First, in training, we should pay special attention to standardizing coaches and emphasize scoring from outside. Always insist on using rigid coaches, and train soldiers into puppets who only know absolute obedience and are driven by orders through infinite repetition. Training is based on individual, class, platoon and company. In particular, individuals and classes rank more, followed by others. Battalions and regiments just hold some military parades to decorate the facade. People with a little military knowledge will obviously be unfamiliar with this training method, but after a long time, they will find out that this is one of the secrets handed down by Ma Jiajia. They also found a set of theoretical basis for this practice from the history of ancient and modern China and foreign countries. For example, it is often said that when Napoleon's soldiers marched on the bridge, the bridge suddenly broke and they marched as usual, and no one stopped when they fell into the river; Washington let the soldiers go forward, and the soldiers walked down the cliff without fear; On the way to Nankou, Feng Yuxiang's army was defeated. A group of people were surrounded by bandits and handed over their guns. After they were put back, someone asked why they didn't shoot at that time. The answer is: "No orders." They regard these as examples of obeying orders and think that they are the result of attaching importance to standard coaches. Because the standard coach can grind and consume physical strength, the soldiers practice nervously every day and rarely rest. The soldier was so tired that his neck froze and he fell asleep, unable to think about anything else.
Because standard coaching and instrumental gymnastics are the necessary conditions for promotion and the main subjects for review, the squad leader and junior officers use this as a ladder for promotion and work hard, which has brought endless disasters to soldiers. Due to excessive fatigue, nearly 100 people are disabled by falls every year.
Second, in the army, there is both strength and kindness. The practice is to act in accordance with the law and be moody, so that his subordinates can't figure out what is going on. Ma and his son call this "deep". In Ma Dunhou's words, it is to create a momentum of unexpected events, so that subordinates can't understand their temper. So sometimes trivial things, such as soldiers saluting in the wrong posture and not responding loudly enough, are treated as major events, either reprimanding in public, or adding fists and feet, or calling the company commander and battalion commander in charge with a stick. Its purpose is to scare officers and men by this means, make them afraid to meet each other, and let them do whatever they want without thinking. But sometimes, for some quite serious problems, we take the way of thanking first and deal with them hastily. In this way, the bad habit of being angry with the master and pleading with the people was formed in the army. Sometimes thousands of people kneel on the ground in large areas, mourning for help. Killing and forgiving all depend on a word from the master. This kind of performance, which is similar to the double reed, makes those who kill but not kill feel grateful for their "home world" and is more effective. Third, when selecting candidates, we should insult their gender. This is a good way to choose slaves. Find the right person, first deliberately find fault, beat him up for no reason, and see how he reacts. After such a long time of abuse and beating, people who are considered obedient and "self-reliant" are later reused. For example, there is a company commander in the 3rd Battalion of Secret Service. He is short and lean, and he has a good reading and listening ability. Once, because of a small matter, Ma Dunhou played more than a dozen clubs in public. He didn't beg for mercy loudly. He got up after the fight, but he got a "second foot". Ma Dunhou praised him as a tough guy on the spot and was soon promoted to battalion commander.
It's definitely not possible to choose people simply in this way. The Ma family also created a method of adjustment, that is, "cronies give power and talents give officials." Although it has gone through three generations, the terms of appointment of officers in charge of the army (battalion, regiment, division and commander in charge of military power) have not jumped out of the category of Gan, Ma (surnamed Ma), Hui (Hui) and He (Hezhou, now Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture), and the appointment of other assistant officers does not belong to this category.