The year's college entrance examination system, for example, the main subject of the examination of the martial arts scholar is riding and shooting and military countermeasures, rather than the commentary in the single fight to determine the ranking. For example, the Ming Dynasty's martial arts countryside test as an example, the test is divided into three, the first test horse archery, the second test foot archery, and the third test strategy together. Wuxiang test in addition to the test horse shot, step shot, another test of skill courage: bow, dance knife (the so-called dance knife is the provisions of the dance knife into flowers, rather than holding a knife to cut to see who is powerful), pick up the stone (that is, lifting weights). Passed the examination is known as the "martial arts practitioner". This shows that even in ancient times, fighting skills were not the most important subject in the army. In ancient times, the main weapons of war were not swords, guns, swords and halberds, but bows and crossbows and horses. Since the speed and impact of cavalry are not comparable to that of any infantry detachment, the most important thing for ancient armies was mounted archery.
What's more, even in infantry squads, fighting ability was not the most critical. In ancient Rome, for example, the lance formation, the fundamental combat is the entire square formation is neat and tidy, infantrymen in the hands of the lance to form an invulnerable forest of guns, together forward. As an infantryman, the most critical function is to follow everyone along with the assassination, even if the death is to keep the formation of the square neat. Once a square formation was dispersed by the cavalry, then the infantryman's fate was to be chopped into two by the knight on the horse like a winter melon. Facing the battlefield with swords and spears and crowded with people, even if you are the best in martial arts, there is no room for you to play. So in ancient times if you were good at martial arts it might have helped with promotion, but for the army as a whole, fighting skills weren't something that was very important.
Fighting arts were only needed for surprise combat
Only in the mid-Ming Dynasty battles against Japanese pirates along the southeastern coast did fighting kung fu become a more important deciding factor, because that war was characterized by small-unit bandit fighting. The main components of the Japanese invaders were wandering samurai and pirates, who were proficient in Japanese swordsmanship and specialized in small-unit raids, experienced in fighting, and often avoided the main force of the Ming army by using fast ships to harass the coastal towns. In this war, the main force of the Ming army, which was used to fighting with large groups of Mongolian cavalry, was unable to deal with the harassment of small groups of bandits, so the commander at the time, General Qi Jiguang, emphasized the cultivation of one-man fighting skills in the drills for his soldiers and created the Mandarin Ducks Formation and other cold-weapons squad combat methods that used several weapons to work together.
Who was powerful between the ancient elite troops and the palace guards?
The palace guards are also elite.
It is assumed that the owner is referring to the field army, usually the field army is powerful. The actual combat experience is rich.
There are many types of palace guards. Many of the higher ranking ones are honorary titles. They don't really have to be guards. For example, the highest-ranking minister in the Qing dynasty was the Minister of the Interior.
Generally speaking, the temple guards martial arts does not matter, the key is to look handsome, tall, so that appear to be formidable. ---- As the Han generals of the Ming.
The real palace guards, the martial arts requirements are not high. The main requirement is political loyalty. The main requirement is political loyalty. Mainly meritorious officials, martyrs' children, good treatment. The first thing you need to do is to get a good deal of money to pay for it.