Chapter 137 — Standing Stake Training (站桩功)
The training of the Iron Pagoda cavalry did not begin on horseback.
At first, people could not understand that.
They believed that wearing heavy armor, riding, and crashing into the enemy was the entirety of training.
So the order to come out in the morning and simply stand still felt strange and uncomfortable.
A long line was formed across the field.
They were spread wide in full view so that the incapable could be singled out at a glance.
Feet were set shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, spine held upright.
Both arms were rounded in front of the chest, as if embracing a large jar.
At first, forming the posture was not difficult.
It was merely a matter of imitation.
The difficulty came afterward.
The command followed: do not move.
People took it lightly.
They thought it meant simply standing still.
After a short while, the body began to react.
The thighs tightened, the knees trembled.
Maintaining an upright spine grew increasingly difficult.
Tension crept into the shoulders without awareness.
Some clenched their teeth and endured.
Others subtly shifted, searching for a more comfortable position.
The more they did so, the faster they collapsed.
The more force they used to endure, the more their legs shook and their breath shortened.
As time passed, they began to understand.
Applying force made it harder to endure.
Releasing force allowed them to stand longer.
The shoulders dropped, the knees settled softly.
Even without effort to straighten the spine, the center did not waver.
The breath lengthened.
Without forcing it, inhalation and exhalation flowed naturally.
As that state continued, the body's sensation changed.
The contact of the soles with the ground became clear,
that sensation traveled up through the legs into the waist.
The force that had broken at the waist rose into the chest,
and the arms rested naturally upon it.
While standing, the internal flow of the body became distinct.
This training did not end in a day.
It was repeated every morning and continued even after charge training.
Gradually, people understood its meaning.
This was why the body did not waver on horseback.
At the moment of collision, the center was already set.
In that state, pushing forward did not break the flow.
After several days, the change became clear.
When riding, hands and feet no longer moved separately.
The whole body moved as one.
When riding in line, spacing did not easily break,
and even when the front wavered, the rear followed naturally.
Rather than adjusting by sight, the body responded first and found its place.
They stood again.
The same posture, the same place.
Yet something had changed.
It was no longer a time of endurance,
but a time of aligning the body.
While standing, the body had already become unified.
Move from that state, and the flow continued.
From that day, the charge was no longer something learned separately.
While standing, the body was already prepared.
Training, and more training
On one side, archery training continued.
It was not mere shooting, but coordinated volleys directed at a single point.
At the signal of a whistle, all fired simultaneously.
Even when shooting a hundred arrows, they were to fall upon a single spot.
Those who failed to hit were made to crawl back or return in a squat.
Each man was skilled individually,
but the goal was to maximize power through simultaneity and concentration.
Ten men shooting would produce the effect of a hundred.
Even armor and shields could not withstand such fire.
This method was applied not only to the Iron Pagoda cavalry but to all archer units.
With it, even an enemy commander hidden behind shields atop a gate tower could be struck.
Yeongu organized this training in consultation with the Jurchen commanders.
Once begun, it continued relentlessly until completion.
Weapons from Goryeo were also introduced.
Alongside the traditional composite bows, crossbows were adopted.
They offered greater range and destructive power.
Each unit was assigned crossbowmen to be deployed when needed.
Their sizes varied, but they were organized as they became available.
Methods for scaling walls were also taught.
This was training to overcome the high walls of Liao fortresses.
The Jurchens, weak in frontal assaults on walls, were trained intensively to climb over them.
It was the kind of training that would invite severe reprimand if known in Goryeo.
A soldier could be lifted over the wall in a single motion by being mounted on the end of a long pole and pushed upward from behind.
It was a method used at the opening of battle to seize and open the gates.
Several men carried the pole at speed, then raised it before the wall.
The soldier at its tip ascended as though walking along the wall.
They also trained to carry a soldier suspended on a ladder and raise him onto the wall in one motion.
A group lifted the ladder from below, placing the soldier directly atop the enemy wall.
This exposed him to enemy arrows at height,
so they trained with light but protective armor.
They even trained to vault over walls using poles while riding.
Unlike ordinary pole vaulting, it used the speed of the horse to launch the body.
With flexible long poles and high speed, it was difficult to master.
Many failed and crashed to the ground.
Some could not withstand the height even when they cleared it.
Before the pole completed its arc, they fell from great height and were injured.
Even with straw piled high as cushioning, injuries were frequent.
At first, it was difficult.
Later, men seemed to fly.
The final discipline was swordsmanship.
They were taught the Joseon methods, and practiced together daily.
Even young boys memorized the forms.
Children in the alleys became so familiar that they played while practicing them.
At dawn, all gathered to train together,
and they repeated it again before breaking into unit training.