An 'Demonstration of Incorrect Movements' Class That Takes an Unconventional Path Goes Viral in the Recruit Battalion

'Demonstration of Incorrect Movements' Class Goes Viral in the Recruit Battalion

■ Ma Jiong, Xiao Changhao

"During a low crawl, you may momentarily rush and increase your range of motion, causing your gear to get caught on the barbed wire. Don't panic—don't yank hard. Pull in your abdomen, drop your shoulders to release the tension, and you can quickly free yourself and withdraw!"

One day last month, on the tactical training ground of a unit's Recruit 5th Battalion, squad leaders from every squad were going through movements person by person, correcting details—except for 10th Squad Leader Lu Shangzeng, who took a different approach and organized a "demonstration of incorrect movements" class.

Lu Shangzeng was seen lying in front of the barbed wire, demonstrating on the spot the incorrect movements commonly seen during training, and drawing on his own experience to explain both the hidden dangers and risks and the remedies for unexpected situations. This unconventional "demonstration of incorrect movements" class was a revelation to the officers and soldiers present, but it also sparked considerable controversy.

Many of the cadre responsible for leading troops had reservations. "Recruits have just entered the battalion—they should first build a solid foundation of correct movements and develop standardized habits." "Recruits have a weak tactical foundation and limited comprehension; exposing them to incorrect movements too early can easily confuse the key points." "Training emphasizes gradual progression—we should follow the approach of 'learn the standard first, then pursue improvement,' taking it step by step. I have reservations about Squad Leader Lu's approach." ...

Faced with the discussion and puzzlement from those around him, Lu Shangzeng did not argue at length. Instead, after training ended, he recounted a previous experience.

At the time, Lu Shangzeng had just taken on the role of recruit squad leader. He led his troops strictly and meticulously, holding everything to a high standard, and the results of his squad consistently ranked at the top. But during one tactical assessment conducted against a realistic combat backdrop, once the recruits were taken out of the fixed venue and preset procedures, their scores fluctuated significantly across the board.

Among them, one recruit, while low-crawling through an obstacle to try to achieve a better score, let his form break down—his posture rose too high, and his equipment was firmly caught on the barbed wire. In his panic, he yanked with brute force; the more he struggled, the tighter the entanglement became, and he was unable to free himself for a long time, being ruled "killed in action" on the spot. Another recruit's weapon malfunctioned during shooting; he panicked momentarily and missed the optimal firing window entirely.

During the after-action review, Lu Shangzeng realized that the battlefield has no fixed template and no opportunity to start over. If soldiers only know how to mechanically execute standard movements—knowing what to do but not why—they will inevitably fall into confusion and a passive position the moment they encounter an unexpected situation.

From that point on, when organizing training, Lu Shangzeng began experimenting with visually demonstrating incorrect movements, leading everyone to analyze where the problem lay, what risks it would produce, and what remedies were available after a mistake—letting everyone understand "how to correct errors and what to do when in danger." He also introduced random unexpected situations (随机特情) calibrated to the current training phase: barbed wire of varying density, weapons and equipment with sudden malfunctions, casualty evacuation tasks issued on the spot, and so on—forcing recruits to break out of a steady, predictable training rhythm and temper their psychological resilience and adaptability in complex environments.

At first, many recruits found it difficult to adapt, but over time they came to feel they had benefited greatly. Not long ago, the recruit battalion organized a phased realistic-combat assessment (实战化考核). The exercise control group (导调组) temporarily changed the venue and randomly layered in unexpected situations; many recruits performed poorly due to insufficient adaptability. Only Lu Shangzeng's squad performed with composure across the board—coordinating seamlessly and calmly resolving every unexpected situation—finishing first in overall results across the entire battalion.

Today, Lu Shangzeng's "demonstration of incorrect movements" class is gradually being rolled out across the recruit battalion. Political Instructor Li Chunqing reflected: "Only by training the error-prone links until they are solid, and training the handling of unexpected situations (特情处置) until it is battle-hardened, can we forge qualified soldiers who can go to the battlefield!"