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Selecting Warriors

Disciplines > Warfare > The Six Secret Teachings > 6.3 Selecting Warriors

Teaching set  | Observed lessons | Discussion | See also

Teaching set

Leopard Secret Teachings 6.3 (53)

Observed lessons

• Form units as follows:
  • Bring together in an extreme group those who enjoy risk and who are willing to die ('Warriors who risk the naked blade').
  • Collect those who are robust, strong, explosive and courageous into 'Warriors who penetrate the lines'.
  • Those who look impressive should be in 'Courageous, elite warriors'.
  • Put those who can jump, who are strong and brave in 'Warriors of courage and strength'.
  • Allocate those with stamina, who can run and climb, to 'Warriors of the invading army'.
  • Put those who have been shamed or lost their position in 'Warriors who are angry unto death'.
  • Find those who have had relatives or leaders slain by the enemy and put them in 'Warriors who are angry  unto death'.
  • Take the low status, poor and angry and put them in 'Warriors committed to death'.
  • Put slaves and those who are adopted in an 'Incited dispirited' group.
  • Those taken from prison should be 'Warriors fortunate to be used'.
  • And those who have particular skills and who can carry loads are 'Warriors awaiting orders'.

Discussion

Putting people together who have similar skills will help them to share techniques and encourage one another. They also form units that you can deploy for particular effect. This can range from 'shock and awe' to construction to standard fighting groups.

For any organization, deciding on how to divide into teams will have an enormous effect on success. People are often divided by skill-sets yet the work goes horizontally and they should really work together. It is in the gaps between groups that an organization can fail and making this work is a critical management job.

See also

Selection

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