Quan Tao: Drilling the Army

King Wu asked Tai Gong:
"How should we assemble and train the army to master combat skills systematically?"

Tai Gong replied:
"To command the Three Armies, use gongs and drums to unify their movements. The general must first instruct every soldier in the drills, repeatedly clarify and explain the procedures, then train them to wield weapons, execute battle maneuvers, and respond to signal flags.

The training proceeds stepwise:

1. Individual Drills – Mastery of solo combat techniques.

2. Squad Coordination – Ten soldiers learn to fight as one.

3. Platoon Tactics – A hundred soldiers synchronize movements.

4. Battalion Discipline – A thousand soldiers form cohesive ranks.

5. Division Warfare – Ten thousand soldiers operate as a single entity.

6. Full Army Integration – All divisions merge into a unified force.

7. Grand Mobilization – A million troops move with precision.

Only through this layered rigor can we forge an invincible army to dominate the world."

King Wu exclaimed:
"Brilliant!"