Colonel Jeff Cooper Coopers Mental Awareness Color Codes

Colonel Jeff Cooper

Cooper’s Mental Awareness Color Codes • Colonel Cooper established the Gunsite Academy • Was considered the father of modern handgun training • His precepts also apply to the average person on the street

Why do we Care? • The color codes of mental awareness will keep you OUT of trouble! • They will also help you to recognize when you are in trouble

I carry a gun, know martial arts • What you carry, what you know is not of much use when you give the first shot to the other guy • “Lose sight, Lose the Fight” • Chances are, if you don’t see it coming you will never get a chance to employ your skills

Why Is this not just Common Sense? • First, common sense is not very common • We try to avoid violence, that is not the world we want to live in • Without mental preparation, an act of violence is abhorrent to civilized people – you are not prepared for it

The Color Codes • • Condition White Yellow Orange Red • No – we are not talking about danger levels – this is not the airport • This is how we think to keep ourselves out of danger

Condition White • Unaware and unprepared • Where we would be in a perfect world • Examples: • Walking, hands in pockets, cell phone or ipod in the ears • Sitting on a park bench reading a novel • Driving, already at work mentally • Arms full of Christmas presents, in a dark parking lot

Condition White • Easily caught by surprise • Not reacting to your environment • Your skill in martial arts, weapons, running like the wind, etc. does not help because you are not prepared to use those skills

Condition Yellow • Relaxed but alert • Not paranoid, but aware • Hands at your side, head up, looking around • Examples: • Walking out of Strawberry Mountain • Getting your morning paper (if we had one) • Sitting in a restaurant • What car is following you toward home?

Condition Yellow • Don’t look like an easy mark • Most criminals are cowards • If they cannot surprise you, scare you, inflict injury without defense, they will go somewhere else • Your response is much faster because you are aware that things are changing around you • You distance yourself from corners, dark alleys, troublesome looking characters, surprises • This is the state you want to be in at all times

Condition Yellow • Examples • Strawberry Mountain Parking Lot • 2 – 20 year old males pull in behind you • Someone enters a restaurant wearing a trench coat

Condition Orange • Identifying a specific potential threat • Something out of the ordinary now has your attention • Time to formulate a plan for evasion, getting the threat to show his hand

Condition Orange • Examples • The parking lot is empty except for two men smoking • The truck follows you through three turns • The person is wearing a trench coat, in summer

Condition Orange • Time to identify the validity of the threat or extract yourself from the opportunity • Formulate the plan for if it is real

Condition Orange • Example: • You start for the car (with keys in hand) and the smokers attention shifts to you; or you decide to find someone else to escort you • You make an unnecessary turn to see if the truck follows • You decide to leave the restaurant

Condition Red • You know the threat is real • Set your limiting condition, mental trigger • If your opponents steps over that line, you act! • Time for the Combat Mind Set

Condition Red • The smokers attentions are on you and they approach – what is your limiting condition? What action will you take if they cross that line?

Condition Red • The truck follows – if you are in unfamiliar territory and don’t know where the police station is, what is your plan? • There is a stop light ahead. If they climb out of their car what will you do?

Condition Red • As you prepare to leave the restaurant the potential threat pull a weapon from under their coat and points it at the cashier. What will you do? • The perpetrator signal you to come to the register. Where is your line in the sand? What action will you take when he crosses it?

Condition Red (or Black) • You are engaged with the threat • Have the mental checklist ready • If he does X, I will do Y • If he indicates a threat to life or limb I will respond • Evade if possible • If not, present the most intense defense • There are no points for second place

Is This Where You Want To Be? • Alertness, preparation, following the thought process for awareness will hopefully keep you from ever having to make such decisions • Once the line is crossed, do not hesitate, do not shrink or capitulate, that is the Combat Mind Set

Moral of the Story • Stay in condition yellow • Be aware of your surroundings • Be aware that your risk profile is changing • Already have a plan to avoid trouble • Visualize your day