Been doing some thinking..

[angry_platypus]

and I realised that I'm basically living in an almost-constant Condition White, sometimes bordering on Yellow. Now, it's not like I live anywhere dangerous (semi-rural New Jersey) and I'm still 5 years away from even a potential CCW, but still, I'm saddened at my own lack of awareness. I've been trying to figure out how to 'fix' this on my own, but if anyone has any advice on how to generally become more aware of what's going on, how to 'live in yellow' if you like, I would really appreciate it.

[Jeff White]

First assignment..get a copy of The Principles of Personal Defense by Jeff Cooper. It's a short well written book. Read it and report back.

We'll talk about some things in it and then get into some more assignments. You can learn the mindset.

Condition Yellow for a longer, happier life ;)

Jeff

[HS/LD]

[Expletive Deleted]

I was going to suggest Cooper's - Priciples of Personal Defense

so instead I will second that motion.

Cooper explains how to play the Condition Yellow game with yourself.

Helped me and I am in cond. orange all that time!! :D

HS/LD

[sm]

Glad someone else feels like "orange all the time". My yellow of late has a bunch of orange Mixed in REAL heavy. If not just downright bright orange period.

Agree with Cooper's Book.

Tom Givens' Fighting Smarter uses Coopers's ideas with some additional.

[angry_platypus]

Ok, I have the book on order at Waldenbooks, should have it within a week or so, I'll let you know when I finish it up.

[mpthole]

Even though I'm not usually a fan of his writing, maybe I'll pick this one up too...? Hey, platypus - want to sell it to me when you're done? :)

[angry_platypus]

ok, got the book, read it.. now what?

[mpthole]

Did you like it? Was it worth reading?

[angry_platypus]

definately liked it, worth reading, learned a lot, price is a touch steep though, $14 for a 44 page 'booklet' but otherwise, it was quite useful

[Admiral Thrawn]

Hi peeps.

I keep hearing about condition white, yellow, orange, etc etc, but I don't really understand what you're all referring to.

Could someone please give me a brief summary of the various conditions (of awareness I presume) and where this system originated?

Thanks in advance.

[itgoesboom]

Admiral,

There are generally four conditions; White, Yellow, Orange, Red.

Basically, here is how it works.

The average person is usually in condition White, not aware of their surrondings, not looking for threats, just going about their daily lives, oblivious to any danger in their world. In other words, a perfect victim.

When a person is in condition yellow, they are activly scanning their environment, looking for threats. They notice where people are, who looks like a threat, where escape routes are. After a while, this becomes second nature.

Condition Orange is usually when you have identified a potential threat, before an attack is staged. At this point, you know who the threat is, but you are looking for additional threats, you are activly looking for a way out, and you are formulating a plan for when the attack comes.

Condition Red is usually when you are being attacked. Your one focus is on survival, and thats all that counts.

If you are in condition yellow all the time, you should be able to get yourself out of dangerous situations before they become dangerous, rather than blindly walking into an attack.

That being said, sometimes, you can't escape the situation, but being aware will allow you anticipate an attack, and possibly defuse it prior to it happening.

I.G.B.

[Gordon]

Hey guys what "condition" are you in if you uh, 'indulge' in alcohol or drugs? I think to you who don't believe in condition white you better get to 12 step meetings.:confused:

[Jim March]

The color codes can help solve two completely different, opposite problems.

People like Angry_Platypus (and myself) who are not "professional warriors" of any sort and are not usually in danger are at risk of spending too much time in white.

The color codes help us stay alert.

Cops in bad neighborhoods, high-level bodyguards, soldiers in a combat zone and others face an entirely different risk, that of staying in Orange too long and too often and losing their sanity. They need to "back it down" to yellow! People can survive in condition yellow for long periods of time, in fact I sometimes call it "the ability to catch all the little jokes in life". Done right, yellow doesn't involve constant tension, it's about "happy eyes-open alertness".

Cool, no?

[HS/LD]

I never indulge in alcohol or drugs unless I am in my own home.

HS/LD

[ctdonath]

Should be in yellow all the time. It's just being aware of what's going on around you - including all the good stuff.


Condition brown: head up butt.
Condition transparent: staring straight at active threat, still oblivious.
Condition plaid: on 'shrooms.

[Baba Louie]

AP

Case in point (not firearm related tho')... you do it without even knowing it...

Coming down the mountain on Monday back into LV about noon, Two lane hiway. (Condition Yellow anyway) I notice a car off on my left side of the road about two miles down, headlights flashing. NHP probably. Slow down to 50 (limits 55), get ready for the bozo's (NOT NHP).

I see a line of cars approaching flashing lights, slowing down, headed my way, but still behind the NHP. He's got a car pulled over, people are slightly encroaching into my lane. Condition Orange, now.

The front car now passing NHP decides to turn right just in front of pulled over vehicles and signalling, slows down, begins turn.

5th Bozo in line (big blue Dodge Van) with his head up and locked realizes his lane of cars is slowing and he's about to rear-end #4 so he pulls out directly in front of me...(I'm now down to 45 and looking at the shoulder). Condition Red big time.

Off road I go (in a Hyundai no less) missing idiot by about 2 feet, onto gravel, rear of car deciding to swing out and fishtail in the gravel.

I look out the windshield and watch the State Trooper looking at me with his mouth wide open cause I'm perpendicular to the road, kinda sliding in the gravel, ready to roll. Condition Red plus!

Get Hyundai back heading the same direction I was and don't overcorrect getting back onto pavement (Still in Red).

On pavement, looking in rear view mirror now at about 35 mph , gravel & dust everywhere forming a huge cloud over everyone and the BOZO in the Dodge Van has STOPPED in my lane, his brake lights steady red trying to figure out (I guess) what the heck just happened.

About 12 seconds later it hits me, I go wheeeewww. Back to Orange.

In the meantime, my GF who is in permanent White (like the bozo in the Van) has been screaming WTF! and is kinda sideways down on the floorboard. She never saw a thing, had no seatbelt on and was a might upset with my antics. She really never saw a thing.

It took about 90 seconds for all of the above to unfold. And she never saw a thing!

There. White, yellow, orange and red. Car tho' not handgun.

Simple situational awareness.

You do it everyday while driving, specially if you ride a motorcycle.

Be ready for anything, have a way out of every/anywhere.

Watch out for the Bozo's, They're out there and they'll get you if you go around life in White.

So that story had at least two people in a white condition when they should have automatically been in Yellow (two lane road coming down Mt. Charleston), orange when they got near the trooper. And then there was me.

Its a good day when you're above ground or not in the hospital.

Adios

[HS/LD]

Great tale Baba.

Sounds like driving home each day around here cept we generally have to go to guns as well.... :D

HS/LD

'

[Admiral Thrawn]

Thanks for the reply, itgoesboom, much appreciated.

[igor]

Never read Cooper's booklet but several others who borrow and credit... I wonder who it was then that coined Condition Black?

Condition Black being the condition Condition White people most usually wind up in when waking up to a clear and present danger underway - or the condition of total involuntary inaction where anyone can be trapped in when overwhelmed by the threat, when all resources fail. Standing with a gaping mouth voicing a voiceless cry, unable to move. Crawling in a fetal position, playing dead.

Where your gf was, on the allegorical floor of the poetic Huyndai :p . (Nothing funny in your situation, no offense please, but couldn't resist, seeing the situation unfolding in my mind... )

[itgoesboom]

Admiral,

No problem.

Baba,

I dated a girl who was a pilot for a couple months, and about 3 days after we broke up, she crashed her plane out in the boonies (talk about karma). A couple days afterwards, i went with her to find the plane, and she told me what happened.

She was with another experienced pilot, who had tons of hours, worked as pilot and a salesperson for avionics. She told me that she knew about a minute or two before the crash that she was going to end up crashing, and this bozo had no clue untill they hit the trees.

She told me the guy was sitting there smiling the entire way in, conditin white, no clue they were about to die. So she just figured it wouldn't have been fair for his last thought to be how he is going to die, so she didn't mention anything untill after they crashed.

Some people just go through their entire lives with no clue.

I.G.B.

[Ryder]

Quote: "what "condition" are you in if you uh, 'indulge' in alcohol or drugs?"

PURPLE :scrutiny:

[mercop]

Getting your butt kicked one good time is a good way to wake you up. Learn to watch people and trust you instincts. Stay away from stupid people, places and things and you should have little trouble.

[Nathaniel Firethorn]

Hey guys what "condition" are you in if you uh, 'indulge' in alcohol or drugs? Brown. As in up :cuss: creek if something happens.

Not saying never indulge, just that ya gotta be careful about when and where (and how often) you do.

- pdmoderator

[Rifleman 173]

----

:neener:

[Lee Lapin]

Good subject, one that never goes out of style. Feel free to start a NEW THREAD on it, but please leave out the neeners. (neener = :neener: )

lpl