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Six Secret Teachings, Dog Teaching — Picking and Training the Men六韜 練士

Wujing Qishu (The Seven Military Classics) — the six besides the Sunzi 武經七書 · Ascribed to Jiang Taigong · ascribed to Huang Shigong · Wei Liao · Wu Qi · Sima Rangju · Li Jing · Warring States to Tang (4th century BC to 7th century AD) · 1 passages · 259 Chinese characters · reading time 1.0 min

Wujing Qishu (The Seven Military Classics) — the six besides the Sunzi Six Secret Teachings The six that remain when the Art of War of Sunzi is taken out of the seven military books the Song set as the texts for examining military officers. The Six Secret Teachings is sixty chapters of questions and answers in which King Wen and King Wu ask Taigong Wang, running from the governing of a state to chariots, cavalry, battle in the open and the crossing of water; the Three Strategies is three short books said to have been given to Zhang Liang by Huang Shigong; the Wei Liaozi is twenty-four chapters setting down in detail the military orders and the squads of five and ten around the time of Qin; the Wuzi is six chapters of Wu Qi's answers to Marquis Wu of Wei; the Methods of the Sima is five chapters handing down the military rites of before the Spring and Autumn period; and Questions and Replies with Li Weigong is three books in which Taizong of Tang and Li Jing go back and forth over the unorthodox and the orthodox, the empty and the full, the frontier peoples and the Han, and attack and defense. "Arms are an instrument of ill omen," "bring the enemy to you and do not be brought to him," and "a thousand chapters and ten thousand phrases do not go beyond that one phrase" all come from here. The remaining six streams of the military school, read after the Art of War, are gathered in one place.

1The eleven kinds into which the men are picked and grouped

武王問太公曰：「練士之道奈何？」太公曰：「軍中有大勇力，敢死樂傷者，聚為一卒，名為冒刃之士。有銳氣壯勇強暴者，聚為一卒，名曰陷陣之士。有奇表長劍，接武齊列者，聚為一卒，名曰勇銳之士。有披距伸鉤，強梁多力，潰破金鼓，絕滅旌旂者，聚為一卒，名曰勇力之士。有踰高絕遠，輕足善走者，聚為一卒，名曰寇兵之士。有王臣失勢，欲復見功者，聚為一卒，名曰死鬥之士。有死將之人，子弟欲為其將報仇者，聚為一卒名曰死憤之士。有貧窮忿怒，欲快其志者，聚為一卒，名曰必死之士。有贅婿人虜，欲掩揭名者，聚為一卒，名曰勵鈍之士。有胥靡免罪之人，欲逃其恥者，聚為一卒，名曰幸用之士。有材技兼人，能負重致遠者，聚為一卒，名曰待命之士。此軍之練士，不可不察也。」

King Wu asked Taigong, "What is the way of picking and training the men?" Taigong said, "In the army there are men of great courage and strength who brave death and delight in wounds. Gather them into one company and name them the men who brave the blade (冒刃之士). There are men of keen spirit and stout courage, strong and fierce. Gather them into one company and name them the men who break the ranks (陷陣之士). There are men of strange bearing who wear long swords and keep step and stand in even lines. Gather them into one company and name them the brave and keen men (勇銳之士). There are men who can spread an iron bar and straighten a hook, sturdy and full of strength, who smash the gongs and drums and tear down the flags. Gather them into one company and name them the men of strength and courage (勇力之士). There are men who can cross the high and the far, light of foot and quick runners. Gather them into one company and name them the raiding men (寇兵之士). There are men who served the king and have lost their standing and wish to show merit again. Gather them into one company and name them the men who fight to the death (死鬥之士). There are men of a dead general's house, sons and younger brothers who wish to avenge their general. Gather them into one company and name them the men of deadly wrath (死憤之士). There are men poor and angry who wish to have their will. Gather them into one company and name them the men resolved to die (必死之士). There are sons-in-law taken into the house and men who have been captives, who wish to make their names known. Gather them into one company and name them the men who whet the dull (勵鈍之士). There are prisoners whose crimes have been pardoned, who wish to throw off their shame. Gather them into one company and name them the men glad to be used (幸用之士). There are men whose skill and craft surpass others, who can bear heavy loads and go far. Gather them into one company and name them the men who await orders (待命之士). This is the picking and training of the army's men, and it must be looked into."

Interlinear notes 1

欲掩揭名者

Some take yanjie (掩揭) as a single word meaning simply "to make known." Because the next group wishes "to be rid of their shame," yan (掩) is read here as covering over past shame. — translator

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