Seeing the Wood for the Trees... The importance of Awareness for Personal Defence (and possibly life!)

When we approach personal defence in a martial art setting, we very often default to the simple method technical application. We take that block, strike, kick or other crazy movement from that pattern, we rinse it, spin it and look to apply it in the context of personal defence. If we are enlightened then maybe we investigate and test its application from a number of different instances, for example static, in movement, as a pre-emptive attack, as a counter assault, as a release etc. Sometimes it works, sometimes it needs a bit of modification and sometimes (if we are being 100% honest) it just doesn’t work. We change the drills to maybe make more sense of the thing we are investigating, searching for the correct context in order to make the thing work. The appropriateness of this approach isn’t ideal but there it is. We work with what we have.

However what does not change in these drills is that the thing we rehearse and practice is already ‘aftertime’. What we are training is the application of the technique in all its aspects, and this naturally changes every time we choose to change the drill and its content. What does not change though is that we are also rehearsing allowing ourselves to be attacked. By necessity almost we practice from a position where we have already been assaulted, where we did not avoid the situation or adequately predict the thing. (As a sidebar rabbit hole for the uninitiated here, if you think that all techniques you practice will work to counter an ambush type assault that catches you 100% unaware, you may need to do a bit more investigation) Ultimately our practice not only reinforce being unaware of the escalation prior to the potential for assault, we reinforce the idea that we have actually allowed the threat to get so close that they have been able to hit, grab or otherwise physically enter our intimate space. This is all ‘aftertime’ training. 

The Legal Bit

For every country (and potential state in the US) we may encounter some specific differences in the statutes as they pertain to the law of self defence. Some allow direct preemptive actions (those taken before an actual assault occurs where the potential victim can demonstrate that there was no other option available and real, present danger to their own personal safety was apparent), others simply do not. In the instance of Spanish law for example, there is no permission for preemptive action. Here for a legitimate claim of self defence to be made the individual must demonstrate that they did nothing to invite or promote (escalate) the conflict, direct preemptive action is contrary to the ability to make this claim. Therefore when we speak about ‘beforetime’ actions we are not referring to the preemptive attack, rather our reference is more centred around the need for a sense of both general and situational (context specific) awareness.

Without doubt many of us make reference to some of the concepts we will go on to discuss here, if you do that’s great and this is just for revision and might present a bit of a deeper insight. If you don’t then here it is (and this might be a game changer for you) what you are teaching (or learning) may well get you into more trouble (physical, emotional, medical or legal) than protect your students (or you) from it. Please don’t take this to be a direct reference to the quality of your content or ability, rather it is a reflection that there are too many unknown factors present in any true personal defence scenario. These unknowns will ultimately make any physical defence or counter assault tactic of limited efficacy at best. Throw into the mix that you are a human, therefore a biochemical cocktail of epic proportions which is very much shaken and not stirred in this type of scenario, and we end up with a situation where for the best will and intention, no guarantee can ever be given towards the success of any physical technique we might acquire. Sometimes it works, sometimes it kind of works and sometimes it just doesn't. The one thing that is 100% cast in iron and set to work is avoiding the situation. If you are aware, you can take action to avoid that potentially compromising situation. If you succeed in avoiding the thing, everything else becomes superfluous.

Coopers Colour Codes

The late Jeff Cooper (1920-2006) was a former US Marine colonel, who served in both World War Two and the Korean War (1950-1953). As might be expected he was particularly keen on firearms and published a number of articles and books on the subject.  In 1972, Cooper published the Principles of Personal Defense, a now quite dated but still relevant and interesting read on his perspective as to what he considered to be the key underpinning principles for successful personal defence. In order of presentation these were: Alertness; Decisiveness; Aggressiveness; Speed; Coolness; Ruthlessness; and Surprise. The section on Alertness ends with the statement,

“The essential thing is to bear always in mind that trouble can appear at any time. Be aware. Be ready. Be alert.” Jeff Cooper (1972, reprinted 2006)

Contrary to popular belief, this was as close as Colonel Cooper came to referencing awareness and his infamous colour codes in this specific publication. Cooper's Colour Codes were in reality an extension and reinterpretation of the training he was given and subsequently responsible for disseminating in the US Marine Corps. Whilst in context they were developed to better assist marines in active conflicts, they have been taken and established as a basis on which many organisations and individuals base situational awareness training. 

Coopers Colour Codes (White, Yellow, Orange, Red) provide a great way of conceptualising and ‘de-chunking’ the idea of general and situational (context specific) awareness. The suggested approach provides a mental process to assist the identification of escalation and the degrees of preparation (and action) required in response to a perceived or direct threat. The main message being that maintaining a sufficient level of alertness may then provide the space, time and opportunity to avoid the threat in the first place. Avoidance of conflict is always the preferred outcome.

WHITE

This is the relaxed state. In fact, condition white is more a lack of awareness than it is awareness itself. In condition white you are essentially switched off to your environment, unaware of what is going on around you. Realistically (though sometimes inappropriately) this is the state that most of us generally assume in environments that we are most familiar with and where we feel safest, at home or work for example. 

If we stop for a second to consider modern behaviours however you might be right in perceiving that many of us live our lives in this state. How many people have you passed today paying more attention to the screen in their hand, than what is going on around them? How many people are on the bus or train fully plugged into their screen? How many people have you seen texting and driving? So much of the time we live our lives in a state of self isolation and distraction. We cocoon ourselves in a false sense of safety, completely unaware of what's occurring around us and therefore any potential threat or danger that may occur. Whilst most of the time this might be fine (driving and texting is definitely not one!) and nothing acts to impede our progress, condition white becomes a self reinforcing state of comfort. However, it only takes one ‘bad’ moment, a few fleeting seconds, for that feeling of security to come tumbling down. 

Simply put, in condition white you are most vulnerable and most at risk because you don’t (and can't) see the danger until it’s too late to act appropriately.

YELLOW

In condition yellow you are in a relaxed state of general awareness. You are aware of who and what is around you. You are present and fully invested in your environment, aware of the sights and sounds which surround you. This state could even be seen as a state of mindfulness. You are conscious and engaging with your environment. This provides you an opportunity to fully appreciate the things occurring around you, how you interact with them and any changes that might occur.

Condition yellow does not mean paranoia, anxiety or any other irrational fear of persons or places. Instead, you simply have moved your alertness to a level of attention that will prevent you from being totally surprised by the actions of another person. You are familiar with the territory you are in, aware of the entrances and potential exits and aware of anything that doesn’t quite feel right or fit. But relax, this isn't about being threat aware, it’s about taking inventory of your surroundings. Maybe some cursory ‘what if’ scenarios can be played through but that’s as far as it needs to go at the moment. 

Think of condition yellow as being that state which you enter into when you’re in an unfamiliar building for the first time. You maybe make yourself doubly aware of where the fire exits are, you take more time to orientate yourself with the flow through the building and the people in it. You undertake a conscious (or maybe unconscious) risk assessment of the environment, what and who is in it. Another way to view this state is that which flight attendants would like you to be in during the safety briefing onboard an aircraft. There’s no threat present, you’re not in danger, but it is beneficial to make yourself aware of the potentialities and relevant actions to take. Simply condition yellow is the state of paying attention and living mindfully. The benefits here far surpass the simple notion of avoiding potential danger and hazards too!

ORANGE

So now we start to embrace a bit of more specific threat awareness. It’s still not 100% determined to be dangerous but there’s something that is just a bit off. This is the stage where most of us have an intuitive message concerning something in the environment (person, object, place etc.) and have a choice as to whether we listen or ignore it. (For more information on this ‘The Gift of Fear’ Gavin De Becker 1998 is highly recommended.)

In condition orange we have not determined a threat, we have merely become more focused on the specifics. Our internal radar has pinged and narrowed, now we need to assess and decide appropriately whether it’s a threat or not. Just because it feels off and out of place doesn’t immediately make it dangerous, however it does make it worthy of our increased attention (without sacrificing general environmental awareness). 

The OODA Loop is one approach we can use to complete this situationally specific, dynamic risk assessment. First proposed by John Boyd (who was also a Colonel in US armed forces, but this time airforce) the OODA Loop is a process for decision making in rapidly changing environments.

The conceptual feedback loop simply comprises 4 stages: 

Observation, Orientation, Decision, Action. 

Observation: See what is happening. Take in the potential danger, the environment and the context. 

Orientation: Assess your position, capability and readiness to act. Take steps to narrow down strategic options available.

Decide: Determine best course of action.

Action: Act on decision to the best of your ability.

Through switching into condition orange we will have already begun the OODA Loop process. We have observed the potential danger, we have recognised that it represents a potential hazard. We can then realistically orientate ourselves in relation to it. For example, how far away is it? Is it static or mobile and therefore are we moving closer to it? Can we avoid it? If not, what can we do to reduce the risks present to us? 

RED

Through observation and orientation we have identified that the threat is actual, present and directed towards us. It can do us harm and we need to act appropriately. In condition red we are shifting from awareness to action. We move, if possible, to a position of strategic advantage. Remember here the best strategy for a positive outcome is always avoidance. The most strategically advantageous position therefore is to actively remove yourself from the threat. 

Condition red is where most of our traditional self defence drills start and finish. It is absolutely the case that in condition red, given an inability to avoid the threat, we must defend ourselves. Whilst appropriate defensive and counter assault techniques are necessary, they must be conducted with the idea of facilitating detachment from the threat, escape and evasion. 

There is and can be no strategic substitute for maintaining an appropriate level of general, mindful awareness. Again this does not mean to live in a state of heightened anxiety and paranoia, constantly checking who is behind you or fearing what might be around the next corner. More appropriately it means we actively live in and engage with our environment. We recognise fully what and who is in it. We pay attention to the changes that occur. We appreciate our impact in that environment, how we interact with it and how it serves to interact with us. Living in condition yellow is more than being aware of dangers and hazards, it allows us to critically think and empathise with others. It provides an opportunity for us to assess our personal impact on the environment. It gives us options to determine how we behave to positively affect and impact the lives of others. Essentially it allows us to live a more involved, richer life.

“The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival.” - Aristotle