They could be concealed in the long sleeves of court robes and used to make surprise attacks - hence the association with assassins.
That can be useful in group ambushes or surprise attacks.
Mr. Chiang's talk of "surprise attacks on the National Army, which sabotage the War of Resistance" ought to be applied to the Kuomintang itself, and it is a pity that he is so prejudiced and malicious as to slander the Communist Party in this way.
These two points -- creating misconceptions among the enemy and springing surprise attacks on him -- mean transferring the uncertainties of war to the enemy while securing the greatest possible certainty for ourselves and thereby gaining superiority, the initiative and victory.
As for our dispositions, we should use our secondary forces to pin down several enemy columns, while our main force should launch surprise attacks( chiefly in the form of ambushes) in a campaign or battle against a single enemy column, striking it when it is on the move.
A detachment of troops stationed at a distance from a main force to guard against surprise attacks.
The Red Army generally operates by surprise attacks.
