Six Secret Teachings, Dog Teaching — Foot Soldiers in Battle六韜 戰步
1How foot soldiers fight chariots and horsemen — the cage of life (命籠)
武王問太公曰:「步兵與車騎戰奈何?」太公曰:「步兵與車騎戰者,必依丘陵險阻,長兵強弩居前,短兵弱弩居後,更發更止。敵之車騎雖眾而至,堅陣疾戰,材士強弩,以備我後。」武王曰:「吾無丘陵,又無險阻。敵人之至,既眾且武,車騎翼我兩旁,獵我前後。吾三軍恐懼,亂敗而走,為之奈何?」太公曰:「令我士卒為行馬,木蒺藜,置牛馬隊伍,為四武衝陣;望敵車騎將來,均置蒺莉;掘地匝後,廣深五尺,名曰命籠。人操行馬進步,闌車以為壘,推而前後,立而為屯;材士強弩,備我左右。然後令我三軍,皆疾戰而不解。」武王曰:「善哉!」
King Wu asked Taigong, "How do foot soldiers fight chariots and horsemen?" Taigong said, "Foot soldiers who fight chariots and horsemen must lean on hills and broken ground, with long weapons and strong crossbows in front and short weapons and weak crossbows behind, shooting by turns and stopping by turns. Though the enemy's chariots and horsemen come in great number, hold the ranks firm and fight quickly, and let able men and strong crossbows guard our rear." King Wu said, "We have no hills and no broken ground, and the enemy comes many and skilled in arms, his chariots and horsemen winging both our flanks and hunting our front and rear, so that our three armies are afraid and break in disorder and run. How is it to be done?" Taigong said, "Have our officers and men make horse-barriers and wooden caltrops, put oxen and horses in the ranks, and form the four-sided martial assault formation. When you see the enemy's chariots and horsemen coming, lay the caltrops out evenly, and dig the ground around the rear, five feet wide and five feet deep; this is called the cage of life. Let each man take a horse-barrier and go forward, and bar the way with carts to make a rampart, pushing them to front and rear and setting them up to make a camp. Let able men and strong crossbows guard our left and right. Then have our three armies all fight quickly and never break off." King Wu said, "Good."