Colonel Boyd gave us the OODA Loop, and Colonel Cooper gave us the defensive color codes, can we mash them together? Let's think about it and see what we can come up with.
The OODA loop and the Defensive Color Codes can be complementary concepts when it comes to situational awareness and decision-making in self-defense scenarios. Here's how they can work together:
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Observe (OODA Loop) - Condition Yellow (Defensive Color Codes): In the Observe phase of the OODA loop, you actively observe your environment. This aligns with being in Condition Yellow, where you maintain a relaxed but alert state of awareness. By observing your surroundings in Condition Yellow, you are actively looking for potential threats or changes in the environment, gathering information that feeds into the OODA loop process.
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Orient (OODA Loop) - Condition Orange (Defensive Color Codes): During the Orient phase of the OODA loop, you analyze and process the information gathered in the Observe phase. This corresponds to Condition Orange in the Defensive Color Codes. In Condition Orange, you have identified a specific potential threat or target and mentally prepare yourself for a response. You orient yourself to the situation, assessing the context and understanding the relationships between different elements.
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Decide (OODA Loop) - Condition Red (Defensive Color Codes): In the Decide phase of the OODA loop, you make a decision based on your analysis and assessment. This aligns with Condition Red in the Defensive Color Codes. Condition Red is activated when an imminent threat or attack is confirmed. In this state, you make a decisive decision to take immediate action to protect yourself or others, following a predetermined plan or response.
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Act (OODA Loop) - Condition Red (Defensive Color Codes): The Act phase of the OODA loop involves executing the chosen response or plan. This corresponds to Condition Red, where you are ready to take immediate action to address the threat. You act decisively and with a sense of urgency to defend yourself or others, based on the decision made in the previous phase.
While this may seem like overthinking, it really isn't. It is just a way to train yourself to process and react to information, and to simultaneously categorize the information by how harmful it is to you. The OODA loop and Defensive Color Codes can work in tandem to enhance situational awareness, decision-making, and response. By incorporating the OODA loop into your awareness process, you can effectively observe, orient, decide, and act, while the Defensive Color Codes provide a framework for understanding the level of threat and your readiness to deal with it. Together, they help to foster a proactive and adaptive mindset in self-defense situations.