Jeff Cooper Quotes

That is the whole secret of successful fighting. Get your enemy at a disadvantage; and never, on any account, fight him on equal terms.

The spot where we intend to fight must not be made known; for then the enemy will have to prepare against a possible attack at several different points; and his forces being thus distributed in many directions, the numbers we shall have to face at any given point will be proportionately few.

Contrary to conventional military and game theory, the most effective offense is sometimes a direct attack against your political opponent's greatest strength - not his weaknesses - to place him immediately on the defensive.

Fight the enemy with the weapons he lacks.

We reserve the right to respond to any act of the adversary at a time and place of our choosing.

When you're fighting a guy like DC, he's just coming in and pushes you. You have to push him back.

We want to put pressure on the defense.

That's the secret, hit without getting hit.

While hitting one must guard ... In order to hit with effect, the enemy must be taken off his guard.

A tactical retreat is not a bad response to a surprise assault, you know. First you survive. Then you choose your own ground. Then you counterattack.

If you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn't plan your mission properly.

I think its one of the great principles. The element of surprise, I mean, you could take a force that's not nearly as strong and with the element of surprise you could wipe out a much more powerful force.

If you're trying to take a roomful of people by surprise, it's a lot easier to hit your targets if you don't yell going through the door.

If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground. All we need to do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in his way.

Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy, if possible; and when you strike and overcome him, never let up in the pursuit so long as your men have strength to follow; for an army routed, if hotly pursued, becomes panic-stricken, and can then be destroyed by half their number. The other rule is, never fight against heavy odds, if by any possible maneuvering you can hurl your own force on only a part, and that the weakest part, of your enemy and crush it. Such tactics will win every time, and a small army may thus destroy a large one in detail, and repeated victory will make it invincible.

If you're already in a fight, you want the first blow to be the last and you had better be the one to throw it.

The other American divisions on our flanks managed to pull out: We were obliged to stay and fight. Bayonets aren't much good against tanks.

Attack the enemy's strategy.

A military man can scarcely pride himself on having 'smitten a sleeping enemy'; it is more a matter of shame, simply, for the one smitten. I would rather you made your appraisal after seeing what the enemy does, since it is certain that, angered and outraged, he will soon launch a determined counterattack.

Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy, if possible; and when you strike and overcome him, never let up in the pursuit...

If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve.

Isn't the best defense always a good attack?

The proper course of action, when under attack, is usually to counterattack.

The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him.

Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected.