“He who occupies the high ground…will fight to advantage.”

-Sun Tzu, Chinese military strategist and philosopher, 544 BC-496 BC.

This quote is from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, which discusses military strategy in Ancient China. Originally written in the 5th century BC, Art of War has since become hugely influential on Eastern and Western military tactics. Here, Sun Tzu is discussing how the high ground is an advantage in battle. Being up high means your enemy must fight against both you and gravity, which is a disadvantage. Here’s the full passage for some context:

On accessible terrain,
He who occupies high Yang ground
And ensures his line of supplies
Will fight to advantage.

On precipitous terrain,
If we occupy it first,
We should hold the Yang heights and wait for the enemy.
If the enemy occupies it first, do not go after him,
But entice him out by retreating.[1]


[1]: Sun Tzu. The Art of War. Translated by John Minford. New York: Penguin Books, 2006. 63.