Line by Line - Verse 69, Line 6

grasping the weapon where there is no weapon to grasp;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Capturing the enemy without attacking,
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Grappling enemies without enemies
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

[No corresponding line]
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

I really like the way John Lash explains this line.

The aggressor's underestimation of your ability will allow your weakness to overcome his strength.

Though I will readily admit that I am not well-versed in the martial arts, I think this is a common theme in many, if not all, of them. You allow the aggressor to attack and use his own momentum to defeat him.

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