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The Infantry in Battle

Disciplines > Warfare > The Six Secret Teachings > 6.10 The Infantry in Battle

Teaching set  | Observed lessons | Discussion | See also

Teaching set

Leopard Secret Teachings 6.10 (60)

Observed lessons

• In a straight match, chariots, cavalry or other heavy weaponry will defeat infantry.
• Use long weapons to hold enemy swords beyond arm's length.
• Get above heavy weaponry to avoid their attack and fire down on them. Get behind them or otherwise attack their weak spots.
• Dig traps, use stakes or create other means of blocking their path.

Discussion

When a weaker force meets a stronger force, then conventional fighting is likely to be unsuccessful. The best way is to seek out their weaknesses and attack them there.

Chariots are heavy and wheeled. They are slow to turn. They are vulnerable from behind and above. Even modern vehicles have their weak points. There is a dilemma that increasing armor that prevents direct attacks also acts to slow the vehicle. This is one reason why modern composite materials are used.

See also

Tactics of War

Sawyer, R.D. (1993). The Seven Military Classics of Ancient China, Basic Books