Zao Fu studied chariot driving under Tai Dou for three years, yet Tai Dou never taught him a single thing about the skill. This only deepened Zao Fu's respect for his master.
One day, Tai Dou finally spoke: "To learn driving, you must first learn to walk. If you can walk as swiftly as I can, you will succeed in driving a carriage pulled by six horses." Tai Dou then erected a row of wooden stumps and walked upon them as if flying, never losing his balance. In just three days, Zao Fu mastered this technique and soon grasped all the essential skills of charioteering.