• Ambiguity, deception, novelty, mobility, and violence (or threat thereof) are used to generate surprise and shock.

• Fire and movement are used in combination, like cheng/ch'i or Nebenpunkte/Schwerpunkt, to tie up, divert, or drain away adversary attention and strength in order to expose as well as menace and exploit vulnerabilities or weaknesses elsewhere.

• Indications of success tend to be qualitative and are related to the widespread onset of confusion and disorder, frequent envelopments, high prisoner counts, or any other phenomenon that suggests inability to adapt to change.