Six Secret Teachings, Dog Teaching — Chariots in Battle六韜 戰車
1The chariot — ten grounds of death and eight grounds of victory
武王問太公曰：「戰車奈何？」太公曰：「步貴知變動，車貴知地形，騎貴知別徑奇道，三軍同名而異用也。凡車之戰，死地有十，勝地有八。」武王曰：「十死之地奈何？」太公曰：「往而無以還者，車之死地也。越絕險阻，乘敵遠行者，車之竭地也。前易後險者，車之困地也。陷之險阻而難出者，車之絕地也。圮下漸澤，黑土黏埴者，車之勞地也。左險右易，上陵仰阪者，車之逆地也。殷草橫畝，犯歷浚澤者，車之拂地也。車少地易，與步不敵者，車之敗地也，後有溝瀆，左有深水，右有峻阪者。車之壞地也。日夜霖雨，旬日不止，道路潰陷，前不能進，後不能解者，車之陷地也。此十者，車之死地也。故拙將之所以見擒，明將之所以能避也。」武王曰：「八勝之地奈何？」太公曰：「敵之前後，行陣未定，即陷之。旌旂擾亂，人馬數動，即陷之。士卒或前或後，或左或右，即陷之。陣不堅固，士卒前後相顧，即陷之。前往而疑，後往而怯，即陷之。三軍猝驚，皆薄而起，即陷之。戰於易地，暮不能解，即陷之。遠行而暮舍，三軍恐懼，即陷之。此八者，車之勝地也。將明於十害八勝，敵雖圍周，千乘萬騎，前驅旁馳，萬戰必勝。」武王曰：「善哉！」
King Wu asked Taigong, "How do chariots fight?" Taigong said, "Foot soldiers prize knowing change and movement, chariots prize knowing the lie of the ground, and horsemen prize knowing byways and strange roads. The three arms bear one name but are used differently. In the fighting of chariots there are ten grounds of death and eight grounds of victory." King Wu said, "What are the ten grounds of death?" Taigong said, "Ground where you go and cannot come back is the chariot's ground of death. To cross beyond broken country and press the enemy on a long march is the chariot's ground of exhaustion. Ground level in front and broken behind is the chariot's ground of hardship. Ground where you sink into broken country and can hardly get out is the chariot's ground of severance. Low crumbling marsh where the black earth is sticky clay is the chariot's ground of toil. Ground broken on the left and level on the right, where you climb a hill and look up a slope, is the chariot's ground of contrariety. Ground thick with grass and crossed with furrows, where you pass through deep marshes, is the chariot's ground of hindrance. Level ground where the chariots are few and cannot stand against foot soldiers is the chariot's ground of defeat. Ground with a ditch behind, deep water on the left and a steep slope on the right is the chariot's ground of ruin. Ground where the long rains fall day and night and do not stop for ten days, and the roads break and cave in so that you cannot go forward and cannot get free behind, is the chariot's ground of sinking. These ten are the chariot's grounds of death. By them the clumsy general is taken captive, and from them the clear-sighted general can keep away." King Wu said, "What are the eight grounds of victory?" Taigong said, "When the enemy's order of march, front and rear, is not yet settled, break him at once. When his flags are in disorder and his men and horses stir often, break him at once. When his officers and men go now forward, now back, now to the left, now to the right, break him at once. When his ranks are not firm and his officers and men look about them before and behind, break him at once. When those going in front are in doubt and those going behind are afraid, break him at once. When the three armies are startled all at once and all rise in haste, break him at once. When he has fought on level ground and by evening cannot break off, break him at once. When he has marched far and lodges at evening and the three armies are in dread, break him at once. These eight are the chariot's grounds of victory. If the general is clear about the ten harms and the eight victories, then though the enemy rings him round with a thousand chariots and ten thousand horsemen driving in front and galloping at his flanks, he will fight ten thousand battles and be sure to win." King Wu said, "Good."