use.

The first and most important strategy was to avoid fighting. His strategy was to always try to win in order by:

Note: I am posting this translation not becuase I endorse it or think its the definitive translation but because it is freely available and you can copy/print or do what you want with it. Saying that it is quite good.

Translated from the Chinese By LIONEL GILES, M.A. (1910)

I. LAYING PLANS

1. Sun Tzu said: The art of war is of vital importance to the State.

2. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.