low light curriculum

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NIGHT REAPER SYSTEMSSerious Illumination Tools

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Ken J. Good has been actively involvedwith Law Enforcement and Militarytraining for the past 30 years.

Mr. Good is a published author and is regularly a guest instructor at a variety of well-known industry schools, seminars, and training venues.

Mr. Good started his professional at arms experience by graduating as the honor graduate of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALTraining (BUD/S) class #105, Dec, 7th, 1979.

He served the remainder of his active-duty with SEAL Team One. There he was a Scout/Sniper instructor, small unit tacticsinstructor and worked extensively with small arms as an ordnance department representative and platoon armorer.

After his active-duty, Mr. Good later directed a Physical Security program for the Pacific Fleet for nearly a decade that included avariety of programs including an emergent reality-based training program, challenging small arms courses and other security andanti-terrorist related curriculums. Civilian Law Enforcement personnel started gravitating toward this training at this location andthe connectivity with Law Enforcement began.

Mr. Good received numerous awards and letters of commendation for his work at Fleet Training Center, San Diego. From there, Mr.Good co-founded a small, highly progressive training company in the mid-1980s called, Combative Concepts Inc.

He then became the founding director of a well-known Low-Light Training Institution.During his tenure there, Mr. Good directed the activities of a highly qualified staff thatpushed forward and codified low-light strategies as they related to high-risk entrywork and general patrol operations. The staff was closely involved with productdevelopment and served to form a living bridge between the engineering staff andoperational realities.

Progessive Combat Solutions LLC was started to push the envelope outward in annever-ending quest to bring relevant low-light concepts and practical training tothose who go in harms way.

Mr. Good has also stood up Night Reaper Systems LLC to design, manufacture anddistribute leading-edge illumination tools.

Tactical Training: www.progressivecombat.comIllumination Tools: www.nightreaper.com

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About the Author:

Francine Lunati-Good - My Beloved WifeFrancine has endured my long hours and days away from home and my persistent (often stated as stubborn and arrogant) personality, so thatwe could pursue to the Nth degree what does and does not work in the low-light environment.

Michael James Good - My SonMichael does not always get to see his father as much as he would like to as many sons and daughters of those in this profession alsoexperience. To my little warrior, may I have his youthful exuberance all my life.

Fellow Partners, Instructors, and Friends “No man is an island”. Without the constant support, scrutiny, and suggestions of those around me this curriculum would not have become areality. Special thanks to Mark Warren, Rod Schaeffer, Steve Decker, and Ty Moeder, long time devoted instructor/trainers and active dutypolice officers for their assistance in this project. Appreciation goes out to Mitch Brim for his research into case law relating to thiscurriculum.

Law Enforcement and Military Professionals around the GlobeHeart-felt thanks to all those that have participated in the training and real world operations over the years (staff and student alike). Theseexperiences have provided the basis from which these concepts have been formulated, reviewed and improved upon. I would also like toparticularly thank members of the New York Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit (ESU), who helped us in time of need in ways theyprobably cannot fully appreciate. Pete, Frank, Richie -Thanks Guys!

Col. John Boyd, USAFAlthough Col. Boyd is no longer with us, his understanding of mind and space brought forth the powerful OODA model (Boyd's Cycle). Firstexposure to this cycle freed my mind from many chains. Proper understanding of his concepts leads to true personal and unit operationalreadiness in a wide array of combative situations.

Dave Maynard - Naval Special Warfare / Co-founder of Combative Concepts Inc.Mr. Maynard was a pioneer in Force-on-Force training methodologies and low-light operations. His teaching style, understanding of humannature and gregarious personality have significantly influenced the presentation of this doctrine.

Brian Puckett, Writer Mr. Puckett's efforts were instrumental in compiling technical and historical data for the Flashlight Techniques section of this curriculum.

Robert Dawson, frmr Huntington Beach Police Officer, FAA Investigator, TrainerMr. Dawson's expertise in a wide variety of shooting disciplines, commitment to excellence and outstanding teaching ability has served as abenchmark for achievement in my life.

Mother and my Brother Larry

Praises to my family members who spent hours finding so many of my mistakes in this publication.

Officer Nick Kokot Thanks to Nick for spending time with me on the phone correcting, formatting and getting this project into original print format.

Jeff Rose, BlackHawk Products Group Media - PhotographerJeff took an extraordinary amount of time to get us the shot s we needed to help bring the point across.

In Appreciation

“I would like to sincerely thank the following people for the content, concepts and support

provided to make this curriculum possible.”

Ken J. GoodPresident and Founder Progressive Combat Solutions LLC

www.nightreaper.comwww.progressivecombat.com

ll doctrine currently used by Progessive Combat Solutions is not "ours"…It does not belong to anybody…It is simply a reflection ofwhat is in the environment, revealed through many years of intense training and actual operations.

Our approach is based on concepts and strategies developed by greater warriors who have trod the earth before our time. It will change overtime, hopefully in a positive manner, as we interact with those in harm’s way and find more efficient ways of training and operating.

The format in which we reveal that reality is simply our style…one style of many acceptable styles.

This style began to emerge in the mid 1980s with a decommissioned U.S. Navy ship based in San Diego, CA that had no power. Two NavySEALs, David Maynard and Ken J. Good, along with other DOD staff members were charged with preparing fleet sailors to defend their shipagainst a variety of potential threats. The training platform included below the main deck operations, therefore you literally could not see thehand in front of your face.

In others words....IT WAS DARK!!! It made for some incredibly interesting and revealing engagements that initiated a doctrinal developmenttrajectory that continues on through today.

During that time all that was really taught in the mainstream was flashlight/handgun techniques in isolation of the actual tasking required tolocate, identify, and potentially engage hostile threats.

There were no defined doctrinal principles or strategies specifically addressing the reduced light environment. The critical when, where, why, and for how long were not yet codified. Techniques that were taught were generally square-range driven andnot fully tested and exposed to the crucible of quality Force-on-Force training.

Additionally, what was out there, generally focused on individual skills only. Partner and element work was noticeably absent.

As the program matured, Law Enforcement SWAT teams started coming to the ship to train and were immediately challenged by the difficultyof the environment and ferocity of the training as opposition forces were quite capable and familiar with the terrain.

Desiring more, Dave Maynard and Ken Good formed Combative Concepts Inc. that started formalizing, categorizing and organizing drills andtraining regiments that included heavy doses of low-light environment training.

Officers who were exposed to this type of training were inevitably involved in real-world encounters. The exciting news was that these frontline officers started providing extremely positive feedback in terms of the connectivity of the training to their actual confrontations. Theprogram kept growing and refining.

From there, Ken Good became the founding Director of the SureFire Institute. In that capacity low-light doctrine was advanced even further.Instructors were selected based on their operational experience and willingness to break new ground and challenge pre-suppositions. Thisgroup also participated in the product development end of the equation, helping ensure that products matched true operational requirements.

From there, the core instructors from that institution formed other training companies. Mr. Ken Good ultimately formed Progressive ComabtSolutions LLC as well and Night Reaper Systems LLC.

The direct line of these teaching staffs has interacted with Federal, State, County, and City Law Enforcement agencies both here and abroadto forge what we have today.

Progressive Combat Solutions and Night Reaper Systems has continued this legacy of process improvement and it is our hope that we canimpart some of what we have learned and experienced to you in order to put the odds in your favor so you can prevail in this challengingenvironment.

The Origins of this Doctrine

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"What can be done with fewer assumptions is done in vainwith more. That is, in explaining any phenomenon, weshould use no more explanatory concepts than areabsolutely necessary."

Ockham's RazorWilliam of Ockham was an English monk, philosopher andtheologian who provided the scientific method with its keyprinciple 700 years ago.

"Learning which does not advance each day will dailydecrease."Chinese Proverb

Education is the abilty to meet life's situations.”G. Hibben, former president of Princeton University

he mission is to facilitate relevant, dynamic, and progressive reduced illumination engagement training. This is not abook, per se, but a guide to be used in conjunction with practical training administered by qualified instructors.

The doctrine set forth in this curriculum is based on sound principles and techniques gleaned from years of operational andtraining experiences. Our full-time and adjunct staff has interacted with teams and individuals from around the globe and hasthe unique opportunity to analyze a myriad of strategies, tactics, principles and techniques. We consider ourselves perpetualstudents and endeavor to remain that way.

“The Strategies of Low-Light Engagements” curriclum was designed to practically and realistically introduce participants tosome of the mission critical skills needed in low-light environments. Following this course of instruction you will have beenfamiliarized with a reasonable sub-set of the issues associated with low-light engagements.

We are looking for improvement, not perfection. One should constantly strive for advancement in order to increaseprofessionalism in the often dangerous occupation of law enforcement.

In order to consistently prevail under the duress of close quarter confrontations, serious students must see and apply newconcepts, as well as refine older ones and then inculcate them into the sub-conscious mind through rigorous and dedicated

practice.

The success of this particular training session is largely dependent upon how you approach this training. Your mind-set will determine just how beneficial this time will be. The drills, scenarios, and critiques should teach you, butyou need to be listening. Be willing to eliminate unsound practices, mental biases, and egotistical excuses. Enjoy the journeyand, prevail in the fight.

Mission

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“Think thou that these magnificent, victoriousLegionnaires became what they are through somearbitrary stroke of fortune?

Nay! They do not sit around congratulating themselvesin the wake of every victory. Nay! They spend every moment refining and improvingtheir craft. Without apology, they pursue excellence.

Each one knows and understands that he alone standsbetween the Empire and oblivion.

Watch them! Indeed, they appear to have been bornwith weapons in their hands!"Unknown Roman Observer

“For the great aim of education, is not knowledge but action." Herbert Spencer


"Death makes no conquest of this conqueror, for now he lives in fame though not in life."William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Tools, Tactics and Training should be viewed as acontiguous whole. Training must reflect the tacticaluse of the tools chosen and carried. For example, pickan officer who spends his entire time in a martial artsdojo learning how to ground grapple in a judo uniform.After a period of time, the officer may believe that heis fully prepared for a fight that ends up on the ground.

Unfortunately this hypothetical officer has nevertrained with all of his operational tools in place.Suddenly a real world engagement occurs andpriorities change to weapons deployment and weaponretention.

Wearing body armor, operational clothing, and a duty-rig can restrict movements, eliminating familiar options. Terrain considerations become extremely important. Multipleopponents are a problem and so on.

Any tools, and more specifically illumination gear, theirplacement on the body, their accessibility and theireffect on non-compliant individuals, all have asignificant impact on strategy, tactics and training.

Excessive use of force, too many men in theenvironment or complicated solutions to problemsdemonstrate the need for better understanding of thenatural law or the need to improve one’s confidence inthe application of technique or skill.

Law Enforcement professionals are constantlyscanning the horizon for new tools and tactics toenhance their operational capability.

Through proper training and strategy we strive toincrease in efficiency. Simplicity and efficiencyreduce exposure during tactical operations. Low-light conditions are the conditions in which mostofficer-involved shootings and serious confrontations occur. Yet,until now, little codified and tested doctrine hasbeen put forth to deal with this reality.

We are attempting to bridge this gap throughrelentless analysis, critical thought, and constantfeedback from Military and Law Enforcementpersonnel based on their operational experiences.

Our emphasis is placed on the "Human Operating System” and man’s interactionin combat. We also address the optimal use of the illumination tools designedto be used in that combat.

It is logical that well-designed tools can allow new tactics to be employed or currenttactics to become more effective.

In order to take maximum advantage of theseimproved tools and tactics, the appropriatetraining must be received to achieve consistentand repeatable results under stressful conditions.

Operating in Low-Light


Critical DataLaw Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted Summary

The following data is representative of U.S. trends in Law Enforcement and will fluctuate over time and geographic location.

Weapons Used:94% - Killed with a Firearm67% - Handguns27% - Long guns6% - Edged weapons, bombs & other

Distances: 50.5% - 5 feet or less71% - 10 feet or less83% - 20 feet or less

Shot Placement:48% were killed with head shots (roughly 1/3 of this total were

shot in the back of the head)

Average Engagement Time: 2.5 Seconds

Frequency of Night Training:Approx: 4.6 month interval

Officer Profile:Profile: 93% Male, 10 years of service - Mid career37 years old, 5'10”, 200 lbs

Suspect Profile:95% Male, 40% White 40% Black, 20% Other

Primary Factors:· Poor tactics· Overconfidence· Complacency· “Rushing in” without a plan

Time:35.0% - 6pm to Midnight 25.5% - Midnight to 6am (Therefore 60% of the deaths occurred

during the hours of darkness - In some

locations this percentage jumps to 80%)

16.6% - 6am to Noon 22.9% - Noon to 6pm

39% - Lighting conditions were cited as a contributing factor


Many training programs or sessions are primarily technically based and neveraddress the core principles of the matter in question.

Goals / Objectives

"The only use of an obstacle is to be overcome. All that an obstacle does with brave men is, not to frighten them, but to challenge them."Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), U.S. President

Increase your Probabilities of Prevailing in Low-Light ConditionsNo tactic, technique or piece of equipment can absolutely guarantee your safety in thisprofession. What one can do through proper training is eliminate the gross or negligent errorsthat will definitely cause officers to suffer injuries and/or death.

Eliminating the obvious, larger mistakes becomes the first order of business. From there, onemoves closer to refinement obtained through intelligent, repetitive exposure to all the elementsthat define the environment.

Test Decision Making Under DuressIt is relatively easy to select and make optimal decisions when allowed time and distance fromany given situation.

It is an altogether different matter when exposed to the influences of stress activated by fear ofdeath, serious bodily harm or pain.

In Law Enforcement, many critical decisions are made while “under the influence of stress”.Therefore, it makes perfect sense to mold your training methodologies to include regular “doses”of stress so that one can adapt to the pressures and continue to maintain high levels of function.

Understand Basic Lighting PrinciplesMany officers can easily state a lighting technique, but have much more difficulty in articulatingand correctly applying a lighting principle.

Recognize the Paradigm of using Illumination Tools as a Force MultiplierForce options from Command Presence, all the way to Deadly Force, can be enhanced as theresult of the proper use of light. When subjects have no opportunity to psychologically prepare forpain, options involving pain are generally more effective.


Identify Typical Lighting ConditionsLearn to see the gradients and disparity in various lighting conditions.

Proper MovementPositive or Negative movement? Videotape analysis will reveal the natureand effectiveness of one's movement while under duress.

Mind-SetEGO Control: Learning to diagnose errors and accept the fact that we haveplenty to learn are the first steps to performance improvement.

Clear understanding of the nature of conflict using the OODA Cycle as amodel will develop an awareness level that will help you consistentlydefeat threats.

Proper Tool Selection and ApplicationEquipment is changing and improving with ever-wider selectionpossibilities.

Truly understanding why you need a particular category of equipment willhelp you select the optimal tool for the requirements of your particularmission.

Principle: a fundamental truth, law, doctrine, ormotivational force, upon which all othersare based

Technique:the method or procedure or way of using basic skills

Force: a person, thing, or group having a certaininfluence, power, control or ability topersuade

Goals / Objectives


Why Should I use Illumination Tools?

“Bright light is injurious to those who see nothing.”Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (c. 348-405), Roman poet

Studies of Law Enforcement shootings clearly indicate that a high percentage of allthese shootings take place during nighttime hours. In fact, more than two out of threefatal officer shootings occur during the hours of darkness or in locations where thelight is diminished.

Outside, you may have only the light of the stars or moon, or a street lamp a block

away. When the light dims the problems can begin.

These problems generally include: Navigation - Threat Location

Threat Identification - Threat Engagement


The following data is taken from Adverse Light Orientation and FiringPresented at the Fourteenth ASLET International Training SeminarOrlando, FL - February 12-16, 2001Instructor: Senior Special Agent Marshall E. Schmitt

Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Retired

The ability to see under adverse lighting conditions varies betweenindividuals. Age plays a big factor. The ability to see under reducedillumination, to see past oncoming glare, and to adapt from light to darkquickly, all peak during the teenage years. Other factors affecting ourability to see include: smoking, alcohol, drugs and medications.

The retina is the back lining of the eye where the image we see isconverted from light into nerve impulses, which are transmitted to thebrain. Rhodopsin is a light sensitive chemical, deep purple in color, in theretina. When struck by light it is most immediately bleached (opsin) andemits a minor electrical charge or nerve impulse which is transmitted tothe brain. Vitamin A is the main substance responsible for unbleaching theopsin back to rhodopsin.

The visual purple (and to a lesser extent lodopsin) is constantly beingbleached and unbleached. Vision remains a steady flow except whenexposed to an extremely bright source of light; even briefly, a part of theretina will become over bleached. This may require several seconds oreven minutes before vitamin A can restore visual purple. During this time,a purplish ball or blind spot is seen where the retina was overexposed.

Two different receptors called rods and cones make up the retina. Thereare approximately 125 million rods and 7 million cones. Cones requiremore light to function and are responsible for color vision and for finedetails that we see. Rods, on the other hand, don't perceive color, nor dothey give fine detail. They do function better in dim illumination anddetect motion and are sensitive to contrast. Night vision is better after aslow progression into darkness.

The central part of the retina contains almost 100% cones while theperiphery is almost 100% rods. Thus, in daylight we are able to detectcolor and see fine detail because we are using mainly cones. Conversely,in dim light the rods take over and we loose the ability to see fine detailand color. Rhodopsin responds poorly to red; therefore, red is the firstcolor we loose the ability to identify.

Yellow-green, on the other hand, is one of the last. The pupil regulates theamount of light that reaches the retina. It adjusts rapidly andautomatically to changing light conditions. It requires only a fraction of asecond for the initial change and obtains maximum size change in about asecond.

Although human vision is capable of very keen visual acuity, standard20/20 vision is only achievable under relatively high levels of illumination.As illumination diminishes, or the subject is viewed a small degree offfrom center, vision decreases dramatically.

“Let There Be Light” - Gen. 1:2

Vision tests are conducted under moderate to high photopic (brightdaylight) conditions. Central vision, which is 20/20 in photopic conditions,drops to less than the criteria for legal blindness immediately upon leavingthe illumination and entering starlit conditions. Starlit illumination isdefined as “night sky with less than half moon and no direct artificiallighting”. Starlit is referred to as scotopic by vision experts.

Visual disadvantage is greatest immediately after leaving a well-illuminated area and entering scotopic conditions. During the first twominutes of scotopic illumination, vision is reduced from 20/20 to 20/800.This is 4 times the impairment required to constitute blindness underphotopic conditions. Eyesight of 20/800 is less than 5% of the visualefficiency present in daylight illumination.

Under scotopic conditions, central vision improves over time. After 12minutes of dark adaptation, 20/300 or 15% visual efficiency is obtained.After 30 minutes of dark scotopic adaptation, the best obtainable vision is20/180.

This level is definitely impaired, and is only slightly better than legally blind.A moonlit night sky or its equivalent is termed mesopic illumination. Initialcentral vision in mesopic illumination is 20/400 or 10% of the visualefficiency present in photopic conditions which is the equivalent of twicethe handicap necessary to constitute legal blindness.

In addition to darkness obscuring vision, it decreases as the image falls anywhere other than in the fovea (highest concentrationof the cone nerve cells) of the retina. While light that falls on the fovea iscapable of generating 20/20 vision, under photopic conditions, only a mere5 degrees from the center, it has a neurological limit of 20/70.

The further from the fovea, the worse it gets. Peripheral vision twentydegrees away from the fovea results in 20/200 visual acuity.

The visual system is neurologically wired for a small area of clear visionsurrounded by concentric circles of increasing blurred vision. The brainintegrates many complex processes, which fill in ambiguity created by poorperipheral visual acuity. The same processes come into effect as dimillumination results in ambiguous image formation. The brain calls uponmemory, selective suppression and enhancement in forming visualperception. Ultimately, it is the brain and not the eyes, which gives thevisual perception. Visual perceptions that officers receive are influencedheavily by their training and survival instincts combined with specificfactors of the immediate situation. It is important to remember that whatwe see is determined by the existing light combined with the perceivedexpectations of the brain. In a study by Geller and Scoot, of officer-involved shootings nationwide, 25% involved unarmed suspects.


Why use Light?

Navigate

“He that is strucken blind cannot forget, the precious treasure of his eyesight lost.” William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

If you have taken a debilitating fall in a hostile environment, it could spell disaster.


NavigationDefinition: To walk or make one's way on or through.

In low-light environments, the first priority is to stay upright and balanced, avoiding trip hazards that canseriously injure or kill. Your second priority is to select the optimum route through danger areas whilemoving ever closer to the target area, as you search for ellusive, mobile threats.

As you are navigating/hunting, you are attempting to minimize noise created from surfaces below yourfeet as well as noise generated from objects and materials you may brush up against.

In order to stay upright, travel the best route and minimize noise, you may need to use an illuminationtool. Light levels for these purposes should not be excessive. They can and should be extremely low.

Imagine yourself in a darkened warehouse with a partner and you have moved up twenty feet ahead ofyour partner. He loses contact with you and decides to find you by flaming on with the full-power of aduty flashlight. As he is randomly searching, the light beam passes over your back and head just as youare crossing a hallway. At this point you are silhouetted and a prime target for any committed, armedthreat in the area....Not the place you want to be. You also do not want to be the officer that illuminatesyour partner or your own position negligently.


Why use Light?

Locate and Identify

“Knowledge is more than equivalent to force.”Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

Take the time to Identify AbsolutelyWho is Who and What is What!

Under duress, a fast moving silhouette in the dark can easily draw your fire. This silhouette may be a partner or

an innocent person.


Low-Light OrientationIn the dark, you often receive only snap shots of information coming in staccato-like fashion.

Being in a reduced light environment breeds“target fixation”.

The effects of target fixation include a serious debilitation of your visual sense resultingin the loss of overall situational awareness.

You cannot fight what you cannot see, nor can

your opponent

Many fights and certainly the modern battlefield have demonstrated this principle in action. A key to defeating opponentsis finding them while simultaneously cloaking, disguising andconfusing your location.

This is often a difficult balancing act. Applying proper lighting principles discussed later will assist you in this tasking.

DO NOT shoot at muzzle flash or silhouettes onlyUnless you are absolutely certain that this is asuspect bent on injuring/killing you or otherinnocents, don't shoot.

Why? In a fluid Law Enforcement lethal forceencounter, friendly forces may now occupy alocation that moments earlier had a shootingthreat. The threat may have simply moved orwas subdued by your partner or other teammembers.

You should not engage what you don't knowTarget identification is absolutely paramount in anyconflict. As previously mentioned, U.S. SpecialForces troops relied heavily on white light toidentify forces while operating in Afghanistan.Their night vision devices (NVDs) alone did notprovide clear enough resolution to sufficientlydetermine who was who. Friendly and enemyforces looked, dressed, traveled and armedthemselves like each other.

These same troops were also tasked withsearching large networks of caves.

Battle-hardened enemy troops, booby-traps andfriendly-fire issues along with other environmentalhazards were in the forefront. Liberal use of whitelight proved most beneficial.

Bottom line: The pressure of time, the activation of your powerful sympatheticnervous system and the compelling desire toprevail can easily lead to a misidentification of anindividual.

This is not a mistake any of us would like to make.


Why use Light?

Control

“Win the light fight first and you will probably win the gunfight.”Ken J. Good

Where should the “hot spot” of the beam be placed?Most officers are taught to watch a suspect's hands and this is certainly sound doctrine. Therefore many place the “hot spot” of the beam directly in the chest or on the suspect’s hands. This is notalways the optimal position for the light. When appropriate, consider aiming the light beam directly into thesuspect’s eyes.

A brilliant light in the eyes significantly alters a suspect’s ability to access yourmovements or mount a successful counter attack while simultaneously allowing you tostill see the hands.

Directing the “hot spot” into the threat’s eyes reduces the threat’s total amount of usefulvisual information. The threat may avert his or her eyes, raise the hands to block the

light, close the eyes or choose to stare at a brilliant white light. In any case, this becomes an advantage to youas long as all other threats and angles are accounted for. You have temporarily blinded the threat.

In these moments of time, understand andexploit timing and windows of opportunity,closing the gap and acting accordingly. This canbe likened to the use of your patrol vehicle spotlights during a nighttime vehicle stop. Creating a“white wall of light” will allow you to establishthe timing, the rhythm, the distance, and theangles of the engagement.

This “Blinding Front Light” is also necessary toreduce the harmful effects of backlightingcreated by traffic.

This concept also holds true when using your handheld and weapon-mounted illumination systems.

During arrest and control, directing a bright light into the suspect’s eyes just prior to hands-on contact willtemporarily remove the suspect’s visual horizon and tend to disorient and unbalance. Bright light enhances theemployment of less-lethal options. Threats have no reference or solid time frame from which to prepare adefense.


Use Light to Control and Direct the Suspect’s Movements and Restrict the Suspect’s Visual Data


Why use Light?

Communication Tool

“The time has come, the Walrus said, To talk of many things.”Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)

“He’s over there!!!”

This statement clearly indicates a possible threat, butoffers no immediate beneficial information to your partner or team members as to specificlocation, in terms of distance, elevation and direction.

Learning to use your handheld light as a pointer to bring all necessary friendly forces to bear on athreat, immediately clarifies situations without thedisruptive and confusing cross talk that easily manifestsitself in reduced light environments.

It turns out that even in the middle of a multiple officer search, one candirect other officers to the threat location by clearly articulating the following:

Lights Out! On my Light!Give a Location using the “Clock System”

Sounds simple, but it is not easy to do under duress. When you learn to uselight properly as a communication tool, team efficiency and survivability will

dramatically increase.

The following statement might be better with a single partner, in a known location:

“On my light, YOUR 11 o’clock, 10 meters, behind the silver truck, he’s lying down”

The following statement might be better in a team situation orwhen you do not know exactly where your partner is:“On my blinking light, on MY 7 o’clock, 10 meters,

behind the silver truck, he’s lying down”


Communication is a Powerful Weapon to Wield in the Environment

A few things must occur to have good tactical communication:

· The sender must formulate a clear, concise, and accurate message· The message must be sent in an intelligible manner · The recipient of the message must be actually capable of receiving it· The recipient must understand the message as originally compiled· The recipient must provide a feedback message confirming receipt· The original sender receives the feedback

There are plenty of reasons why an officer should notscream (a fear-based response to stimulus).Screaming violates a basic principle of endeavoring toremain relatively calm while involved in a deadly forcesituation.

First, and foremost, you lose breath control, breathbeing the regulator and governor of the entire humanoperating system.

The Importance of maintaining Breath Control Cannot be Overstated.

Screaming makes it extremely difficult and slow to move through the communication cycle and enter the OODACycle. Screaming is a manifestation of fear; fear is the enemy.

Stealth is an important concept, but lack of clear, open communication could have negativeconsequences in quite a few situations. It is a balancing act that you must be ever mindful of. www.nightreaper.com

www.progressivecombat.com

Having the tools, understanding low-light tactics, and havingpractical knowledge of the techniques is fantastic and can neverbe viewed as a disadvantage in and of itself.

The right equipment is necessary and I do not want to undermineits importance. But the harsh reality is that many operators leantoo hard on equipment and untested head knowledge toaccomplish their mission.

Again, remember Hick's Law, the more possibilities you can choosefrom, the slower you will be in making the correct decision.

Applying what you know at the right time and the right place iswhere the rubber meets the road.

There are some basic mistakes that will place you and/or yourpartner/teammates in harm’s way.

We must eliminate those larger gross errors before refinement oftechnique and tactics really come into play.

Improper Application of Illumination

“Know what you are doing, then master it.”Ed McGivern - Pistol Shooter Extraordinaire www.nightreaper.com


The first steps to drastically improving your percentages are:1. Reduce Telegraphing2. Be acutely aware of being in or creating a Backlit Condition for yourself and /or others around you3. Avoid Self-blinding yourself or others



Telegraphing“War is a matter of Deception.”

Sun Tzu - Art of War

"Victory is achieved in the way of conflict by ascertaining the rhythm of each opponent, by attacking with arhythm not anticipated by the opponent, and by the use of knowledge of the rhythm of the abstract."

Myamoto Musashi - Japanese Swordsman www.nightreaper.comwww.progressivecombat.com

Once there is sufficient reason to project light, the obvious downside is that hostile threats will be alerted to thisemission and if armed and committed, they will fire directly into the source of light. Therefore it is your

responsibility to distort your opponent's perception of what is actually happening. We call it “visual distortion”.

This is accomplished by manipulating the following variables:

Displacements - Vertical, Horizontal, and DistanceAngle of the BeamRhythm and Duration

Sniper analogy: - “Three on a Match”

It has been said, the third person on a match was the most likely to get hit by a sniper bullet on the battlefield.Why is this so? The sniper who is looking over the terrain is viewing a vast area. First strike and subsequent puffof the cigarette gets the sniper's attention and allows him to turret his weapon into the general location. Secondpuff by the second man allows for further angle discrimination through the optic, safety off, finger poised on thetrigger.

Now that the “rhythm” and distances have been established, it only takes an incremental adjustment by the sniperand his weapon to lock on the third person attempting to light his cigarette, and bang it's over.

The same holds true for your lighting tools. Illumination from any point in the environment is like the first strike ofthe match. The second pulse sets the pattern, and if you pulse again using the same interval of time and space,expect incoming fire precisely in the area you are located.

Do not pulse or move in an easily defined rhythm unless you are trying to attract specific attention to yourself.

When searching, attempt to “paint” a picture to your opponent that is essentially an optical illusion. Constantlyand randomly change the location (vertically and horizontally) of your flashlight when you do not know where thethreat lies. Changing the angle of the beam along the floor, on the ceiling, down hallways and up stairs, will helpmask your exact distance from any given location.

With practice, an officer can successfully deceive threats into believing that they are in one position when in factthey are occupying a completely different space.

One of the core principles of fighting is the ability to disguise or hide your movements and true intentions fromyour opponents.

Deception in Your Positioning and Movements



Backlighting

“Alas! how easily things go wrong!”George Macdonald (1824-1905)

An armed gunman lying in wait might be tracking you perfectly as he

makes out the clear outline of a human silhouette.


Remaining in a backlit situation or creating one for other friendly forces is one ofthe most common mistakes associated with operating in diminished lightenvironments.

You name the group or the background from which they came, backlighting can devour the best of the best.

Once in this condition opponents have exceptional capabilities to locate anddefeat you. Therefore it is imperative that you adjust the light levels or movecompletely out of the situation as swiftly as possible.

Constant, vigilant awareness of this potential killer is the starting point.

Backlighting can occur by failing to close a door behind you and continuing to allowany number of ambient light sources to flood in behind you. It can be created fromthe headlights of passing vehicles, perimeter security lighting, motion activatedlights, accidentally activating your flashlight (sometimes in its carrier) or bygenerally employing your handheld or weapon mounted lights incorrectly.

Why do operators unwittingly find themselves in this situation so often? Thedifficulty lies in detecting it.

1. As a predator, your eyes are set in the front of your skull. Predators typicallyare not that concerned with what is happening behind them as they are doing thestalking.

2. You have a strong tendency to believe that everything is fine in terms of stealthwhen you see nothing but low-light conditions in front of you. When you see a darkforeground while you are engaged in a search, you have a deep instinctual desire tostay dark and hidden from view.

In fact you may not be hidden at all.

Instead of picking your way through the “dark”, you may need to be distributing“Blinding Front Light” to reduce the powerful and negative consequences ofbacklighting.

Big Mistake!!!


The ease with which an officer can temporarily degrade his/her night vision or that of apartner/teammeber(s) is increased as illumination tools emit with greater and greater intensity.

Light colored walls, mirrors and other reflective surfaces present challenges. Certain flashlighttechniques create this “self-blinding” effect if utilized at the wrong time during movement.


Self-Blinding

“None so blind as those that will not see.”Matthew Henry (1662-1714)

Today’s Illumination Tools Emit more Light with Greater Intensity Levels than Previous Designs


Unlocking the Principles of Lighting

“Important principles may, and must, be inflexible.”Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), U.S. President. Last public address, Apr. 11, 1865

Key Concept: Continuity of Principle ApplicationInterlocking blocks of Principle that apply acrossthe spectrum of operating in Low-Light Environments.


Reminder:This curriculum will expose you to more than onetechnique in terms of how to bio-mechanicallydeplur illumination tools. But this is simply notenough.

As stated earlier, many officers can easily state alighting technique, but have much more difficultyin articulating and correctly applying a lightingprinciple.

You must evaluate your principles at the corelevel in order to reduce and eliminate internalmental conflict and friction.

You need both technique and principleunderstanding to be most effective.

You should ask yourself the following questions:

Consider the practice of martial arts. Many modern and classical systems have codified thebody of knowledge contained in their art by creating alist of techniques. In many cases these systems alsohave many forms of “kata” or what I would call “dance”.These are useful for passing on many elements thatdefine the art itself.

But there is a danger in being able to articulate, and perform the techniques and katas only.You have fooled yourself (and nobody else) thatsomehow you now know when, where, and in whatcircumstance this or that technique should beemployed.

Having a techniques and kata only perspective will end up restraining you from further development if left unchecked.

You can find yourself in the situation where techniqueis all you see. Your horizon has been self-limited. Itturns out that understanding the principle of a matteris far more useful and higher on the importance scale.

If you do not understand the fundamental principles oflighting in a combative situation, you will be guessingas to when, where, or for how long to use any giventechnique.

On the other hand, if you only know one technique, you will also not be able to leverage the principles on your own behalf. Imagineonly being allowed to have one type of punch to throwand being thrust into the ring with a formidableopponent. Your future would not be promising!

Do the principles I have adopted work at all ranges of combat?

Have they been tested?

Are they repeatable and useful?

Techniques need to be Built on the Solid Foundation of Principle Understanding

Principle:

a fundamental truth, law, doctrine, ormotivational force, upon which all othersare based

Technique:

the method or procedure or way of using basic skills


“Read” the LightPrinciple #1

The Prime DirectiveTo successfully negotiate terrain with a view to exploit all known strategies and tactics FIRST and FOREMOST, “Read” the Lighting Conditions. Establish a clear and accurate perception of your surrounding environment.It does not make any sense to rush into any low-light situation withoutweighing out routing and pacing options. It’s akin to climbing a difficult mountain by haphazardly glancing at the terrain and starting to run upward.You may or may not survive the event! Getting ahead of yourself in this regard invites an unpredictable and potentially catastrophic result.

Darkness in-and-of itself breeds mental/physical tension.If you are “rushing”, you can easily mistake any sudden movement as threatening and you end up over-reacting. The closer that movement is to you,the more likely you will engage whether it’s required of not. Therefore, learn to exhibit and express an internal calm, a cultivated patience when operating in the dark. Proper routing sets this up.

The more you study, consider and apply the implications of Observation/Perception, the more you will realize that observation is THE startinggate that must be exited cleanly as confrontations materialize.

Before you or your partner/team decide to use stealth, employ slow or fastmovements, emit with white light or infrared, stay completely dark, deploy this or that tool/weapon, understand your actual lighting condition.

Learning to differentiate the nuances of these conditions separates the professional

from the amateur. Actively seeking to exploit one condition over another should takeprecedence.

“In every affair consider what precedes and what follows, and then undertake it.”Epictetus (A.D. c. 50-c. 138) That Everything is to be undertaken with Circumspection.


All lighting conditions can be placed in the following basic

categories: (There are infinite gradients and variations,butthese are the reference points)

BrightHigh Noon, well lit area, high level of detail, depth perception excellent, target ID excellent.

MediumEarly morning or late evening, enough light to distinguish shapes, texture and color of objects with noticeable shadow areas, target ID impaired.

LowFull Moon, Stars, minimal ambient, weak artificial sources such as distant street light, emission of light from another room, shapes only, distance judgment and target ID is severely impaired.

No-LightNot normally encountered, but typically exists in underground structures, sealed warehouses, target ID non-existent without illumination.

Unequal Lighting ConditionsBacklighting, blinding front light, inadequate illumination from flashlight.

Equal with my Opponent(s)This is often overlooked. All participants in the engagement find themselves in the samelighting condition. Regardless of the lightingcondition you find yourself in, attempt to get toa better one than your opponent. Create or alteryour conditions as feasible.

Generally Speaking, as the Light Level Diminishes, a Greater Variance of Lighting Subtlety will Appear


Operate from the Lowest Level of LightPrinciple #2

As water seeks its own level, move and operate from the lowest level of light whenever possible.

After you “Read the Light” and have made an assessment of the varied conditions, generally youshould place yourself or partner/team into the lowest level of light and operate or further assessfrom that point in space.

“All Dark Holes have Guns!”

This saying migrated to us from years of operating below deck of a darkened ship in a rigorous“Force-on-Force” program designed to address terrorist threats facing the United States Navy.

One of the instructors in this program, Dave Maynard, coined this phrase as a way to succinctlydescribe what your mind should be thinking as you evaluate the darkened, three-dimensional space.

This pithy saying was often a reminder of the pain experienced when neglecting or passing by darkareas during low-light force-on-force drilling. It is a mistake to assume these areas are free ofthreats just because you cannot see into them. Use your illumination tool to confirm/deny what isactuall happening in these spaces. These dark holes exist during daylight hours; so do not leave yourflashlight in your vehicle when called to search an area.

Before you move into the lowest level of light, you need to flush out any potential threats that mayhave already taken up residence!

It is completely natural and intuitive for predators to operate from the “cover of darkness”, so moveand act accordingly.

“Let your plans be dark and as impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”Sun Tzu - The Art of War


On the other hand, once you occupy the darkest space, potential threats will now have to come and takeit back from you. This means one of two things. One, they wander unwittingly from a backlit conditioninto your space, or two, they will reluctantly use some type of illumination tool to evaluate the space.

Either way, this will give you the indicators that you need to take your next action.

The study of battle throughout history clearly shows, that forces that are similarly armed win or losebased on their commander’s understanding of the terrain, lighting conditions and weather. It is thecorrect leveraging of these additional tools that spelled the difference between victory or defeat.

Your terrain may not be a classic battlefield, but the light levels in the same room can be differentenough to have a significant impact on any given engagement.

Open doors, energized televisions, lights, and vehicle traffic can all paint a lighting picture.

Look to Constantly “Paint” your Opponents in a “Bad Light”


“See” from the Opposite PerspectivePrinciple #3

“If you will observe, it doesn’t take A man of giant mould to make A giant shadow on the wall.”John Townsend Trowbridge (1827)

You cannot fully appreciate your situation until you have the ability to view yourself as any potential threat sees you.


While performing Law Enforcement duties in alow-light environment, you often do not have thisluxury of time. Yet, you still must learn to “see”yourself as a threat (counter sniper) would.

You need to know what you look like from thethreat’s point of view.

You need to know when you are clearly seen,silhouetted, partially obscured, or completelyinvisible. You need to know when to move quicklyor not move at all.

This “vision” will determine route selection,timing, and communication methods.

The ability to see yourself as any potentialopponent sees you will allow you to makeintelligent and confident decisions that will leadto decisive actions culminating in theneutralization of threats.

Why is this so? First of all, this threat has weaponry that canperform at the same or higher level than yourdeployment capability. But more importantly, thisenemy sniper views or sees the world as you do.His training may be similar or even better. Hiscommitment is high.

He knows you are looking for an excellent “final-firing position” and is interpreting the terrain fromthat perspective. He knows what would beoptimal, marginal, and unacceptable.

He is attempting to think like and act like you are.He is waiting for a mistake to appear so he canexploit the opportunity. You do not get a secondchance!

In many ways he is acting like a criminalprofiler,totally immersing himself into your thoughts,strategies, techniques,and game plan.

The sniper game can be slow and methodical, adrawn out chess game with high stakes.

For a minute, imagine yourself as a military sniper on the battlefield... One of your most dangerous adversaries in this status is your counterpart, an enemy sniper.


Light and Move

The essence of this principle is to Light from one position, turn your Light OFF, then Move intelligently to another position,

ready to engage and move again if required.

This concept can be best described as trying to create the view of fireflies in motion. Theoutside observer never really knows where or when the next flash will appear.

The true number of "fireflies" is unknown. This tends to keep a threat(s) disoriented andmakes it difficult for them to properly evaluate the situation or develop a solid, easy toimplement firing solution.

Adversaries frequently engage and continually maintain a visual lock on the location that yourlight was last energized. Take advantage of this phenomenon. You can easily flank a subjectonce you have gained a practical understanding of this idea.

The use of rapid, randomly fluctuating pulses of light while searching is a close cousin to"Light and Move". The use of strobing light is another extension of this concept and shouldbe explored.

When the "Light and Move" principle is used during a search (interior or exterior), especiallywith multiple officers, it creates a chaotic and difficult to read picture to any threats caughton the wrong end of this technique.

Using light correctly in this manner during a gun fight is an decisive advantage. You aremaking yourself a more difficult target while simultaneously making the opponent an easiertarget.

Principle #4

“Not by strength, but by guile.”British Special Boat Service (SBS)


The Art and Science of Light Application

How much light should I use? How long should I keep it on for any given situation?

These questions encapsulate the art and science of proper application of light. The answers are crucial to success and often incite controversy among trainers and tacticians.

It turns out that there is not a black and white answer (no pun intended!). It is theproverbial shade of grey. Initially, every operator should first apply the first 3 principles:

- read the light- operate from the lowest level of light- see from the opposite perspective

Then one can “intuitively” decide what should be done in terms of active emission.

Always leaving the light OFF or always leaving the light ON are the extreme ends of thespectrum of possibilities. It is difficult to find a reduced light environment where lightOFF or light ON always holds true 100% of the time.

“Light and Move” and “Power with Light” are Opposite Sides of the Coin


Principle #5

Power with Light

“Death waits in the dark.”

U.S. Army Task Force 160 “Night Stalkers”www.nightreaper.com


From: Clearly viewing the world without interruption and without error.

To: Seeing nothing but brilliant white light(s) and no clearcomprehension of force deployment.

It means placing the “hot spot”, the most intense part of thelight beam directly into the suspect’s eyes. -

You are flooding the correct space with photons. Whensupporting this principle, you are creating a te mporary “whitewall of light” that allows you a greater variety of deploymentoptions.

Sounds easy enough to do, but under the duress of conflict the untrained will neglect to take advantage of this option. The “hot spot” will inevitably be placed on the lower part of the chest and waist, because officers have beencorrectly taught to observe and focus on the threat’s hands.

The downside, is that oftentimes the threat can still see you, your partners, aswell as your next action. He is weighing out potential options instead ofcapitulating. It turns out, that with a bit of training and a good light, you willquickly understand the benefits of placing the light directly into the threat’s eyes.

The good news: If you have the appropriate lighting tool, you will still have a clearview of those all-important hands within the remaining corona of the light beam.Powering with Light is a fantastic way to close the distance gap, virtually unseen,when involved in a “hands-on” arrest and control encounter.

Using this principle can be highly effective even during daylight hours if you have aprofessional grade lighting tool.

Remember: “All Dark Holes have Guns!” Again, this saying came about in an effort to impress upon students protectingtheir ships from a variety of threats, that every single dark hole (a myriad of themon a Naval ship) must be dealt with exactly as if it had a threat with a weaponready to fire. When you see a dark hole, ferret out any potential threats by eliminating the dark hole and the concealmentit offers by “Powering with Light”.

Once you have locked down a threat’s location and other potential threat areas are identified and accounted for, then youshould move toward the “Power with Light” end of the spectrum. You are now forcing threats to stay put. You areeliminating their options.

When you have large numbers of officers in confined spaces, generally tend toward “Power with Light” punctuated orbroken up with the strobing effect of “Light and Move”. When you have not isolated your threats, you should probablyoperate closer to the “Light and Move” side of the equation. It is a balancing act only you can decide how to choreograph.

“Power with Light” - Altering the Threat’s Perspective Radically


Disorient Threats by Oscillation and/or Strobing Light

One of the most stressful and disorienting things you can do to a human being is subject him to Flashing Lights.

Principle #6

“...dazzled by the pomp of human uncertainty; I wonder if people can stand such uncertainty, this shining flash of death.”

Simone Schwarz-Bart (b. 1938), Guadeloupean author

Strobe Lights

A certain percentage of the population can experience extreme reactions to strobing light; be prepared for

severe disorientation and even seizures in some individuals.

Some Background:

Contrary to popular belief, only a small percentage of people with epilepsy are especially sensitive to

flickering light patterns, such as sunlight, strobe lights or computer screen flicker. This condition is known

as photosensitive epilepsy. A flickering fluorescent light, the flicker of sunlight while driving past standing

trees or on water and other reflective surfaces, certain video games, or flashing strobe lights can trigger

seizures in photosensitive people.

SOURCE: Epilepsy Foundation, 4351 Garden City Drive, Landover, MD 20785-7223

www.epilepsyfoundation.org

Given 2.5 million Americans have some form of epilepsy

- 5% of epileptics are subject to the phenomena of Photosensitive epilepsy (125,000)

- Most of these 125K fall into the age range of 8-20 years,,most of these are female

- The phenomenon is strobe rate specific, color frequency specific, as well as field of view specific

and other factors play into it.

- Most LED Flashlights with a this mode are strobing at a rate below the optimal range of 15-20 for this

phenomena, although other sources indicate lower rates can trigger this response - this further reduces the

probability of an event. The probability of it happening is much higher from the same subject watching T.V. or

playing video games. Natural light sources are just as likely to trigger seizures in a photosensitive individual

as artificial ones. For example, sunlight shining off water or through the leaves of trees, or rapidly flickering

as a person travels past railings, can trigger seizures. To date, The author is not aware of any such

occurance as the result of using a strobing LED flashlight in an areest and control situation.


OscillationClose Range Applications - Especially useful during a hands-on takedownExperiment with rapidly moving the light across the eyes when approaching a suspect for a takedown during arrest andcontrol. Note, we are not referring to on-off-on-off, we are referring to white light that comes from a loosely held flashlightthat was vigorously shaken. The hot spot of the light should travel horizontally across the subject’s pupils. From therecipients point of reference, it will appear to be an electronic strobe. When the light is used in this manner, it is extremelydisorienting and can bring rapid compliance. Remember this is a close range application and is not effective past room distance ranges.

StrobingClose Range or at Longer DistancesWith the advent of strobe-mode handheld flashlights, officers can now have a true electronic strobe capability in a small,handheld or weapons-mounted package.

The Effects of Rapid Oscillating/Strobing Light on Subjects

This powerful capability represents a whole new range of options for the officer operating against dark-adapted threats. The ability andadvantage of disorienting opponents at greater distances will become self-evident with training.

Experiment with creating a light show of pulsing, moving, constantly changing angles of emissions when approaching danger areas. Thistype of application makes your exact distance, height and approach speed extremely difficult for the opponent to read.

At close range, simply put, when subjects are dark-adapted, the effect is overwhelming. More often than not, eyes close immediately, headsturn, hands come up, and balance is disrupted. We affectionately call it a "Kodak Moment".

Your eyes store images for 1/25 of a second. They also have a complex, built in light level adjustment system (light-dark & dark-lightadaptation) that essentially functions in an analog manner. Both have different reaction times and it varies from person to person.Rhodopsin (visual purple) is the substance in the rods responsible for light sensitivity. When subjected to a strobing light, your eye/brainimage generation capability is seriously degraded. You will have an extremely difficult time formulating an accurate picture of reality.Entertainment folks and those who create haunted houses have been using this phenomenon for years to alter your perception of what isactually happening.

Sports trainers use strobe lights to help certain athletes gain proficiency by allowing them to see only a limited amount of information, yetforce them to act in spite of the diminished sensory input.

Strobing light will alter the subjects' spatial orientation and depth perception. Strobing light can cause loss of peripheral vision and createauditory exclusion. The overall effect can be anywhere from mildly irritating to very dramatic. It is much like any less-lethal option. You'reattempting to keep things down to a lower level of force but there are no guarantees.

During building searches, officers deploying this strobing tool properly, in an intermittent, constant angle and duration change manner, givethemselves numerous advantages not possible previously. Note the effect of the strobe light from the officer’s point of view is minimal, inthe sense that he can still see the entire picture quite well and engage threats if required. The idea that the officer, with strobe in hand,will be confused and disoriented is unfounded, based on practical experience.

This type of deceptive movement is part of the larger strategy of "Light and Move" when attempting to locate threats. "Light and Move" canbe compared to jabbing in a boxing match. You are not committing too much until you have successfully ranged/located your opponent.Once this has been accomplished, you can transition to the next phase of your low-light strategy which is "Power with Light". After youhave locked down observation angles, limited your opponents movement and retaliatory options, you can now safely emit from one or morelocations with constant, hopefully overwhelming, levels of light. www.nightreaper.com


Align Three Things

Principle #7

Eyes, Weapon, and Light

When searching for threats, endeavor to align your

weapon with your vision and then ensure that the

“hot spot” of your illumination tool is where you

want it to be. It is time to hunt, not the time to

cower, recoil or shy away.

Regardless of the flashlight technique you choose

to use, endeavor to maintain the

alignment of your eyes, weapon (sights) and your

light as much as the situation allows.

You should not be staring at your sights while

searching but they should be “in battery”, hinged

just below the final sight lane, ready to be

reattached to your vision if you determine that you

need to engage with your weapon.

Smaller movements are more efficient.

Years of Force-on-Force training have shown that

this is not as easy as it sounds when an individual

is placed under the duress of simulated combat.

MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, one or more of these

critical “weapon system” components is completely

out of alignment during movement or during the

actual engagement.

“It is better to live one day as a lion than a hundred years as a sheep.” Italian proverb www.nightreaper.com


Victory goes to the One who Dominates by Minimizing his Own Gaps and Exploiting his Opponent’s Openings, Hesitations and Mistakes

An unofficial estimate of first-time participants in Force-on-Force Training is that alignment is occurring approximately10% of the time, a number much lower than you mightinitially expect. The key here is to learn to flip thispercentage around. Maintain alignment 90% of the time andyou will be much more efficient in your movements and yourability to deal with emergent threats will be greatlyincreased.

Under the “cover of darkness”, videotape analysis revealsweapons dangling and pointing in non-specific and oftenunsafe directions.

Heads peek around corners minus weapon and/or light.Flashlight and weapon appear but no vision to make anassessment of what is really happening. It turns out thereare more ways to move wrong than right.

In any type of conflict, the superior combatant has trainedhimself to eliminate gaps in time and space whenever andwherever possible.

When the opponent leaves a gap, the advanced combatantwill immediately close and finish. This holds most true inclose quarter, reduced illumination gunfights. Electronstravel at the speed of light, and bullets, for all practicalpurposes arrive almost instantaneously.

Therefore, you cannot leave large “windows of opportunity” bywandering around in the environment without all your toolspoised and positioned to move immediately.

A proficient low-light operator will keep eyes, weapon, andlight aligned most of the time, unless specifically directingthe light or weaponin alternate directions for a specificpurpose.


“There is no second place in a gunfight.”

- Bill Jordan US Border Patrol

Carry More than One LightPrinciple #8

“Stit happens.....”Mr. Murphy

In the military there is a well-known saying,

“Two is one, one is none”.

This familiar adage applies to any man-made tool that one is depending on for life.


The definition of extreme skiing:

“If you fall.....you die!”

In a low-light conflict if your illumination toolmalfunctions, if it gets damaged, or if it becomesunretrievable, your life may be over.

Redundancy is built into modern fighter jets,commercial airliners, and a myriad of other safetydevices. All but the most insane rock climbers usemore than one piece of “pro” (protection) to arresttheir potential fall during ascent up radically pitchedrock faces.

Consider the following: You and another officer are called out to search a commercial office building during the day. You have arrived separately.

You remember to bring your flashlights (primary and backup). Your partner does not thinkadditional illumination is necessary as it is a bright,clear day.

Consider: If your Partner Forgot their Flashlight, would You Give up Yours?

As you penetrate the structure, and decide tomove downstairs, you find yourself in a reducedlight situation. Since you have a backup light, youwillingly pitch that flashlight to your partner andmove on.

Flashlights, regardless of the manufacturer, willfail. Batteries will fail and drain. Flashlights canget hit with projectiles; they can be dropped in themiddle of a search and become irretrievable and/ordamaged.

Hopefully, by the time you finish this block oftraining you will see the importance and value of agood illumination tool as it applies to the dangersfound in the Law Enforcement profession.

Choose your equipment wisely.


Boyd’s / OODA Cycle (Loops)

All Confrontations are a Competition for Time and Space. They Play Out in Understandable Sequences

Experienced Fighters can Predict the Opponent’s intentions and capitalize on thier next probable Movements.


"Time rushes by and yet time is frozen. Funny how we get so exact about time at the end of life and at its beginning. She died at 6:08 or 3:46, we say, or the baby was born at 4:02. But in between we slosh through huge swatches of time -

weeks, months, years, decades even."

Helen Prejean (b. 1940), U.S. nun and activist

Boyd’s / OODA Cycle (Loops)

Learn, Contemplate, and Apply this Cycle!


Summary Attempt to find your opponent first

(During this location process, create a false picture or illusion with your illumination tools)

Once threats are located, attempt to unbalance by “10-ringing” threats with large quantities of light; this stops threats from processing useful data freely

OODA Cycle - Applied in Low-Light

pending a high percentage of your resources to see your opponent clearly FIRST is an investment in thefuture that should pay off handsomely. In low-light conditions the total amount of data that you cantake in is limited due to the fact that your overall visual field is significantly reduced by lack of reflectedlight. Much of your world essentially disappears before your eyes. The world appears and reappears in

small swatches of terrain created by your illumination tool(s).

The good news is that oftentimes your opponent finds himself in the exact same predicament. It now becomesa situation of who can operate more efficiently and who is more familiar with this particular environment.

Remember when you emit light, you are giving your general location away to unseen opponents. Learning tominimize and “encrypt” this signature is a lifesaving skill that must be mastered. This concept was addressedin the proper lighting principles section of this curriculum and will be further addressed in the practicalexercises that will follow.

The goal at this point in the OODA Cycle is for you to see what you need to see AND AT THE SAME TIME create afalse and deceptive picture to any threats that may be hiding in the area.

Once the threats are located and other threat areas are accounted for, you can transition from merely locating,to a more aggressive attempt to short-circuit the opponent's observation capability. Attacking the observationsensor itself, the eyes, does this. An intense beam of light, directed into the opponent's pupils, can becompared to tripping a good runner at the starting line of a 100-yard dash. Just when they need goodinformation (such as when the runner needs traction and leverage), you trip up the sensor and temporarilyoverwhelm it.

During this “unbalancing”, the opportunity for resolution will appear.

Remember, the human eye is 100,000 times more sensitive to light when dark-adapted. It can be quite painfulto look at a concentrated beam of light. This is why you will find threats rapidly averting their eyes, rotatingtheir head, raising their hands to block the beam. Lower levels of force in an Arrest and Control situation can beapplied when you direct light into the subject’s pupils with a good illumination tool.

S

OBSERVE


SummaryIdentify the layout and hazards in the area

If a human target appears, identify as a shoot or no-shootDisorient by attacking the opponent’s “radar system”(random fluctuations or overwhelm it with energy)

any things influence your orientation during the dynamics of conflict. The information that you receive just prior togoing into a situation is a powerful agent, so if time allows, scrub and question this data as much as possible.Misinformation or misinterpretation of the data can set off a chain reaction of events that can be lethal for you, your

partners/teammates as well as the citizens you are trying to serve.

Your training regime also influences your orientation. If you have not regularly used your illumination tools in conjunction withyour weapon, your less-lethal options, and in concert with partners, you will find yourself task overloaded in the environmentand therefore disoriented under the pressure of lethal force engagements.

Once you find a threat at the end of your illumination tool, your next job is two-fold in scope.

Number one: Put this potential threat into proper perspective. Identification, especially at night, is an extremely importantissue. Special Forces operations in Afghanistan (War on Terror 2001) relied heavily on white light illumination because the useof night vision devices was not sufficient for clear identification of friend or foe. All indigenous forces were difficult todistinguish because their look, dress and modes of transportation were similar. SF units maintained stealth as much aspossible, but at some point they had to light 'em up and quickly determine who was who. On a side note, the systems theyemployed caused horses to violently react, dislodging their riders!

Number two: Use the light to disorient your opponents. They need good information, deny it to them. Before stealthtechnology, fighter pilots flew with specially designed aircraft that created multiple images on the opponent's radar screen,making it extremely difficult to determine which image was the most important.

Do the same thing, disorient your opponent's radar with random, rapid movements and flashes, or on the other end of thespectrum send an energy pulse into their radar to overwhelm the system entirely.

Keep in mind, most Law Enforcement encounters are not shooting situations. You will most likely end up talking or employingless-lethal options that will culminate in getting hands-on for a take-down to a restraint.

Using white light to disorient your suspect just prior to this portion of the encounter will increase the yield and effectivenessof your tools and techniques.


M

ORIENT


SummaryIncoming Data is immediately parsed into one of two pathways

The conscious processing center is sequential, deliberate and variables limitedThe sub-conscious is parallel, a distributed network, and time-efficient


or simplicity’s sake, decisions in any given situation essentially come through two basic pathways:Conscious mind or Sub-conscious mind.

Each pathway leads to unique processing centers that deal with incoming data (images, sound, touch, smells,overall perception) in distinct ways. The outgoing data streams (decision that leads to action) also haveunique exit pathways.

Both potential incoming and outgoing pathways and processing centers need to be clear of obstructions, wideand free flowing. This of course is the core reason to train, and train specific to the mission requirements.Pathways and processing centers are task specific. Just because you can fly an F22 fighter jet in combat,does not automatically mean you will do well in close quarter confrontations with small arms or vice versa.

These transitions simply cannot be mentally ascended to. The processing center needs to draw upon, weighout, discriminate and evaluate from genuine experience.

There is a “mental switch” that sends the incoming data and orientation in one direction or the other. Theprocessing speed of this “mental switch” is influenced by several components. They are time, distance andlevel of credibility for any given threat or attack.

Distance really can be considered a sub-component of time, because generally speaking the more distance youhave from any given situation, the more time you have to arrive at the optimal decision.

In any given situation, the more time you have and the lower the threat level, the more data will get diverted tothe conscious side of the mind for decision-making.

The conscious mind is sequential and compartmentalized in its approach to problem solving. The consciousmind can handle a limited amount of variables, and is easily overwhelmed.

The opposite is true for an attack that comes from close range and is perceived to be extremely lethal. Virtuallyall the incoming data, orientation and decision-making processes are diverted to the sub-conscious mind fordeliberation.

The sub-conscious mind thinks in parallel and draws from all storage quadrants simultaneously. The sub-conscious mind is designed to handle a myriad of familiar factors in compressed time frames. Once a solutionis apparent (with no conscious effort or friction), an action sequence is generated and translated to the bodyfor a mobilized response.

F

DECIDE


SummaryAll action should be preceded by 3 phases: Observation, Orientation, Decision

A reasonable amount of training should be in context of specific mission requirementsIntroduce the correct type of stress in training to produce proper actions when required

his phase of the cycle is where the internal will is expressed through the physical manifestation of speech,body movements and tool manipulation. In low-light conditions, this means using your illumination system inconjunction with your firearm to effectively deal with any encountered threat(s).

It is important to understand that this is the last portion of a relatively long, unseen journey.

Many, many operators place such an extreme emphasis on this portion of combat that they neglect the weightier ormore significant portions of the OODA Cycle, which I believe are at least 80% - 90% of the actual battle.

This is not to minimize the importance of seeking out and diligently practicing all viable actions for any givencircumstance. A large matrix of potential actions exists and must be respected. The matrix will have to be sorted,evaluated and X number of solutions selected. This will be a matter of knowledge, attitude, time allotted andresources allocated.

Constantly practicing any particular action out of context [finding an opponent (Observation)], placing them inperspective (Orientation), struggling and laboring to select the best choice among many (Decision)] is action thatmay or may not be there when you need it most. Simply evaluate the dismal percentages of shots on target ingunfights that take place generally closer than 20 feet.

In many cases, it is not because the officer does not have the motor skills or understanding to align the sights andsqueeze a lever (Action), it is because this required action was never done in the context of real close quarterconflict.

Range firing, video simulators, and mental contemplation of expected future events do not bring true familiarity ofaction simply because they are not preceded by the intense requirements of a lethal force confrontation. They arepoor substitutes.

Officers that never have the opportunity to initiate fire based on a combat sequence of events are short-changed intheir training. Actions that are triggered by verbal commands, a turning target, a beeper, etc., are not genuineprecursors to an actual fight.

The bottom line is, a similar type of stress in training must be present in order to expect X action to besuccessfully deployed in combat.

All proposed courses of action will need to be tested under the crucible of SNS pressure to discern and correctlyevaluate the repeatability of any given action.

TOODA Cycle - Applied in Low-Light

ACT


The Mind of War – John Boyd and American Security - By Grant T. Hammond

“Several key points must be emphasized. Fire at all levels by artillery, mortars, and machine guns was exploited to hold the adversary’s attentionand pin him down. Such fire, together with gas and smoke (as well as fog and mist), was designed to capture the adversary’s attention, forceheads down, and dramatically obscure view, thereby cloaking the infiltrators’ movements. The dispersed and irregular character of movingswarms permitted the infiltrators to blend against the irregular and changing terrain features as they pushed forward. Taken together, thesefactors (captured attention, obscured view, and indistinct character of the advance) denied the adversary the opportunity to gain an accuratepicture of what was happening, or in this sense, “taking place”. The infiltration teams suddenly appeared to loom out of nowhere to blow through,around, and behind the disoriented defenders.”

“The essence of these tactics was to cloud or distort the signature of the attacking forces. They sought to improve mobility and avoid enemyfire while focusing the effort on penetrating, shattering, enveloping, and mopping up disconnected and isolated troops, and debris of theadversary’s forces.” - Page 134, para 1-2

“The idea is to smash the blitz by turning its own techniques against itself. The inconspicuous, stealthy use of fast tempo, fluidity of action, andcohesion of the counterblitz combat teams is the key. They form, redirect, then halt the enemy’s advance. This places the adversary on thedefensive, not the offensive, halts his advance, and at least locally destroys the adversary’s capacity to resist. In this military ju jitsu, one usesthe adversary’s own momentum and offensive intent to one’s defensive advantage. One employs his own techniques of fast pace, infiltration,penetration, and flanking movements to defeat him.” - Page 149, para 2

Blitz-Guerrilla Themes“…The second lesson is to shape the adversary’s perceptions and the pace of his reactions to events. One exploits ambiguity and deception sothe adversary doesn’t really know what is going on and utilizes superior mobility and sudden violence to control the pace of events.” - Page 147

para 2

“The implication of the overall message, as Boyd called it, is this:The ability to operate at a faster tempo or rhythm than an adversary enables one to fold the adversary back inside himself so that he can neitherappreciate nor keep up with what is going on. He will become disoriented and confused which suggests that unless such menacing pressure isrelieved, the adversary will experience various combinations of uncertainty, doubt, confusion, self-deception, indecision, fear, panic,

discouragement, despair, etc., which will further

- Disorient or twist his mental images and impressions of what is happening; thereby- Disrupt his mental and physical maneuvers for dealing with such a menace, thereby- Overload his mental and physical capacity to adapt or endure; thereby- Collapse his ability to carry on.

By combining insights and experiences, by looking at other disciplines and activities and connecting them, one can create new strategies forcoping with the world and one’s adversaries. Doing so allows one to develop repertories of competition, ways to contend with multipleadversaries in different contexts. In doing so, one develops a fingerspitzengefuhl (“finger-tip feel”) for folding adversaries back insidethemselves, morally, mentally, and physically, so that they can neither appreciate nor cope with what is happening. Thus, the artful manipulationof isolation and interaction is the key to successful strategy.” - Page 160, para 2-4

“The key is rapid OODA loop cycles to permit one to respond quickly

to the unfolding tactical circumstances.”


Mind-Set

“Arrogance invites ruin; humility receives benefits.”

Chinese proverb

Mind Set for TrainingFirst and foremost, one must accept the fact that in order to expect success under duress, one musttrain. Train regularly, train intelligently, and train with a view to learn new aspects of a process withwhich you may already consider yourself familiar.

“The way is in Training”

Miyamoto Musashi - Renowned Japanese swordsman

“The great corrupter of public man is the ego.... Looking at the mirror distracts

one's attention from the problem.”

Dean Acheson

The ego turns out to be the gatekeeper of the mind. Let's face it; many would not be attracted to thisline of work or have been successful if it were not for a strong, healthy, properly functioning ego. Afterall, we are not in the floral industry. But, we must be ever vigilant to temper it with regular doses ofhumility and reality checks.

All things being equal, personal ego is the single most important facet of the human condition that theindividual must learn to tame in order to keep climbing the proverbial mountain of tactical knowledge andprowess successfully.

Mind Set for CombatThrough proper training we are fortifying the mind against deadly failures in combative situations. Themind must not be overly cluttered with tasks that could have been relegated to the more powerful andefficient sub-conscious mind.

The mind, in a combative situation, must be free to appreciate the actual situation and act accordingly.The mind should not be encumbered by lingering doubts and fears that could have been purged throughrigorous and targeted training.

An often-overlooked component of proper mind-set in combat is a mind that is no longer primarilyconcerned with self. If your personal survival is your number one priority, then I most humbly suggestthat you select a different profession that will not expose you to any additional risks.

A mind that is committed to the well-being of partners, teammates and those that make up thecommunity you serve will generate solutions and create outcomes that a mind focused solely on selfsimply cannot.


Hunter verses Victim MentalityOur body language is the key indicator.Fear based reactions in a lethal force engagement are totallyinstinctual. Instincts are not the highest level of response.“All unnatural movement comes from fear.”- Mikhail Ryabko - Russian Spetznazwww.russianmartialart.com

Place your opponent Under Duress“I make the opponent worry about what is going to happen tohim, not the other way around.” - Ken J. Good

Target Fixation is concentrating/looking at one point inspace to the exclusion of all others is a deadly killer in close quarter combat simply because you no longer have the abilityto make proper decisions which lead to actions that willdetermine success or failure. Target Fixation creates a lossof situational awareness.

Situational Awareness is the ability to collect, collate, andstore data in a fluid, dynamic and stressful environment,then retrieve that data and accurately predict future eventsbased on that data in a compressed time frame.Situational Awareness refers to the degree of accuracy bywhich one’s perception of his current environment mirrorsreality.

Low-Light Often seen as a DisadvantageReduced light levels can bring increased stress levels sincewe gather most of our information through our eyes.Turn this around in your mind. Your opponent may also havelimited information from which to develop a plan of action.Through training, you are more comfortable in this situationthan he or she may be.The concealment darkness offers is a significant tool in yourtactical tool bag when leveraged correctly.Suspects whose eyes have become dark adapted are alsomore susceptible to the effects of an intense light sourcedirected into their pupils.

Mind Set

Tunnel Vision is seeing the world through a small tube. Theimportant peripheral vision is excluded during the criticalobservation phase of hostile engagements. When in thismodality, operators often exclude important auditory cluesand information as well as have difficulty articulating basicconcepts to others in the environment (friendly forces andthreats).

“Fear is the ever persistent demon, that needs to be constantly vanquished, not the visible opponent in front ofyou.” - Ken J. Good


ChaosFirst of all expect it, do not try to eliminate it.

Random variations based on principle based processes are part ofthe natural order.

Control is a fleeting illusion in many cases.

You must learn to appreciate the fluidity and dynamics of conflict,and make the appropriate decisions based on those, “in the moment”observations.

Breath ControlWhen you trace it all back (Overall situation - Hostile environments filled with threats - Friendly forces - Equipment),eventually things boil down to who YOU are and how you respond.

You need to maintain the ability to adapt and make sound decisions.If you find yourself screaming at threats(posturing stemming fromfear), you have no breath control.

If you are huffing and puffing, before the engagement even unfolds, youhave no breath control. If you have never thought about your breath,you have no breath control. Lack of breath control results in you havingno mind-control. No mind-control results in you having no body or

equipment control. This sends you into a potentiallyvicious deathspiral.Operator or Gear?

A fundamental question of Orientation.

It is tempting to believe that “to have this tool or that tool” will makeme a better operator.

Consider Hick’s Law. The more decisions you can make, the sloweryou will be in arriving at a correct decision. Reaction time increasesapproximately 150 milliseconds when the response option increasesfrom one to two.

It is imperative that you train the core human operating system tofunction correctly, THEN add the tools incrementally.

The more tools, the better you will need to be!

Flexible, Fluid, Flowing, and UnpredictableThe smash through the middle, over aggressive mind-set does notrepresent the most efficient application of higher level principles.

Projectiles are inanimate objects in supersonic flight that have no concern or no deep appreciation for your physicality and “toughness”.

Therefore, adopt a fluid, constantly adapting approach to conflict asyou will never know what you may face next.

“We don't train to reinforce all of our instincts,we train to overcome many of them.” - Ken J. Good

Mind Set


n many self-defense, crime interdiction, or combat conditionsoccurring in low-light conditions, any flashlight may prove betterthan no flashlight. Furthermore, a less-than-ideal flashlight may

be used in many of the techniques described on the following pages.

However, because of the potential deadly situations in whichflashlight/gun techniques are employed, it is imperative to usequality flashlights with the proper features and capabilities.

Size/MaterialMany departments have specific guidelines on the use of largermetal flashlights. Recommend having a least (1) smaller flashlighton your person at all times even if you are carrying a larger flashlighton duty. In many daytime situations you simply may choose not totake the larger unit with you, but may end up needing supplementalillumination anyway.

Rugged

This applies to all flashlight components: body, reflector, bulb, and switch. If dropping or banging the light puts it out of order, it is not suitable for LEO or combat use.

Water Resistant

The light may be carried and/or used in the rain. It must not be susceptible to either water infiltration or corrosion from dampness.

Bright The light will be used to clearly identify and classify threats and/or to temporarily incapacitate an assailant. “Traditional” 2/3-D cell flashlights using incandescent bulbs, are inadequate sources of light. We suggest a minimum of 250 lumens for an adequate light source.

Momentary On/Off Switch Frequently, proper use of flashlights in LEO or combat situations requires activating them for a brief moment, sometimes literallya fraction of a second. Ideally this activation should be possible with just the thumb or a single finger.

Therefore:(1) A flashlight with only a “twist” on/off mechanism is unacceptably slow to operate.(2) A flashlight with a slide-on/off switch (most of which are not waterproof) is undesirable, since a positive and rapid on/off cycle is possible only with a thumb. (3) A flashlight whose momentary switch is integral with its regular on/off switch is undesirable, since accidental activation of the regular switch at the wrong moment could prove disastrous. Note: It is possible to mitigate this factor by placing the activating fingertip or thumb tip at the perimeter of the on/off button, making it difficult (even virtually impossible) to fully depress the button and lock it on.(4) A separate momentary switch, operable with one finger or one thumb while holding the flashlight in its normal grip, is by far the best.(5) Preferably weapons mountable for multi-purpose application and equipment compatibility.

A Word about Modes/ChannelsMany manufacturer’s now include multiple modes in their product line. The user-interface must be carefully considered.Having too many modes and/or having to cycle through a series of button pushes to get the next desired mode can result inconfusion and mismanagement of time. Strobe Mode in terms of actual cyclic rate should also be considered. Do your research as to what rates cause what effect to your own perception as well as the perception of those being directlysubjected to the strobing light.

IHardware - Basic Considerations


Flashlight Techniques

“Know and use all the capabilities in your airplane. If you don't, sooner or later, some guy who does use them all will kick your ass.”

Dave 'Preacher' Pace - Fighter Pilot

Reality Dictates the Requirement to be Proficient with Flashlights

By a substantial percentage, most officer-involved shootings occur during the hours from sunset to sunrise,when ambient light is either greatly reduced from normal daytime levels (even when artificial lighting isavailable) or is virtually nonexistent.

Such low-light shootings undoubtedly comprise the majority of non-law enforcement (“citizen”) shootings.The obvious reason for this fact: Perpetrators of street crime are more active after sundown.

Because most shootings occur in low-light conditions, it is not merely desirable for all officers to becomeproficient at shooting with the aid of flashlights, it is a critical part of their overall skill set and should not berelegated to a one-time, check the box training approach.

Being skilled and comfortable at simultaneously operating a firearm and a flashlight enables one to:

(1) focus on safely performing the job at hand, rather than becoming distracted by equipment issues and/or dangerous tactical errors

(2) maintain the proper mindset - confident, controlling, dominating any actual or potential threat


Development of Flashlights and Flashlight/Gun Techniques

The first flashlight/gun techniques were designed around “regular” flashlights whose design hadremained basically unchanged for half a century. Such lights had thin metal or plastic bodies, held acouple of C or D cells, and used a comparatively weak bulb.

Flashlights for Law Enforcement and outdoor use were gradually improved, becomingmore rugged,reliable and technologically sophisticated. Long, heavy flashlights became standard Law Enforcementtools because, in addition to being comparatively powerful, they could also be used as a weapon orrestraint device.

Their common use by LEO's encouraged the development of flashlight/gun techniques.

Flashlight design continued to evolve. Bulb/battery technology and ergonomic considerations resultedin more powerful beams from “regular” sized lights. Over time, the beams became more powerful fromever smaller flashlights.

These small handheld lights, whose bodies are an inch or less in diameter (called small flashlights inthis section) are now universally accepted by Law Enforcement officers, specialized military units, andoutdoorsmen. Although many flashlight/gun techniques that were developed for large flashlightsworked equally well with the new small flashlights, some did not, resulting in modifications of theoriginal techniques or the -creation of new techniques.

The Simultaneous Use of Handheld Flashlights and Firearms

“What is the first business of one who studies philosophy? To part with self-conceit.

For it is impossible for anyone to begin to learn what he thinks that he already knows.”

Epictetus (A.D. c. 50 - c. 138)

“No standard gun/flashlight technique provides a firm, two-hand hold on the weapon.Instead of attempting to dodge this fact through complex, unnatural or unsuitableapproximations of a two-hand hold - making the cure worse than the disease,

the better course is to accept the one-handedness of the weapon hold.

Do not make it a liability, make the best of it.”


Low-light conditions can include diminished interior lighting (such as in a darkened building or tunnel), or any outdoorlocation in heavy shadow (such as in a narrow alley or under a pier) or the complete lack of direct sunlight occurringafter sundown.

Flashlight/gun technique includes all techniques for simultaneously using an illumination tool (handheld or weapon-mounted) and a firearm (handgun or long gun).

Flashlight includes any handheld, battery-powered illumination device.

Sword grip refers to holding the flashlight as one would a sword handle, with the lens end of the flashlight on the thumbside of the hand, as though the flashlight beam were replacing the sword blade.

Ice-pick grip refers to holding the flashlight as one would an ice pick, with the lens end of the flashlight on the side ofthe hand opposite the thumb, as though the flashlight beam were replacing the ice pick's pointed shaft.

Hands-together technique refers to any flashlight/gun technique in which the flashlight hand or wrist touches the gunhand or wrist, and an attempt is made to keep them together via pressure or by interlocking wrists or fingers. This is incontrast to hands-apart techniques (FBI and Neck-Index) in which no attempt is made to keep the hands together.

Sympathetic contraction is the term we will use to describe two related physiological phenomena that often occurunder stress or startle conditions. First, is the contraction of all digits on one hand even though the intention was tocontract selected digits.

Second, is the tendency of both hands (and/or their fingers) to perform similar actions even though he intention was toperform the action with one hand (or the fingers of one hand). This second phenomenon, technically called interlimbinteraction, is more apt to occur under startle or stress conditions, and by having hands in close proximity to oneanother.

Hand confusion refers to the physiological phenomenon in which the wrong hand is activated in a situation where eachhand was “assigned” a separate task (such as left hand operates flashlight switch, right hand operates handguntrigger). This phenomenon is also more apt to occur under startle or stress conditions, and by having hands in closeproximity to one another.

Beam/grip displacement refers to two things that can occur when an officer employing a hands-together flashlight/gun technique fires his weapon, which then recoils. First, the aim of the flashlight beam canbe jostled and even significantly redirected off-target by gun recoil.

Second, the position of the gun and flashlight hands can be altered by the recoil, requiring complete re-application of theflashlight/gun technique. All hands-together techniques suffer to some degree from beam/grip displacement. Theextent of the displacement will vary according to the size and the strength of the user's hands, size of flashlight, caliberof handgun, skill in applying technique, and the particular flashlight/gun technique used.

Terminology Used in This Section


Basic Flashlight/Gun TechniquesThe proper techniques of moving room to room, clearing rooms, use of cover, confusing, disabling, and

dominating opponents with light, avoiding self-illumination, etc., are outside the scope of this particular

section. They are best understood and retained through hands-on, live instruction.

Nevertheless, the basic methods of actually holding the gun and flashlight for concerted use can easily be

grasped through the following descriptions, aided by photographs. We have included most of the primary

recognized techniques. Their strong and weak points are noted in the curriculum.

Some techniques were initially developed or introduced for use with large flashlights and other

methods were developed with smaller flashlights in mind.

A well-trained shooter should be at least familiar with all of these techniques. Depending on

thecircumstances, each one can have its place. The best way to grasp the positive and negative attributes

of each technique is to try it at night or in dark conditions with both large and small flashlights, whileshooting live ammunition.

Keep in mind that while a “static test” of the technique (above) is certainly useful, the true value and

applicability of each technique cannot be completely understood and evaluated until it is used under

conditions closely approximating an actual search, house clearing, SWAT, or combat conditions. Under such

conditions, the effects of stress, fatigue, corners, obstacles, and flashlight features will all have significant

impact on what you actually select and employ.

Note: Many techniques that are suitable for a particular cornering relationship are not suitable when

approaching the corner from the opposite side/direction. Large parts of the body are unnecessarily exposed

and posture is compromised.

A Warning About Hands-Together Flashlight/Gun Techniques

When a flashlight is activated in a low-light situation there is an almost irresistible urge -- made stronger

under stressful conditions -- to move the brightest part of the beam so that it shines on the perceived point

of danger or into a potential assailant's face. But in all hands-together techniques, because the user's

hands are locked or pressed together, redirecting the beam also redirects the barrel of the gun. At a few

yards distance even a moderate adjustment of the flashlight beam can turn a perfect center-mass aim into

a complete miss. Taking one's eyes off the assailant to re-align the gun is dangerous, and may well move

the flashlight's central bright spot off the target again, starting the process over.

Thus, it is imperative to be aware of this phenomenon and train accordingly. Consider two possible ways to

simplify this in training:

1) When directing your locked-together flashlight and gun hands toward a potential target, or when

sweeping them during a search, remember that the gun hand is the master hand. It’s the driver, and the

flashlight hand is “along for the ride”, so to speak. (

2) Adopt the mentality that, when the flashlight is activated, what you see is what you get. That is, be

prepared to shoot with whatever part of the beam happens to be on the target. Don’t get in the habit of

trying to achieve a perfect “spotlight” view of the target every time you switch on the light. Instead, pay

attention to where the gun is aiming. In a situation where a split-second could mean the difference between

life and death, gun alignment matters most.


Ayoob Technique

The flashlight is grasped in a sword grip, thumb or any finger on the side-mounted on/off (or momentary) switch. The thumb of the flashlighthand is pressed against the thumb of the weapon hand, creating isometric tension that steadies the weapon. The hands may be held nearthe body or the arms may be extended.

A variation on this technique calls for the thumb of the flashlight hand to be pressed inward just below, but still in contact with, the weaponhand's thumb, thus somewhat lowering the angle of the flashlight beam.

Another variation calls for pressing the fingers of the flashlight hand against the fingers of the weapon hand, which significantly reduces the amount of wrist rotation required.

Named after Massad Ayoob, Law Enforcement officer, prolific writer, and martial arts/shooting instructor. Practicing this technique will emphasize the fact that it is best suited for a quick - even unprepared - response to a nearby threat. It is lesssuited for search mode, for prolonged operations such as room-clearing, or for shooting at assailants beyond a distance of a few feet.

· Can be assumed from “normal” (sword) grip on flashlight with quick gross motor movements.· At very close range (no more than about three yards) the flashlight beam is automatically directed into assailant's eyes.

· Flashlight can be held fairly close to body, reducing chance of loss due to assailant or accidental contact with objects.

· Works only with side-switch flashlights.· User may suffer beam/grip displacement during discharge of weapon.· Fatiguing if performed steadily for more than a few moments, especially with large flashlights.· Proximity of hands increases chance of sympathetic contraction and hand confusion.· Weapon tends to bang into flashlight during execution.· Attempted alignment of flashlight beam with target can alter alignment of weapon with target (& vice versa).· Light is located center of mass. If unseen threat(s) engage the light, your body is directly in the line of return fire.

Techniques will be Presented in Alphabetical Order

Description

History

Pros

Cons


Chapman Technique

The flashlight is held in a sword grip, but only with thumb and forefinger. Thumb or one finger operates the on/off (or momentary) switch. Theother three fingers of the flashlight hand wrap around the gripping fingers of the weapon hand, in an approximation of a regular two-hand handgungrip, and arms provide stabilizing isometric tension.

Named for Ray Chapman, founder of the Chapman Academy and world-class shooter. This technique was perhaps the second formally taught and recognized technique. It is also credited to Bill Rogers, and is sometimes identified as theChapman/Rogers technique.

· Works with small or large flashlights.· Keeps flashlight beam automatically aligned with weapon barrel. · Enables steadier, two-hand support of weapon prior to shooting.

· Works only with side-switch flashlights.· Difficult to perform for those with small hands or with a heavy flashlight.· User may suffer beam/grip displacement during discharge of weapon.· Fatiguing if performed steadily for more than a few moments, especially with large flashlights.· Proximity of hands increases chance of sympathetic contraction and hand confusion.· Weapon can bang into flashlight during hasty execution.· Difficult to use with injured hand or arm.· Attempted alignment of flashlight beam with target can alter alignment of weapon with target (& vice versa).· Light is located center of mass. If unseen threat(s) engage the light, your body is directly in the line of return fire.

Description

History

Pros

Cons


FBI Technique

The flashlight is held in a sword or an ice pick grip, with arm extended well away from the body (and extended upward if desired), with lens offlashlight held slightly in front of body to avoid illuminating the user. Weapon is held in any position desired, out of contact with flashlight handor arm.

This is probably the oldest formally taught flashlight/gun technique. This technique was originally emphasized as a way to prevent the user’sflashlight from “marking” his exact position when activated. By moving the light away from the user’s body, an assailant who simply shot at thelight source would be less likely to automatically hit the user.

Some disparage this technique as outmoded. Advocates of specific hands-together techniques generally express this view. All techniques listed in this curriculum have their own positive attributes as well as obvious deficiencies.

The fact is, a relaxed, movement oriented, unstructured version of the FBI technique, employed with proper cover, is extremely useful in room-clearing tactics and in dynamic firefight situations.

· Works with small or large flashlights.· No beam/grip displacement upon discharge of weapon.· Separation of hands reduces chance of sympathetic contraction and hand confusion.· Enables searching with flashlight independent of aiming weapon.· Peripheral light can illuminate front and rear sights of weapon if desired.· Allows minimal exposure of user's body during room clearing or firing around obstacles.· Original purpose of masking precise location of shooter still valid, though limited by ambient conditions such as reflective walls.

· Transitions well to the “Neck-Index” Technique.· If a smaller flashlight is being used, this technique can be used with light weight shoulder-fired weapons and transitions well to shoulder-fired weapon technique.

· Supports the principle of “Light and Move” and can be extremely deceptive if utilized properly.· Easy to use Bilaterally.

· User must shoot one-handed.· Can be difficult to maintain alignment.· Fatiguing if performed steadily for more than a few moments, especially with large flashlights.· Difficult to use with injured hand or arm.· Precise, instant alignment of flashlight beam with target requires practice.

Description

History

Pros

Cons


Hargreaves “Lite-Touch” Technique

The flashlight is held in the palm of the support hand.

Method of deployment:1. Draw pistol and flashlight together.

2. Punch pistol forward in a straight line at the target, weak hand pointing flashlight, as you would a fencing foil.

3. The two hands come together, just like a two hand punch draw, but the weak hand is under the pistol,on/off button pressed against the knuckles of the gun hand.

Named after Mike Hargreaves, former British Army, bouncer at Cavern Club, Liverpool U.K., (‘60 -’64), full-time firearms instructor for 20 years and long time board member of IALEFI.Mr. Hargreaves introduced this technique in early 2002.

· Simple, effective, easy to learn, and is a gross motor skill.· Keeps flashlight beam automatically aligned with weapon barrel. · Enables steadier, two-hand support of weapon prior to shooting.· This technique can also be used with lighter weight assault rifles & sub-guns not equipped with a light.· The shooter can support the rifle and depress the tailcap switch against the magazine well.

· Does not work with side-switch flashlights.· Difficult to use with injured hand or arm.· Light is located center of mass. If unseen threat(s) engage the light, your body is directly in the line of retirm fire.

Description

History

Pros

Cons


Harries Technique

The flashlight is held in an ice-pick grip (lens on side opposite the thumb). Thumb or any finger operates on/off (or momentary) switch. Wrists nest together and backs of hands are firmly pressed together to create stabilizing isometric tension. For large flashlights, body of flashlight may be rested on weapon hand's forearm.

This technique is named after Michael Harries, a pioneer of modern practical combat shooting. Developed in the early 1970s for use with large flashlights, this technique is widely used and is well-suited to small and larger flashlights.

· Works with small or large flashlights.· Enables steadier, two-hand support of weapon prior to shooting.· Flashlight body (larger flashlights) can sometimes be rested on weapon hand's forearm, enabling extended use.· Variations of this technique can be used with shoulder-fired weapons.

Cross-support technique - Think Harries Flashlight Technique with a long gun, but with the weaponresting on your forearm holding the flashlight held to the side or tucked back toward your weaponsupport forearm.

· User may suffer beam/grip displacement during discharge of weapon.· Keeping flashlight beam aligned with weapon barrel leads to fatigue due to the tensioncreated by keeping the backs of hands together. Note the lower hand has a tendencyto rotate downward when the handgun is in a “guard” or “low ready” position.

· Proximity of hands increases chance of sympathetic contraction and hand confusion.· During hasty execution, weapon muzzle can cross flashlight hand or arm.· Can lead to “Self-Blinding” - for example, right-handed shooter attempting to navigate a corner with awall on the right side. The hot spot of the beam will “drag” behind the weapon. If the light is activated, the reflected light will be directed back to the shooter. This not only substantially reduces the shooter’s vision but also silhouettes the shooter and other team member(s) to all threat(s) in the area.

· Light is located center of mass. If unseen threat(s) engage the light, your body is directly in the line of retrun fire.

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Keller Technique

The flashlight is held in a sword grip, with the thumb on the on/off (or momentary) switch. Arms are extended outward, with arm of weapon hand below arm of flashlight hand. Wrists nest together and back of weapon hand presses firmly against back of flashlight hand to create stabilizing tension.

Note: This technique must be practiced to create muscle memory in order to avoid having the slide of the handgun slam into the wrist or forearm during discharge, especially when the arms aren't fully extended.

Named for Georgia State Police trooper Van Keller, this technique has been described as a variation of the Harries technique. However, it is quite distinct.

· Keeps flashlight beam fairly well aligned with gun barrel.· Enables steadier, two-hand support of weapon prior to shooting.

· Works only with side-switch flashlights.· User may suffer beam/grip displacement during discharge of weapon.· Fatiguing if performed steadily over time, especially with large flashlights.· Proximity of hands increases chance of sympathetic contraction and hand confusion.· Difficult to use with injured hand or arm.· Precise, rapid alignment of flashlight beam with target requires practice.· Attempted alignment of flashlight beam with target can alter alignment of weapon with target (& vice versa). · Light is located center of mass. If unseen threat(s) engage the light, your body is directly in the line of return fire.

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Neck-Index Technique

The flashlight is held in an ice-pick grip. Thumb or any finger placed on the on/off (or momentary) switch. For large flashlights, the flashlight body is rested on the shoulder, indexed against the base of the neck. For small flashlights, the body of the flashlight (or the fist holding it) is held indexed against the jaw/neck juncture just below the ear, so that it moves in conjunction with user's head yet blocks little peripheral vision. Weapon is held in any position desired, out of contact with flashlight hand or arm.

The first published description of this technique appeared in a June 1994 Handguns Magazine article by Brian Puckett, and therefore it issometimes called the “Puckett Technique”. However, Ken Good and Dave Maynard of Combative Concepts Inc. taught the small flashlight versionof this technique about two years prior to the '94 article. Puckett and Good now use the term "neck-index technique".

While it was common for police officers to hold large flashlights in a similar manner during casual use or during extended searches, thistechnique (1) utilized the ergonomic, tactical, and even psychological benefits provided by this common, comfortable grip, and (2) broke from thelong trend of hands-together flashlight/gun techniques.

The goal of hands-together techniques is to steady the shooting hand and/or keep the flashlight beam constantly aligned with the gun barrel.Good and Maynard's dynamic combat techniques did not require this, and Puckett questioned the overall desirability of it. To quote from thelatter's original article:

· Clear illumination of sights and the target simultaneously.· Natural transition from FBI technique.· Works with small or large flashlights.· For large flashlights, weight is borne almost entirely by the user's body, enabling extended use.· No beam/grip displacement upon discharge of weapon.· Separation of hands reduces chance of sympathetic contraction and hand confusion.· Enables searching with flashlight independent of aiming weapon.· Flashlight is held in “cocked” position for defensive purposes if required.· Usable with injured hand or arm, as it virtually duplicates natural “flipper” position of wounded limb.· Supports an aligned body position for movement in any direction.· For ambidextrous operators - excellent for lateral movement.· Can be easily transitioned to light forward, weapon back for weapon retention in close quarters.· Supports “Power with Light” Principle.· Easy to use Bilaterally.

· User must shoot one-handed.· Can create excess “splash” of light off rear of weapon if not familiar with technique.· Light is located near the head - All threat(s) need to be accounted for.· Use of this technique with larger flashlights can easily lead to a strike to an incoming threat’shead/face if deployed in a less-lethal situation. The flashlight is naturally poised to strike.

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Transitioning the Neck-Index

The Bilateral TransferAs described by Ernest G. Langdon, 2-time IDPA nationalchampion, shooting instructor. This technique is thesame from either side.

Start by rotating the index finger around the flashlight sothat the flashlight is held by the remaining three fingers.The web of the hand between the index finger and thethumb should now be exposed.

Note: The trigger finger is straight before the technique is started.

The grip on the pistol is relaxed slightly to expose theback-strap area of the pistol. Note that the thumb is stillaround the grip maintaining control of the pistol.

The flashlight hand now is inserted in the exposed back-strap area. Using the web of the hand and pinching withthe thumb, control of the pistol is taken by the flashlighthand.

Now that control of the pistol has been transferred to theother hand, the grip that was on the pistol can bereleased and that hand moved to a position just below,and in front of, the flashlight.

Now the three fingers that are holding the flashlight are relaxed allowing the other hand to take control of the light.

The transfer is now complete.

This technique will be commited to the

sub-conscious, once mastered.

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Flashlight TransferRight to Left Hand

Flashlight TransferLeft to Right Hand


Rotating the Flashlight &Finger Position as seenfrom the opposite side


Over-Under Technique

The flashlight is held in a sword grip with thumb or a finger on the side-mounted on/off (or momentary) switch. Weapon hand is pressed down firmly on top of flashlight hand or flashlight body, creating isometric tension to steady the weapon.

Also called the “Stack” or “New York” technique. Little information was found on the origin of this technique, though the name obviously suggests it might have originated with the New York City Police Department.

· Works with small or large flashlights.· Keeps flashlight beam well aligned with gun barrel. · Enables steadier, two-hand support of weapon prior to shooting.· Fairly usable with injured hand or arm.

· Works only with side-switch flashlights.· User may suffer beam/grip displacement during discharge of weapon.· Proximity of hands increases chance of sympathetic contraction and hand confusion.· Attempted alignment of flashlight beam with target can alter alignment of weapon with target (& vice versa).· Light is located center of mass. If unseen threat(s) engage the light, your body is directly in the line of return fire.

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Rogers/SureFire Technique

A small flashlight is held between forefinger and middle finger in a “syringe” grip, that is, with these fingers gripping the body of the flashlight(and in front of the integral rubber ring, if the flashlight has one). The lens of the light faces outward, and the protruding momentary switchrests against the middle or lower part of the thumb. The flashlight is activated by squeezing it between fingers and thumb.

The weapon hand is brought together with the flashlight hand, as though performing a normal two-hand hold, and the lower fingers of theflashlight hand are wrapped around the gripping fingers of the weapon hand. Isometric tension is applied with the arms to steady the weapon.

Note: Some people find that wrapping just the bottom two fingers (ring and little) of the flashlight hand around the gun-gripping fingers improves alignment of flashlight beam with gun barrel. However, quickly assuming this particular grip requires more practice.

Named for former FBI agent William Rogers. Andy Stanford writes that Rogers developed the technique around the original Laser Products 6Pflashlight, which had neither a gripping ring nor a protruding momentary switch.

· Keeps flashlight beam well aligned with gun barrel. · Enables steadier, two-hand support of weapon prior to shooting.· Little beam/grip displacement if properly executed.· Efficient draw when carried with the SureFire proprietary holsters and other flashlight holsters designed to carry the flashlight lens down.

· Works well only with small flashlights with end-mounted momentary switches.· Proximity of hands increases chance of sympathetic contraction and hand confusion.· Difficult to use with injured hand or arm.· Attempted alignment of flashlight beam with target can alter alignment of weapon with target (& vice versa).· Light is located center of mass. If unseen threat(s) engage the light, your body is directly in the line of return fire.· Unintentional release of the magazine during recoil due to close proximity of the fingers/flashlight.

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Shoulder-Fired Weapon Technique

The flashlight is held in a sword or ice pick grip, with arm extended well away from the body (and extended upward if desired), with lens offlashlight held slightly in front of body to avoid illuminating the user (mirroring the FBI Technique). This technique revolves around using a handheld flashlight in conjunction with a lightweight shoulder-fired weapon equipped with a weapon-mounted light (for example an M4, MP5, P90 or shorter semi-auto shotguns). With extended practice, larger weapons can be utilized. Thehandheld flashlight is employed as a search tool. Once the target of interest is located, the flashlight can be rolled under the forearm of theshoulder-fired weapon. It is then held in place with the last two fingers of the support hand, lens now facing the shooter.

The weapon-mounted light can now be activated at will with the remaining fingers. In the worst case, simply drop the handheld and use theactivation pad located on the weapon-mounted light.

Developed as a result of years of Force-on-Force training in low-light environments at the Fleet Training Center in San Diego, CA and withCombative Concepts Inc., a private company founded by former Navy SEALs Dave Maynard and Ken J. Good. Constantly dealing with a largenumber of adversaries in unknown locations lead to the more deceptive practice of searching with a handheld flashlight well above the head,even with a shoulder-fired weapon with a dedicated weapon-mounted light attached.

Threats can and will shoot at the light giving away their location. Additionally, “holding” a hallway or stairway with just the weapon-mounted lightcreates too static a picture for threats to interpret and allows them to develop a simple firing solution. Use of a handheld flashlight while in the“holding” pattern, allows the operator to rapidly change the light picture without rapidly moving the weapon.

Two other techniques that are being advocated, (that have been developed from this initial concept with the idea being your long gun either doesnot have a weapon-mounted light or it is no longer functioning), are as follows:

1. Cross-support technique - Think Harries Flashlight Technique with a long gun, but with the weaponresting on your forearm holding the flashlight held to the side or tucked back toward your weapon support forearm.

2. Hargreaves Lite-Touch - The shooter can support the rifle and depress the tailcap switch against the magazine well.

· Allows for extremely deceptive light picture downrange.· Threat(s) tend to shoot overhead in longer distance situations as well as close quarters.· Shooter can hold hallways at corners in a low kneeling position, but illuminate from the threat’s point of view at chest/head high.

· Light can be used as a communication tool to direct team member(s) to threat locations without taking weapon off primary field of fire.

· Light can be rapidly moved while searching open areas without “flagging” team member(s) with your weapon.· Can still activate weapon-mounted light by “rolling” the flashlight into position.

· Not a basic technique - requires extensive practice to deploy operationally.· User must be able to shoot a lightweight shoulder-fired weapon one-handed while seaerching for threats.

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USMC Technique

The flashlight is held in a sword grip with thumb or finger on the side-mounted on/off (or momentary) switch. The rim of the flashlightlens is pressed forward against the tips of the weapon hand's gripping fingers (even locking them in place if the rim is deep enough)creating a stabilizing tension.

Development of this technique is attributed to U.S. Marine Corps' embassy guards.

· Can be surprisingly comfortable and stable, even with large flashlights.· Keeps flashlight beam well aligned with gun barrel. · Enables steadier, two-hand support of weapon prior to shooting.

· Works only with side-switch flashlights with fairly large lenses.· User may suffer beam/grip displacement during discharge of weapon.· Proximity of hands increases chance of sympathetic contraction and hand confusion.· Attempted alignment of flashlight beam with target can alter alignment of weapon with target (& vice versa).· Light is located center of mass. If unseen threat(s) engage the light, your body is directly in the line of return fire.

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One of the most critical, misunderstood aspects of close quarter combat is the ability to negotiate corners while presenting a firearm.

What are the proper cornering techniques? Is there a difference with a handgun or shoulder-fired weapon? What are the principles that form the foundation for proper technique? What is the mindset required to be successful?

Let's work our way into this.

The primary tool in your toolbox is your mindset. This is the cornerstone that must be laidcarefully or the building will fall under the slightest duress. No matter how good yourtechnique, no matter how deep your understanding of the theory, the rubber meets theroad in the steadfastness of your mind.

Whenever I pick up a firearm in any operational capacity, I immediately go into what myfriends call “shark mode”. Shark mode is an excellent description of where you should bementally. The shark is one of nature's fiercest and most efficient predators - you too mustbe The Pure Hunter to consistently defeat opponents. You must be willing to take the fightto the opponent if required.

You must have immediate, uninterrupted access to a mental switch that brings this modeforward. When in this mental space, you are not concerned about what is going to happento you, you are forcing your opponents to be concerned about what is going to happen tothem. The late Col. Rex Applegate titled his groundbreaking 1943 book on close quarterscombat, “Kill Or Be Killed”. He knew the essence of the correct mindset.

The second part of a proper mindset is to maintain a mental balance the entire time youare cornering. You should remain completely balanced in the sense that no matter whatyou see, you will only do what you must - no more, no less. You are attempting to maintainthe center of the fight at all times.

Your weapon and your body are an extension of your mind - you take ground or give groundonly because you choose to. When the mind is rattled, the delivery system losescapability.

You must be dynamically and acutely aware of force vectors, horizontal, and verticaldisplacement options, your speed-on-ground, distance from objects and the materialcomposition of the things that are between you and any potential adversary. Simplystated - attempt to be totally and absolutely situationally aware.

Competent cornering embodies the ability to mentally “see” what is on the other sidebefore you get there.

You quickly eliminate your opponent’s free movement options and bring him into an area that you can control. You are unrelenting, not overly aggressive.

You are mentally pushing your opponent into an ever-tighter death spiral from which therewill be no recovery.

Employment


A friend's martial arts teacher told him, “Not faster than bullet, faster than mind.” Perfect.

You are determined, but completely flexible - flexible in the sense that you have no pre-determined route, distance, rhythm or timing. You arealways willing to do the unconventional.

A set, easily predictable routine on the corner will be your personal fast trackto the morgue.

Mentally, you must begin to see your entire environment as nothing but achained series of short, medium and long-range corners. These cornersappear in the horizontal and vertical planes. A stairway is a vertical corner.The front, back, top and bottom of your vehicle are all corners.

A common mental mistake is not addressing corners soon enough. Operatorshave a tendency to mentally sag until they are at the threshold of the corner.If a threat appears during this transitory approach phase, they are caughtflat-footed.

I practice cornering every day of my life. As I move through my environment, I play a game. As I turn corners, move down hallways,ascend or descend stairways, I attempt to see anybody in the environmentbefore they see me. If I don't, I “lost” that “battle”.

After 20 years of playing my little game, I generally win.

Number One: Begin Cornering as Soon as Practical

What I mean by this is, as soon as you perceive a direction change or anyadditional angles forming out in front of you, you must begin addressing themas soon as possible (from the farthest possible distance).

One of the most common and natural mistakes is addressing the corner toolate. It is a timing and sequence issue that I have seen done incorrectlythousands of times. An individual or team element essentially saunters up tothe corner and then attempts to close down the angles. Oftentimes this ismuch too late.

Once “on top” of the corner you are in “too deep” to quickly respond todynamic threats. You will feel cramped and boxed in at this point. You needto visually address as much of the new area as possible from the furthestdistance away possible.

When dealing with any new found corner, don't be afraid to move forward andback, up and down, left and right frequently to see from a wide variety ofangles, at distance. The more you see BEFORE you get there, the lessunknown space you will have to deal with when you do close the gap. Timespent at distance is well invested. Threats often reveal themselves earlybecause they can sense something is coming and feel obligated to dosomething about it. When you are at distance you have more choices, thanwhen you get close and it becomes now or never. Think about it, the reasonyou have a firearm in the first place is so that it can reach out and touch ifnecessary. Don't neglect the crucial time during the transition from point Ato the corner.

Work diligently to address these longer angles


To illustrate, picture an Indy car racing into a corner at over 250 mph. If the driver addresses the situation too late he is ejected out the back ofthe corner, often with catastrophic results. Why? Because the line chosen and the velocity selected impacts the balance of the vehicle, whichin turn dictates the inevitable outcome. A professional driver is dealing with that corner from a great distance. Moment by moment he isteetering between greatness and disaster.

Number Two: Understand Proper DistancingMaintain plenty of distance from the corner whenever possible. I try to stay at least an arms length away from corners whenever possible. Youwill be surprised how much space you really have if you don't collapse in all the time. This type of relationship manifests itself inside a house,around a vehicle, essentially anything that is between you and your opponent(s).

I often hear folks dragging body parts and equipment along the wrong side of the wall as they tentatively shuffle step toward a corner. I call this“walking on a mine field”. It is an outward physical manifestation of their insecurity. Somehow they believe if they hug their walls and corners,nobody is going to see them or hurt them. It turns out the opposite is true. In this position you are fighting from some of the worst angles forcountering a threat.

We joke about the magnetic or gravitational effect of all objects during the duress of a projectile-based fight. Somebody out there has his or herhand on the all-powerful switch that energizes all these objects during a gunfight.

We are desperately looking for this virtual switching complex, but as of yet cannot determine its location. As soon as bullets are flying, allcombatants that do not have a deep-seated understanding of the negative power of this effect are pulled in and immobilized on the object or wallthat is located directly in front of them.

When you have smashed yourself into a corner, wall or object, it becomes exceedingly difficult to deal with any weapon malfunctions, transitionsor reloads. What you need to understand is, that once you have been pulled into this proverbial black hole, it is extremely difficult to get backout.

Once here, you can no longer see or properly respond to the ever-changing dynamics located around you. Don't forget John Boyd's OODA Cycle,you must observe and orient to move fluidly during the sequences found in conflict. You are bio-mechanically inhibited and you did it to yourself.

When you are too close, you have also allowed your opponent to move within the forward battle space unseen and undeterred. You simply cannotengage him effectively. You have also eliminated many of your all important options at this point, including horizontal displacement. Onceparallel parked on the wall, you have eliminated movement in that direction as a potential temporary escape path.

If a threat suddenly appears, as they often do, you are left with staying put, or further exposing yourself by drifting further away from the wall.This is not the time to give your opponent a large surface area to shoot at! By maintaining proper positioning away from your corners, you willkeep windows of time and space open to travel in. You don't have much of either, so don't just hand it to your opponent without a fight.

Once you are committed to a specific corner it is time to continue “the dance” of closing down the space. Remember this area is not just a 2-dimensional space in terms of X & Y (breadth and width); it has a vertical component Z (height).

Your movements should reflect this reality.

Cornering with a firearm implies a human threat(s). These human beings are attempting to “read” your movements It makes sense to randomlyvary your approach, since a predictable routine is easily countered. Learn to vertically displace your body at will without conscious thought. Easeand biomechanical fluidity is the goal.

Proper vertical displacement takes some dedication to training. You must have flexibility to incorporate the vertical displacement tool into yourtool bag. I have seen men and women well into their sixties function with incredible efficiency because they made the mental commitment to doso. If you are deficient in this area, you simply do not have the maximum arsenal to bear in terms of the human operating system. No piece ofhardware will close the gap.


Start in a stance that addresses the corner, the tips of your toes just back of the imaginary line that travels along the floor to the edge of thecorner. The only thing that should be visible to any potential adversary is a small portion of your outboard arm, your outboard eye and theweapon hinged just slightly below the sight plane. You are anticipating contact, but you need to see, so do not cover critical areas of theforward space with your arms and weapon until you have to initiate.Displace vertically by replacing your outboard foot with the outboard knee, letting gravity naturally pull you down. Exhale on the way downthrough the entire movement. This process is not as easy as it sounds. Most people use some type of pushing, internal pulling, or contractingto go down. Your back should be straight, head up; the top of your outboard foot should be contacting the ground. This foot position offers

excellent stability and prevents a partner frombreaking your ankle.

To move to what we term low-kneeling, allowgravity to do its magic again. In one seamlessmovement slide the outboard foot underneathyour hip girdle while simultaneously sliding thelead foot as far forward as possible. Drop yourupper body into the space created between yourfeet. You will find that you can float the weaponjust millimeters over the ground.

To get back up to kneeling, reverse the previoussequence. To re-establish a standing position,an additional concept needs to be brought forth.Instead of pushing off the back foot, slide yourhips forward and draw yourself up with the leadleg. You do not lift your upper body by pullingwith your back muscles; you align your hipsunderneath and rise. There is no weight/pressureplaced on the back foot! Inhale through theentire movement upward.

This is a critical differentiator from yourinstinctual mechanic. I teach this movement byhaving students imagine that a set of stringsfrom the ceiling are pulling them straight upfrom the top of their shoulders and forehead. Ittakes practice to master; don't give up easily.

This methodology will ultimately keep you amazingly balanced, once inculcated.

It is much more efficient in terms of time andeffort. You will have much more control of yourbody and weapon during more of the total timeyou are in the environment. If you wear bodyarmor, helmet and other kit, it really paysdividends.

All throughout the position changes, you mustnot break the imaginary glass plane that formsfrom the ground to the sky with your lower bodyparts that anchor.


This plane should always be shattered with the weapon and eye first by articulating at thewaist. Once the new space is appreciated, the lower body follows to re-establish total bodybalance. You have gained new territory.

I personally stay away from classic prone (a viable position) as much as possible. Although Ican get there fast, it glues me to the ground too long if I need to vacate space. I can getextremely close to the ground with this low-kneeling position and maintain maneuverability inthe space.Where this movement fits in tactically is your decision. The application of thistechnique is diverse once you are aware of its potential. Here's a hypothetical example of howto employ vertical displacement.

Picture yourself attempting to see around a corner. As you maneuver around the corner youmake contact with a potential threat. Rather than violently retreating backward in an off-balanced manner, instead you smoothly move in the horizontal direction slightly away from theopponent's vision. He falsely concludes that he can track you through the wall and begins toengage. What he does not know is that you have also learned to drop immediately to the floorinto the low-kneeling (Modified Prone), bypassing kneeling altogether. You have mastered thetechnique so that gravity has done all the work and it happens as fast as a rock drops fromyour hand.

Your opponent has brought whatever weapon to bear and is firing. The weak link in his armor is the fact that his lower field of view is nowobscured. His own arms and weapon, the muzzle flash and recoiling weapon are limiting his view of your actual location. Since you have learnedto break the plane with your eye and weapon only, you now have unobstructed access to the opponent from the floor, up through his arms, intohis legs, hips, chest and head.

And so goes the saying, “Better you than me!”

The final components I am going to deal with are actually breaking the threshold ofthe corner and entering to finish with a view to dominate the new space.

Everything you have done prior to this moment; observation, anticipation, analyzingspace, a varied and random distance routine can be considered jabbing. Jabs inboxing setup the right hand for the knockout. With a jab you are setting the tone foryour most powerful strike. You don't want to over commit or take it up the teeth fromthe “git go” in the ring as you may find yourself flat on your back!

You are light on your feet and ready to hit and move, and move again.

You would be wise to give your opponent the maximum amount of respect.

When I conduct training, I normally ask my students, “How good is that opponent whois somewhere downrange?” Correct answer: “He is as good or better than you are!”

The classic military blunder is to underestimate your adversary. You must understandthat he could put you down in a heartbeat if you create a gap for him to exploit.

In this business we see so much chest pounding, huffing and puffing about this orthat concerning gunfighting. When I see or hear that, I understand that thoseengaging in such talk have number one, never been in a gunfight or number two, don'tunderstand the true dynamics of a gunfight.

Now that we respect our adversary, let's attempt to finish him. There is an extremelystrong and dangerous tendency to maintain or prolong what I call a “50/50 gunfight”

once you are engaged. This is a dangerous practice to say the least.


The only way I have ever seen to eliminate this tendency is to get involved with a training programthat has good force-on-force simulation in its advanced courses.

Step back for a moment and ask yourself a few questions:

When you turn the corner, what do you see? You may now see an armed threat attempting to corner from the opposite direction. What are you actually seeing?

You see a man with a gun, trying to do exactly what you are doing.How good is he?We've already answered that question. You are engaging your mirror image. Would you bet your life on a flip of a coin?I would venture to guess...going out on a limb here...NO!What are the possibilities here?

Note, that only 2 of the possibilities areoptimal for you, the rest are deadly or notoptimal. Yet, the fact remains; there aretimes you must corner. Armed professionalsface this dilemma every day of the week!

This brings us back to the importance of training and developing a “look-down - shoot-down” capability. This is the moment in time where all yourinternal commitments and drivers, prior training, technical proficiency and tactical positioning converge to decide the outcome. Fire your roundsand vacate the space. I typically fire a triple volley and leave.

Whether the threat immediately goes down or not, re-observe from a different angle and distance. If you missed your opportunity, do not stay inand “set up camp” to slug it out although you will want to if you still see him. Your mind will be screaming, “Just a little more time, just a fewmore rounds!”

It needs to be right here, right now, shots on target, then change your location. Bullets do not care if you can bench-press 350 lbs or you are asfierce as a lion. Most likely the material that is between you and your threat does not do a good job of stopping bullets. The facts are mostrounds fired in a gunfight do not hit the target and most people who are shot are not killed with the first round.

Do not admire your handiwork! Look for his friend(s).

We have a saying: “Unless the head is separated from the body by more than 4 feet, that person is still a potential threat.”

If a gunfight does erupt on the corner, you must be committed to win, butsavvy enough to have some patience to win. It is the JuJitsu of gunfighting.But, when the time is right and the window of opportunity opens, you mustbe there with all your mental tools and the correct physical movements tooverwhelm the opponent.

Once you have the opponent against the ropes, you must maintain constant, unrelenting pressure until that opponent is fully defeated.Manipulating all available elements in proper combination and sequence allows an operator to consistently defeat opponents when therequirement for cornering arises.

1. I fire and neutralize the threat; I own him and the space2. I fire and force my threat to move and retreat; I own the new space3. We both fire and we both neutralize each other; neither combatants are a factor4. We both fire and we both move and retreat; neither combatants own the space5. The threat fires and neutralizes me; he owns me and the space6. The threat fires and forces me to move and retreat; he owns the new space

Let your opponent over commit

Let him take the same line too many times

Let him be overly aggressive and too fast in action


“Quick Peeks”Tight Corners or “T” Intersections

Phase 1Start High or with a mind-set of getting in, snapping a photo and gettingout. You are also planning to hit any potential threats directly in theface/pupils with the hot spot of your flashlight beam. Keep in mind whatit feels and looks like when someone uses flash photography directly inyour eyes. For a few moments, your vision is seriously degraded. Thisessentially means loss of situational awareness.

P1a. Break the plane with an eye, weapon, and light. Enter deep enough to make the effort worthwhile. P1b. Get in and get out.

- See from the Opposite Perspective- Align Three Things- Hunter or Victim?

Some common mistakes that could easily lead to you being compromised include:

- Turning your illumination tool on too early. - Illuminating the wall directly in front of you. - Dragging the beam on the ground first.

- Slowly leading with your flashlight.

- Self Blinding- Telegraphing

Phase 2P2-2a. Immediately change levels and break the plane again if the corner has gone unchallenged. Ifthis was a “T” intersection, peek one way low, move back, peek the other way high.

Any threat that has seen you and/or your light is now under the impression that you are standing, ready to try again at that level. Do something different.

Of course it can be done in reverse, high then low.

I prefer to show high, then let gravity naturally carry me down to the ground whenever possible.

If the threat appeared chest high during the initial peek and brings a weapon to bear, I know he willbe trying to hold that chest-high force vector. He was hit in the face with a bright light and willattempt to bracket that area if he is committed to shoot. I have left that space and occupied aspace he cannot see as his arms, weapon, and muzzle flash are concealing my actual positionwhich is low and on the floor. If I choose to engage from there, I fire and move again to vacate thespace.

In most Law Enforcement situations, once an armed threat has been located in a deep corner,vacate the immediate space, contain and turn it into a barricaded suspect situation. I will followthat comment up with - in today's Active-Shooter environment/situations - this may no longer bethe case.

- Flexible, Fluid, Flowing & Unpredictable


Phase 1 Start High - In & Out Phase 2 Drop Low - In & Engage

Phase 2 Rise - In & EngagePhase 1 Start Low - In & Out


Once you have determined or seen all that you can/want to see from any given corner, sometimes it ismost beneficial to move across an opening quickly and efficiently. During this transition, you can choose one of two options:

1. Directly see into the space or down the hallway as you pass.

2. Simply move past the space unnoticed withthe concealment offered by the darkness.

A successful Slide-by is predicated on the proper understanding of and the technical proficiency incornering. Additionally, you must have technical skills to tread the floor properly in a “shootingplatform”. A smooth shooting platform is balanced, fluid and is significantly enhanced by the ability toshoot bilaterally without conscious thought.

- Align Three Things

Phase 1Finish cornering from this location.

Phase 2Now smoothly and quietly move away from your corner and the opening. This positioning allows you to accelerate PRIOR to presenting yourself in the uncleared opening.

P2a. At this position in space, you should be at maximum velocity,presenting the weapon and illumination tool into the un-cleared space.At this time you can emit with light, attempting to “Power with Light”at eye/chest level to temporarily disrupt and disorient the vision of any standing threat. The hot spotshould be rapidly moving to cover the maximum surface area downrange. You will be surprised howmuch you can see with practice. Take the “photograph” in your mind, let it process and develop while still moving. You can also elect to simply move across the space in thedark.

P2b. Move ALL THE WAY to this point. Why? Anyone who sees the slide-by may attempt to track youthrough the wall. Remember, most materials in most structures do not offer cover, only concealment.An unwanted deceleration in the opening occurs if you try to stop too early.

Phase 3P3. Once in position, start cornering from the opposite side of the opening.

Partner Work - A variation on this theme #1 moves across ensuring that the partner’s light is extinguished prior to the movement.#1 then illuminates the space as he crosses the opening and movesdown the hallway. If a threat is identified, #1 either verbally communicates this or saysnothing because the threat in the space is tracking #1 with gunfire. Ifthe threat is firing, element #2 IMMEDIATELY slides to the initial cornerin a modified-prone or kneeling position to take-on the now firing threat. This threat is typically facing away from this corner and has a weapon and arms up angling for #1. #2 should have a clear pathway to the threat to neutralize, if required. If #2 is engaged by the threat, back away, call out “he's on me” and #1 should now appear and engagefrom the opposite corner, again from the modified-prone, as the last thing any threat saw from that sidewas a moving, chest-high target. You can use slide-bys to get two High/Low stacks, creating powerfulcross-angles on any given opening. Now you have 4 weapons, 4 lights and 4 sets of eyes.

The “Slide-by”

- Hunter or Victim?- Flexible, Fluid, Flowing & Unpredictable

- Light and Move- Power with Light


Partner Work - Threat’s Point of View

Area of Observation

Area of Observation

Area of Movement Area of Movement

Remaining Hard Corners

Doorway/Opening


“Paint the Corner - Clear the Corner”

Oftentimes through the proper use of cornering, quick-peeking, and slide-bys, a clear picture of the affected spacecan be obtained. Additionally, you can often deceive and disorient your opponent through rigorous and random“strobing” patterns that flash throughout the darkened space he is occupying.

The suspect may even catch one of the flashes in his eyes and retreat to a deeper section of the space. He mayattempt to barricade himself behind an obstacle, thereby further shutting off his ability to see what is actuallyhappening.

Remember we are trying to get inside of the opponent's OODA Loop and this may present a perfect opportunity to doso. He can no longer see and you know what the room layout is and where the subject is now located.

The first diagram illustrates a possible way to setup a look into the corners and/or an entry. This can be done as asolo if absolutely necessary, but a pair is certainly a more powerful and versatile element.

Phase 1Start with your handheld flashlight, low on the outside of the space. This is one of the few times I wouldrecommend using the handheld light without an eye and weapon attached. Hopefully, the missingweapon and eye are located with your partner who will be occupying the low position in a moment.

Phase 2P2-2c. Break the plane and rapidly "paint" the entire deep corner, from the bottom of the floor if possibleto at least chest high. This is designed to illicit a response from any possible threat(s) in that corner.

You are attempting to catch their mind and body so they chase the light. Again, behind this light, youshould have another officer observing from another angle, light off, poised for action.

Phase 3P3-3a. As soon as the light has reached its apex, the secondary officerdrops in (preferably in the modified-prone) and addresses the "paintedcorner" from a lower position, angling upward. The initial light can be leftON or OFF at the officer’s discretion.

The secondary officer's light is activated, the threat is classified and the appropriate action undertaken.If there is an active threat, oftentimes the threat's own arms and weapon will obscure the secondaryofficer's immediate position until it is too late for the threat to effectively adjust. This procedure takessome coordination and mutual understanding on the part of both officers.

If the secondary officer is not available, an individual can extinguish the light at the #2c position,execute an immediate drop to the floor and re-evaluate the corner from the #3a position. This takespractice and should not be undertaken without sufficient training.

There are quite a few variations on this technique/concept built on the basic precepts that can beemployed by experienced team members that have worked together over time.

- Flexible, Fluid, Flowing & Unpredictable- Power with Light- Light and Move- Disorient with Strobing Light


Phase 1 & 2 - Initial Drawing of Attention

Phase 3 - Secondary Light Emission - Low

Doorjamb

Hallway

Light ON Here

Draw the Threat’sAttention to this Point

Light ON here

Doorjamb

Hallway


“No-Light Entries”

This is not a basic entry technique nevertheless it is worth bringing to your attention.

So-called “No-Light” entries were discovered after years of force-on-force training in diminished light environments.

The diagram on the opposite page starts with officers on either side of the opening, but the principles articulated belowcan easily be adapted to stacks, and other starting formations.

Phase 1As a pair, sometime prior to actually entering the space while it is dark, both officers should have “painted” a clear pathon the floor to ensure good footing. You should practice this skill until you can quickly flash a space, enter it and touchsomething in particular, while still dark, merely by “reading” the “map/photo” you created at the corner.

Once you have painted, gotten a clear picture as a pair, it’s time to make entry. One of the two officers communicates,“On Me, Cross - Lights Out” or “On Me, Buttonhook - Lights Out”.

On me should signify to the second officer that as soon as the first officer is moving, he should be folding into the roomimmediately afterward.

The second officer can “know” when this is going to occur by listening and in many cases by just reaching out andtouching the first officer to feel for movement. The second officer simply feels which way the partner goes. Maybe youthought he was going to cross in front, but in fact, buttonhooks away. You should adjust accordingly.

Phase 2Enter the space, lights out. Move only through the previously painted path, only as deepas you know is safe.

Note the pair is not running the walls. Stay away from the walls as suspects clearly tend to try and hug walls and directbullets toward the door along the walls. Running the walls places both officers in harm’s way from either unclearedcorner.

You are smoothly moving under the concealment of darkness.

The lead officer on entry should illuminate first. Oftentimes, this is enough light to see the entire space.

Lights and weapons should be directed in the remaining unseen spaces, in this case the two deep corners.

You will find more often than not, if you have an armed suspect, he will be pointing a weapon at the door, where hebelieves you still are.

If you need to engage, engage and move again.

If I see a weapon here, horizontal coupled with vertical displacements work extremely well.

Phase 3If your space is clear, move, rotate to re-clear space and/or assist your partner who may be engaged.

- Flexible, Fluid, Flowing & Unpredictable- Light and Move


Phase 1 - Establish Path

Phase 2 - Moving on Path

Phase 3 - Adjustments

“Painted” Paths

Threat Located & Engaged


The following procedure is surprisingly simple but difficult to defeat.

Phase 1One officer places an intense beam of light in the threat’s eyes (strobing light is highly effective). This cannot beover-emphasized; the light MUST be in the threat’s eyes. At the same time, that same officer CALMLY asks how hecan assist, or asks is there anything he can do to change the situation.

Phase 2Immediately following this query, the second officer CALMLY and quietly slides in to the “weakside” area, working behind and preferably under the cone of light. The “strong side”, is the areathat the suspect can easily bring a weapon to bear. By slightly vertically displacing while entering the weak side area, the second officer has alsoplaced the head of the victim between himself and the threat, further visually blocking thethreat’s view. Slide up close and deliver a shot(s) to the head. Immediately control the hostage.

If the threat turns to engage the second officer as he enters, he exposes himself to officer number one. Officer #2 accelerates and stays low to draw the threat further into the line of fire of officer #1. The suspect’s ownarm will also obscure his vision if he tried to engage the entering officer. Keep in mind the threat cannot rotate asfast as the moving officer, as he has no direct control of his hostage.

Officer #1 can also close the gap at this time if distance is an issue. Essentially you are attacking the threat’sability to Observe and/or Orient. Since he cannot gather good data, he cannot complete his tasking.

Use this same concept when closing the gap to facilitate a takedown, pin, and handcuff procedure on a combativesuspect.

“Closing the Gap” - Utilizing High Intensity Lights

In today's environment of first responders, active-shooters, and high-risk entries, threats can attempt toshield themselves from harm’s way by placing an innocent bystander between themselves and lawenforcement officers. Let's look at what is really going on and understand the folly of this position fromthe threat's point of view.

1. The threat has limited mobility.2. The threat has made himself heavier.3. The threat does not have excellent control of this extra weight.4. The threat has limited visibility when attempting to “hide” behind the innocent.5. If the threat is pointing a weapon at the innocent victim, this is no immediate threat to you.6. If the threat is pointing the weapon at you, the victim has a temporary reprieve.7. The threat is conducting what I term a high-speed interview with you.

He is asking you to stop your activities and awaiting a response. This engages his mentalresources that he might otherwise use to move, shoot and gain other tacticaladvantages.

8. The threat is mentally conflicted in the sense that if he shoots the hostage, he has eliminated his primary source of shielding.

9. If the threat attempts to engage you, it will be initially at distance.

On the other hand:1. You have mobility.2. You are light in comparison to the threat.3. You should have excellent control of your balance.4. More often than not, you can see clearly.5. Your weapon will be placed in one place, the threat area.6. One officer should talk, the other dedicate his resources to solving the problem.7. There are more of you than him.8. You are not conflicted, your purpose and the outcome should be clear. 9. When you initially engage the threat with a firearm, it will be at an extremely close range.

- Power with Light- Disorient with Strobing Light- Light and Move- See from the Opposite Perspective- Hunter or Victim?


Phase 1 - Setup - Talk / Light in Eyes

Phase 2 - Talk / Light / Entry / Finish

Threat’s Weak Side

Threat’s Strong Side

Threat

Move Smooth & Deliberate


Training Drivers

lain and simple: There is no substitute for rigorous, practical, hands-on training. The concepts, strategies,skills, principles and techniques presented in this course are not assimilated by sitting in your chair.

Training increases personal proficiency and efficiency. This results in a reduction of exposure windows andmaximizes the continuity of pressure perceived by the opponent. Properly applied pressure will cause the lessbalanced adversary to overextend, recoil or fail to act properly. They will falter somewhere in the OODA Cycle; wewant to be there to exploit the mistake. Bottom line: You are training to see and act upon the situation fasterthan your opponents.

A reasonable percentage of training should be conducted "in context". The more elements of the actualsituation/attack that are present, the more you can be assured of future success in these environments.

Training should "zoom" in and out from macro to micro. You should zoom in by breaking every activity down toits smallest possible unit, a frame by frame approach.

Become a student of time and motion. Analyze all activities with a view to eliminating undesirable movements,while purging unwanted mental and emotional burdens. Then zoom back out in your mind and training to get aGod's eye view. This can be easily facilitated by constant, intelligent use of videotape reviews to look objectivelyat yourself "out of the moment". The harsh lens of the camera does not know anything but to record and reveal.Oftentimes by freeze framing a particular moment in time and simply asking yourself, "What is wrong with thispicture", startling revelations will materialize.

True self-awareness can be achieved by objective self-analysis. Self-analysis by yourself is not as profitable asallowing yourself to be exposed to the scrutiny and criticisms of trusted training partners. They see strengthsand weaknesses without the filters of self-pride, personal bias and ego. The objective of proper and constantself-analysis is not for selfish, self-gratification, but the contrary. The objective is to actually achieve a highlevel of competency and skill to meet the prime directive of defending those whom we love, are sworn to protectand have been given charge over. This is actually a continual process of laying down one's personal desire to live and survive in all circumstances.

The difference between an individual whose prime directive is self-defense and an individual whose primedirective is to protect the group or the non-warrior class is enormous and volumes can be written on this alone.

“The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to

excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”Vincent T. Lombardi

P


Your Future may be Determined by Your Training Right Now!Invest your Time and Effort Wisely...

"As human beings, instincts are not always the highest level of response to dangerous stimuli. Despitethe constant decree of many, we don't always train to reinforce our instincts; we often train to controland overcome these powerful core inclinations.

It is not "natural" to step into the dark abyss of potential death; it is done through sheer force of will andspirit. Nor is it "natural" to step into harm’s way jeopardizing your own safety even to the point of losingyour life. Yet many have done exactly that to serve a greater cause. They have inspired us to abandonthe easy road.

Step outside of yourself and realize that it is not the obvious visible opponents you need to be mostconcerned about. It is our deeper inner fears, our pride and our selfishness that should be confrontedand subdued. These things are the unseen, ever present demons that need to be vanquished again andagain to become a true professional at arms.

When you boil it all down, fear in many ways is a lack of faith.

You must learn to trust those that have gone before you even if you cannot see ahead.

Training is the process by which individual self-doubt, apprehension, confusion is replaced withknowledge, understanding and confidence. In order to press on to greater heights, you must have faith inwhat is available in an ordered universe: Cause/Effect, Action/Reaction, Gravity, Energy Transfer, etc.You observe this order and learn to harness it when pressed to the point of severe injury or death.

Your training should be seasoned with a true commitment to your profession, to your partner, to yourteammates and to those you have chosen to serve. They all need someone who will rise to the taskwhen summoned.

A call to search our true motivations is in order.

Without a total commitment, any technique, tactic, operation or set of equipment is not properlysupported and is ultimately compromised to one degree or another.

Train as if your life and the life of others depended on it….because it does.”

- Ken J. Good


"One of the biggest reasons for failure in the field of battle is not knowing what to do next . . .this is the result of not having been trained thoroughly in what to expect on the battlefield."General Orlando Ward, 1954

Why Force on Force?Force-on-Force (FoF) training is an awesome opportunity for you to practically test and question “Authority”.Over the years, many, many individuals and teams would respond to the obvious inconsistencies,ineffectiveness, and inefficiencies in their strategies, adopted methodologies and equipment with somethingalong the line of:

“I was taught by So-and-So, and he stated X, Y, Z, therefore I object to what now must be changed...”“The Department said...”“Statistically Speaking...”“Well...you can do that...”

FoF training should not just be used to reinforce what you already know. It should be a time of seriousintrospection about what actually occurred from a fact-based perspective.

FoF drilling should allow you learn to integrate the separate components of function; Mental Conditioning/Mind-Set, Physical Conditioning & Task Specific Biomechanical Skills, Selected Equipment, and finally Tactical Prowess/Decision-Making in the Dynamic.


Integration of:


As human beings we naturally seek pleasure, and avoid pain

Activation of SNS during combat is also frequently referred to as the "Fight or Flight Syndrome"

in which a variety of mental and physical reactions manifest themselves.

Well-developed Force-on-Force training creates a reasonable facsimile ofcombat. Reactions are tested, stress is produced; specifically stress inducedby fear of pain.

Without this fear and reception of pain, you no longer have training that is“pinging” on this vital human defense mechanism. Participants need tounderstand and appreciate this at the fundamental level.

“No Pain - No Gain”, in the sense that you are obtaining the optimal benefitsand conditioning from this type of training session.

Constant activation of the Sympathetic Nervous System is key to developing the orientation or “inoculation” to overreaction from asimilar type of stimulus.

With good Force-on-Force training you are receiving the proper visual and auditory cues (body language, verbiage, movement offriendly forces, environmental factors) to start an engagement (entering the OODA Cycle).

The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) is activated by FEAR OF:Death - Serious Bodily Harm - Pain

“Nothing makes a man more aware of his capabilities and of his limitations than those moments when he must push aside all the familiar defenses of ego and

vanity, and accept reality by staring, with the fear that is normal to a man in combat, into the face of Death.”

Major Robert S. Johnson, USAF

Activation of theSympathetic Nervous System

Good FoF Training Validates -or Invalidates:- Tactics and Types of Training- Departmental Policy- Equipment Selection

- Practical Understanding of the Use of Force

Improper FoF Training can Injure in 1 of 3 ways:(Siminuiti ons F/X Supervisors Course)

- Physically- Mentally

- Legally


There have always been technicians, pure strategists, natural talents, and bruteforce fighters. There are a small few that have a powerful and deadlycombination of all the aforementioned capabilities.

I have been fortunate to be in an extremely unique situation for over 20 years. I have been directly involved in small arms and small unit tactics in the U.S.Military (NAVSPECWAR), Federal Civil Service, personal businesses and the formerDirector of SureFire LLC’s tactical training division. In these capacities, I havehad several Master Class IPSC shooters, several well-known professionalcompetitive shooters, factory sponsored competitive shooters, snipers, 3-gunchampions, LE officers (with multiple gunfights under their belt) and militarycombat veterans, participate in interactive force-on-force simulations under mywatch. I have seen a wide array of techniques and practices, to say the least, allattempted under the umbrella of stress created by the facsimile of combat.

I have also seen 12-year old kids, inexperienced shooters, average looking guysand gals shoot the "lights out" of these legitimate professionals during theseinteractive drills and scenarios. The most powerful message I have received onmy journey is I do not want to be in a gunfight with anybody, and I do meananybody. The paradox to this is that I am fully committed to improving myperformance and knowledge at the profession of arms.

There is so much emphasis on technique because good simulation (sparring) ishard to facilitate. Shooting technique in isolation, in my not so humble opinion, isthe ability to be a consistent lever puller while the weapon and/or you are inmotion. It is a martial arts kata. I have never seen an actual fight look like katathough.

Being in the right place at the right time with the right mind-set based on properobservation, orientation and efficient decision making processes is the majorityof the fight. Then and only then is it time to stand up and deliver with excellenttechnique. I have seen that far-away look in many, many people who just gotcrunched in aninteractive fight wondering why “Joe Average” just shot themmultiple times.

Seeing the weapon and firing a weapon while on a target is one set of timings,rhythms and dimensionality. Seeing a weapon and firing a weapon on a targetthat is elusive, hiding, attacking, armed & shooting back, reacting to yourmovements, is an all-together different matter. An environment with multipleadversaries becomes even more interesting.

Someone much greater than I stated, “Speed is not the true way of strategy”. Moving in harmony, fully appreciating what is actually happening is MUCH MORE important than any particular shooting stance ortechnique people so desperately advocate.

As Bruce Lee said in his movie Enter the Dragon - “Boards don't hit back!” (I am sorry, I love that line!)

Does technique matter? Of course it does. If you do not have technicalproficiency to carry out your will (in this case placing rounds on your intendedtarget in a reasonable time frame), then you lack confidence. Lack of confidencedraws away valuable mental resources needed to prevail in the fight. Whenopportunity does knock, you’d better capitalize…you may not get a secondchance!

Practice as if you will be in a gunfight at anytime. You can tip the percentagessignificantly in your favor, but you cannot get to 100%. Anything short of 100%just ain't good enough. So, those boasting from the mountain top loudly, will fallback into the valley with the rest of us sooner or later.

In any study of human movement or physical activity, early participants in anygiven activity must by necessity focus on technique. In order to progress, theymust focus on individual components of the sequences associated with anygiven new activity/technique. We must be able to do something precisely andcorrectly at slow speeds, before ever hoping to achieve good, effectivemovement at speed.

One cannot be free to fight or remain anywhere near a calm state of mind if thereare no reliable techniques to call upon when the timing is right. But oncetechniques are actually inculcated into the human operating system, the slowerconscious mind is no longer required to sequentially plod forward.

You are now on auto-pilot so-to-speak. The sub-conscious mind, which is muchmore powerful in terms of multi-tasking, quickly searches and finds theappropriate solution. You become much more formidable.

The only way to reliably insure that solution X is the right one is to havepreviously gone through the various possibilities. It is a process of eliminating orconfirming that solution X is the best one.

No lingering doubts remain in the back of your mind. This is clearly not just atechnical process but a deeply analytical and intuitive one based on a realunderstanding of what is actually happening in the moment.

If there is no previous reference point, then the mind searches and searches fora solution that is found in a vast array of possibilities creating the disorientationthat many suffer from in the heat of combat, despite demonstrated technicalproficiency in a calmer world. Self-doubt breeds inaction and or inappropriateaction. Inaction brings forth injury or death.

If all situations were simply shoot on sight, the problem would be greatlysimplified. Since this is usually not the case, any training absent dynamicdecision-making will not get you “there” from here. “There” being as far down thetrack as possible as quickly as possible. You never really arrive.

Experience comes in one of two basic ways; surviving and learning from realworld experience or from carefully crafted training that closely resembles thetype of encounters one expects to face. This is why the U.S. Air Force spendsenormous sums of money on the development and deployment of high fidelityflight simulators. With these systems, the pilots can face and experiment withthe timings, rhythms and angles of potential adversaries in a way that the mindcan substitute for reality. It becomes an experience that is valid in the future.

The same can be said for FOF now that we can effectively deploy this type oftraining methodology. Using this methodology correctly, you will gain“experience”. FOF gives the experience and experimentation time you need to befully convinced in your own mind that this or that is the way to go. I can virtuallyguarantee it will change what you emphasize during your live-fire range sessions.

Test and Evaluate Principles and Techniques


“On average, acuity peaks at about age 15, and declines steadily thereafter, reaching about 1/3 peak value atage 80. The most critical condition is at night. In general, acuity and other visual functions decline as thelevel of illumination decreases. However, the effects are more marked in the elderly...It has been known forsome time that the minimum level of illumination to which the eye can adapt, as well as the time to adaptfrom one level to another, increases with age...older subjects were able to read highway signs at only abouttwo-thirds the distance of the younger subjects at night.....Older persons tend do less well than youngerpersons on visual tasks at low levels of illumination.”

SAE Technical Paper Series 870600Visibility Problems in Nighttime Driving

By Paul L. OlsonUniversity of Michigan - Transportation Research Institute

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”Proverbs 29:18

Degradation of Human Sight


Age can bring several negative changes to the structure of your eye. Among them, yellowing, loss of elasticity,reduction of maximum opening of the iris, loss of responsiveness and loss of adaptation range. These realchanges demand that the overall light levels be increased to see clearly what you used see at a younger age. Take all this into consideration in order to distinguish objects, detect threats and make good decisions.


Every sense in the human body relies on receptor cellsto receive information. The information is received andthen sent to the brain for decoding. For vision, thereceptor cells are classified into two categories.

These are rods and cones. These names derive from theshape of the cells. Rods and cones are both located inthe retina (which is the back of the eye). Rods andcones have different purposes which will be discussedlater.

The amount of a certain type of receptor cell isdependent upon location. In the area called the fovea,there is a high concentration of cones, whereas rods aremost densely located about 20-30 degrees away fromthe fovea. Both rods and cones are then attached toaxons that make up the optic nerve, and this is howtheir signals are sent to the brain.

Cones are most important for perceiving color andsharpness in objects. They lead to one having greatacuity, which means that a human can see objects withmuch more detail. This is because few cones areattached to each neuron in the optic nerve. The mainproblem with this is that in dim light, cones do not helpone perceive very well.

There are three main types of cones. Each one isspecialized for perceiving different wavelengths of light,thus they are rightfully named red cones, blue cones andgreen cones. Cones tend to be grouped together inhexagonal patterns.

Rods, on the other hand, are specialized for perceiving indim light. They can only perceive in black and white andshades of gray. Rods tend to be attached in largergroups to each neuron in the optic nerve, thus theseneurons take in more information from one area. Becauseof this, rods are more specialized for sight in dim lightbut tend to show images with blurred edges. Rods arelocated around the hexagonal groups of cones.

Rods convey the ability to see at night, under conditionsof very dim illumination. Animals with high densities ofrods tend to be nocturnal, whereas those with mainlycones tend to be diurnal.

In 1905, Einstein proposed that light propagated only indiscrete irreducible packets or quanta. Rods are sosensitive that they actually detect single quanta of light,much as do the most sensitive of physical instruments.

In 1942, Selig Hecht argued that human rods must becapable of detecting individual light quanta because lightflashes so dim that only 1 in 100 rods were likely toabsorb a quantum.

A century after the original discovery of the photoelectriceffect it has become possible to record directly theminute electrical voltages in rods induced by absorptionof individual light quanta.

Rod sensitivity appears to be bought at a price, however,since rods are much slower to respond to lightstimulation than cones. This is one reason why sportingevents, such as baseball, becomeprogressively moredifficult as daylight fails. Both electrical recordings andhuman observations suggest that signals from rods mayarrive as much as 1/10 second later than those fromcones under lighting conditions where both can be simultaneously activated (MacLeod, 1972).

Rods and Cones


Rods and Cones

Because rods and cones have different spectral sensitivities and different absolutesensitivities to light, the visual response is not the same over the retina.

Rods - 130,000,000 Cones - 7,000,000

The human visual system isn't equally sensitive toall wavelengths.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a singlerelative spectral sensitivity (RSS) curve for thehuman visual system for all people!

However, there is an internationally agreed uponcurve (or rather, curves).

Since the human visual system comprises 2 types ofphotoreceptors (cones and rods), which operateunder different lighting conditions, there are usually2 RSS curves; one describes photopic conditions(when light is plentiful) and one describes scotopicconditions (when light is scarce).

As one moves from photopic to scotopic conditions or vice versa, there is also a third curve,called the mesopic condition, which sometimes isdrawn, though this is not accurately known.Mesopic vision applies quite commonly (i.e. underroad lights at night). In daytime (photopic) nearly allphotopigments in the rods are “bleached”. Vision ispredominantly a function of cones. We see colour

and acuity is high (because of foveal vision).

At night (scotopic) vision is determined by rods - we don't see colour and acuity is low.

In effect we have 2 separate retinas.

Night retina rods - no colour low acuity (fovea blind) 10-3 cdm-2 (mesopic) scotopic

Day retina cones - complete colour high acuity photopic (mesopic)

The change from scotopic to photopic is called thePurkinje shift but because these systems cannotoperate simultaneously, there is an adaptation delayin moving from light to dark (slow) or vice versa(fast).

Photopigments

- rods - rhodopsin cones - erythrolabe (red) -chlorolable (green) - cyanolabe (blue)

When light is absorbed, pigment breaks down, energyis released, and the nerve impulse is interpreted aslight.

References:http://webvision.med.utah.eduhttp://ergo.human.cornell.edu www.nightreaper.com


Cones adapt more rapidly than rods. Cones regain completesensitivity in 10 to 12 minutes.

Rods regain complete sensitivity in 30 to 60 minutes.

One can look into a flashlight in the daytime without beingdazzled. This is because the retina adapts to changes inprevailing lighting conditions, not so at night.

Dark adaptation Moving from light into dark, slow adaptation occurs.

May be temporarily blind but gradually recover some vision.

25 minutes - 80% adaptation60 minutes - 100% adaptation

Light adaptation - moving from dark to light. This occursfaster in two phases.

“a” adaptation0.05s - sensitivity of whole retina is decreased to one-half original sensitivity.

“b” adaptationslower adaptation leads to increased sensitivity (recovery)such as walking out into bright sunlight.

When there is bright light in any part of the visual field, theoverall sensitivity of the retina is decreased.

Therefore it is not a good idea to put a VDU screen against abright background like a window.

Partial adaptationAdaptation of one eye has some effect on the othereye, such as walking out into bright sunlight andclosing one eye. This leads to decreasedsensitivity of the retina in the other eye.

In the dark, closing one eye decreases dazzle from car headlights and the closed eyeretains a greater level of dark adaptation.

There is a time lag in the photochemical processes of the retina, therefore the timeavailable for viewing is important.

When objects are briefly viewed we need brightlight for identification. When lots of time isavailable even small details can be seen.

Visibility


ContrastRelationship between the luminance of an object and the luminance of the background. These luminances can be affected bylocation of light sources and room reflectances(glare problems).

SizeThe larger an object, the easier it is to see. But, itis actually the size of the image on the retina, notthe size of the object, per se, that is important.

Therefore, we bring smaller objects closer to theeye to see details.

TimeThere is a time lag in the photochemicalprocessesof the retina, therefore the time available forviewing is important.

When objects are briefly viewed we need brightlight, when lots of time is available even smalldetails can be seen.

Luminance Proportion of incident light reflected into the eye. Illuminance levels affect theluminance of the task.

ColorNot really a factor by itself, but related to bothcontrast and luminance factors.

BlurIf the eye cannot focus the image on the retina,there is blur. Blur can also be a consequence of:

Uncorrected refractive errors - eyes can't focus image

Myopia (short-sightedness) - far objects focus in front ofretina

Hyperopia (long-sightedness) - far objects focus behind retina

Astigmatism - points don't focus at any part of image plane,resulting in multiple foci

Presbyopia - near objects focus behind retina (long-sightedness/old age) caused by decreasingaccommodation ability

Aging - in addition to decreased transmission:

· decreased ability to focus on close objects · decreased ability to adapt to dark and light · decreased sensitivity of retina, especially at low luminances · increased scattering of light within eye · narrowing of the spectral (color) range of sensitivity due to yellowing of the lens

The eye's ability to focus peaks at about age 10. It begins to decline while you’re in your mid to late 20's.

The eye's field of view, or effective breadth of vision, begins to narrow in the late 30's.

Every 13 years the amount of light a person requires to see an object in low-light conditions doubles.

This means at 45 you need 4 times as much light to see as well as you did at 19. As you get older, the disparity increases.

Visibility


Sight is an amazing process made possible by many parts of the eyeworking together. Light enters the eye and is bent or refracted by thecornea through the pupil (the opening in the iris). This light passesthrough the lens (located behind the pupil). This completes refraction byfine tuning the focused light onto the retina.

The retina changes the light (energy) into electric impulses that arecarried through the optic nerve to the vision center (occipital cortex) ofthe brain where the image is interpreted. A summary of the eye's structures and their functions follows:

CorneaThe cornea is the “window” of the eye (like a watch crystal). It is theclear part of the eye, through which the colored part of the eye is seen. It is the main source of refraction. The cornea is made upof five layers of strong clear tissue.

The first layer (epithelium) is made up of rapidly-replaced cells that allow for fast healing (24 to 48 hrs) of surface injuries. Thelast four layers add rigidity, provide a barrier against infection, and keep the cornea clear.

ScleraThe outer “white part” of an eye is the sclera. This tough structure is the outer wall of the eye that gives protection to thedelicate inner structures.

ChoroidThis structure, between the sclera and the retina, is made up of blood vessels that provide nourishment to the eye.

IrisThis colored part of the eye has very fine muscles to control the size of the pupil. The iris is the colored portion of the eye. It issimilar to the aperture of a camera. The iris regulates the amount of light entering the eye.

PupilThe pupil is the black-appearing spot in the center of the iris. Its size changes since its function is to control the amount of lightreaching the retina. In the dark, it expands allowing more light to enter. It contracts in bright light to keep out excess light.LensThis controls 1/3 of the refraction of light that enters the eye (the cornea, the other 2/3). Located just behind the pupil it allowsfor changing of focus from distance to near objects by altering its shape. This changing focus is called accommodation. As aperson ages the lens hardens and accommodation becomes more difficult.

Physiology of the Eye


ZonulesThese “threads” attach the lens to the ciliary muscle and help the lens to change its curvature during accommodation.Ciliary BodyThis contains two main structures. The first is a muscle that contracts and expands to control the curvature of the lensduring accommodation. The second is a gland that secretes aqueous humor.

Aqueous HumorThis fluid is produced by the ciliary body and circulates in the front part of the eye. It provides nourishment to the front parts of the eye and maintains the eye pressure.

RetinaThis membrane lines the inside wall of the eye. It contains photoreceptors (rods and cones)that change light into sight byconverting light into electrical impulses. These electrical messages are sent from the retina to the brain and interpreted asimages.

MaculaThis tiny part of the retina is the central focusing spot. It is responsible for seeing details (such as reading) and also for colorvision.

Optic NerveThis nerve is the pathway that the light rays take from the retina to the processing center of the brain. It actually is made ofabout a million tiny nerves bundled together.

Optic DiscThis area is not sensitive to light and it is often referred to as the “blind spot”. It is where the retina meets the optic nerve.

Vitreous GelThis clear gel fills the central core of the eye. It helps to maintain a spherical shape to the eye.

Physiology of the Eye


Hick's Law (performance phenomena) Decision time is proportional to the log of the number of alternatives:

(1) H = log2(n + 1)

(2) H = S pi(1/pi + 1)

H = the information-theoretic entropy of a decision. n = the number of equally probable alternatives. pi = the probability of alternative i for n alternatives of unequal probability.

The time it takes to make a decision is roughly proportional to H, the entropy of the decision (the log of the number of alternatives), i.e. T = k H, where k ~ 150 msec.

This can be used to make a time estimate for how long people will take to make a decision in using a user interface, such as choosing a menu item, choosing a tool, or selecting an item on a navigation bar. Cognitive modelingapproaches such as GOMS apply this to making predictions of human performance.

Situational Awareness: The ability to collect, collate, and store data in a fluid, dynamic and stressful environment, thenretrieve that data and accurately predict future events based on that data in a compressed time frame.

Situational Awareness requires the human operator to quickly detect, integrate and interpret data gathered from the environment. In many real-world conditions, Situational Awareness is hampered by two factors. First, thedata may be spread throughout the visual field. Secondly, the data is frequently noisy. Operators can then be limited byattention, memory and ability to combine data seen in the same or different formats.

Factors that reduce Situational Awareness· Insufficient Communication · Fatigue / Stress · Task Overload · Task Underload · Group Mindset · “Press on Regardless” Philosophy · Degraded Operating Conditions

The Following definitinos originally obtained from: http://www.soluxtli.com

Useful Definitions


Light Source Color Temperature in Degrees Kelvin (K)

- Clear blue sky (without direct sun) ------ 12,000 K- Overcast sky ------ 6,500-8,000 K- Sunlight (middle of the day) ------ 4,700-5,700 K- Metal Halide ------ 4,500 K - Halogen ------ 3,000 K- House Lamp ------ 2,500 K- Candle Flame ------ 1,500 K

Color Rendering Index (CRI) - A measure of how well a light sourcerenders color as compared to daylight. Can only be used to comparelight sources with the same color temperatures. A CRI of 100 wouldindicate the light renders the same as daylight at the same colortemperature. A CRI in the upper 90s is considered the bestassurance that the light source will render all colors properly.

Though it has its limitations, the CRI is the only internationally recognized color rendering measurement. Colorists developed thissystem which is made up of eight values based on selected colors that are calculated and averaged to determine the compositescore. One potential problem with CRI is that the light being tested might render most of the colors from the set of eight very welland render a few poorly. The spotty color performance of the bulb is then hidden because of the averaging over all the colors.Technically, the reference light source to calculate a CRI is based on a blackbody for color temperatures under 5000 K, whiletemperatures above that are compared to daylight.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------ColorView LightBooth - Device on the market for observing metamerism. ColorView technology provides a filtered tungsten halogenstandardized light source with the unique feature of being quickly and easily recalibrated and provides a continuous range of colortemperatures from 2856K to 6500K. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Daylight - The term describing the combination of direct sunlight and skylight. Considered the best light for optimal color rendering. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dielectric Coatings - Microscopic layers of clear materials which alter the transmission and reflection of light through clear glass. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Electromagnetic Spectrum - Refers to the orderly arrangement of radiant energy by wavelength or frequency. This spectrum ofenergy of electric and magnetic waves has an enormous range that include cosmic rays, x-rays, illumination, radar, television andpower transmission waves. In the visible light spectrum, the eye is sensitive to radiant energy between 380 nanometers (violet) and 780 nanometers (red). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Foot-candles - Measurement of light output in candela per square foot. It derives from the early English unit of foot-candle definedas the illuminance on a surface placed one foot from the standard candle. 100 foot-candles is generally considered enough lightto perform most tasks. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Glare - The visual discomfort caused by excessive brightness; can be direct or indirect (reflected).


The Following definitinos originally obtained from: http://www.soluxtli.com

Mean Spherical Candlepower - MSCP (or CP candlepower for short) is the total light output of a lamp in all directions.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Lumens = MSCP x 4. 1 MSCP=12.57 Lumens-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Foot Candles - Total light output of a lamp when the light is compressed by a lens or reflector. Foot candles is a “directional specific” light measurement.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Filament Temperature - The operating temperature of the filament measured in degrees kelvin.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Wattage - The amount of electrical power of a lamp. Volts x Amps = Watts -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Beamspread - Refers to the divergence angle of the light exiting the lamp. The smaller the number, the tighter andbrighter the beam. Understanding the beamspread helps to select the right bulb to get the amount of coverage you need.For more information, see illuminance and inverse square law. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Bulb - Bulb refers to the manufactured unit that produces light. The term lamp is often used in the lighting industry torefer to the whole unit, while the term bulb refers specifically to the portion that gives the unit its shape. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Candle Power (Candelas) - Used by lighting designers to calculate the foot-candles illuminating a surface (CP/distance infeet squared) or Lux illuminating a surface (CP/distance in meters squared).--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) - A measure of the apparent color of a light source. You will see different lightsources described by color temperature as measured in degrees Kelvin. Lower color temperatures have “warmer” colorsand higher color temperatures have “cooler” colors.

The color temperature of daylight can change throughout the day. Not to be confused with color rendering as they are notassociated with each other. 2800K-3200K considered “warm” 4100K-4900K considered “white” and 5000+ “cool”.Comes from heating a blackbody (think of a piece of coal) up to a certain temperature, as the coal gets hotter and hotterit changes from orange (i.e. 2300K) to yellow (3000K) to white (4700K) to blue (5000K) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Color Temperature - The concept of color temperature is a fairly simple one. Think of a nail that is being heated up. Asthe temperature of the nail increases, the first color of light that the nail emits when heated is a deep red. As moreenergy is added to the nail, the color of light goes from red, to orange, to yellow, then to white and finally to a bluish color.Correlating the temperature of the nail with the color of light observed gives a way of assigning a number to the color oflight observed. Note: color temperature does NOT depend on the intensity of light, just the color of the light. Correlated colortemperature is when you are visually comparing the color of light from a light source that is not a blackbody (without asmooth SPD) to the visual color of a blackbody. A blackbody is the theoretical construct (described above as a nail) thatemits light ideally.


Illuminance - The concentration of light falling on a surface. Defined as the luminous flux that is incident from all directionsonto a square meter or Ev = incident luminous flux/surface area receiving it. It is usually measured in lux. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Infrared Radiation (IR) - “Infra” meaning frequencies below those of red light. Essentially, any radiant energy. These are longerwavelengths than the visible spectrum. The energy is sensed as heat. Associated with sunburns and heat. Lower energy,long wavelength energy situated at the red end of the visible light spectrum. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Inverse Square Law - Formula stating that illuminance varies inversely with the square of the distance from a point lightsource. E = 1/r2 Where E is illuminance and r is the distance. It means that when you double the distance from a pointsource of light (like our bulbs) the intensity falls off by a factor of four. If you triple the distance, the intensity falls by afactor of nine. You square the distance. This is helpful in understanding how much the intensity drops off as you mount alight source further away from the object you want to illuminate. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Light Output (intensity) - Also thought of as brightness. This is measured in candelas also called candlepower units. Thefarther away the light source is from what you are lighting the less intense the light output. Also the higher the wattage ofbulb the greater the light output. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Lumen - Measurement of a quantity of light as perceived by the human eye. As a light source's color temperature increases,less light is required to achieve comparable brightness and visual acuity. This is the international unit to describe thequantity of light (also called luminous flux). --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Lux - Measurement of light output in candelas per square meter. One lumen per square. 10 lux is generally considered enough light to perform most tasks. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Metamerism - The effect created when objects having different spectral distributions look alike under one light source butappear different when viewed with a dissimilar light source. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Spectral Power Distribution (SPD) - The relative power emitted by a light source as a function of wavelength, usually shown ingraphical format. SPD graphs provide an easy visual profile of the color characteristics of a light source. Lights that haverelatively even representation across the color spectrum such as daylight and SoLux have the best color-renderingcapabilities. Lights with marked uneveness and spikes will not provide good color rendering. See the SPD of each SoLux bulb. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Tungsten Halogen - Term used to describe an incandescent lamp or bulb that offers a substantially increased life compared toa standard incandescent.. Also described as quartz-tungsten-halogen. Source in which an electrical current passes through afilament and uses an inert gas to recycle fragments of burnt off tungsten back to filament. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ultraviolet Radiation (UV) - “Ultra” meaning frequencies above those of violet light. These are associated with suntans and fading of pigments and dyes. The 3500K and 4100K, the most common choices forart have ultra low UV values. High energy short wavelengths before the blue end of the visible light spectrum. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Voltage - Electric potential expressed in volts or power/current. Most American households have electric outlets that have avoltage of 110 or 120 volts. When using low voltage fixtures and bulbs (usually 12 volts) the current has to go through atransformer to reduce the voltage. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Watt - The unit of power or how fast energy is expended over time or power. One watt is equal to one joule/second of time. A joule = 1 kilogram x meters2 / seconds2 .


Appendix

Perspective of the OODA Cycle - By Ken J. Good

I first became familiar with John Boyd in the early 1990's through a small booklet put out by General Grey, thenCommandant of the USMC - FMFM-1 Warfighting.

As I read, I noted a small footnote pointing to a cycle articulated by an Air Force pilot of all things. I immediately thought that was a bit out of the ordinary.

An Air Force pilot forming any of the frameworks for a USMC publication?!

As I first beheld the OODA Cycle, I remember nearly leaping out of my chair.

"This is IT!", I screamed in my mind. I distinctly remember spending the next hour or so recalling hundreds of"mock" gunfights that had taken place on our training platform. We regularly had 36students protecting their ship against us, the OPFOR (the terrorists). During these rigorous force-on-forcesessions that lasted 3-days, it was not uncommon for us to go through 15,000 rounds of projectiles. Untoldnumbers of "fights" had occurred during the years.

Every single one of them conformed to this simple, powerful model.

I then recalled martial arts tournaments, street confrontations, and real world operational experiences during mytime with Naval Special Warfare at SEAL Team One…..

THEY ALL CONFORMED TO THE MODEL!!!

Boyd had synthesized the entire construct of battle and confrontation into a model that epitomized the beauty ofsimplicity!

I often use the analogy of a diamond to describe the cycle. You think you know its depth of magnificence untilyou turn the diamond a bit in a different light…

I hope you come to appreciate the cycle and it's absolute relevance to the Use of Force.

The OODA Cycle can be an extremely useful tool to help you analyze your personal performance in your demandingenvironment.

The OODA Cycle can also assist you in explaining to others (think jury) what took place in a relatively briefmoment of time. All the events and decisions that lead to actions can be arranged in a clear, concise, sequentialmanner so that the laymen can understand what you go through during the wide varieties of confrontations youface.


Preface - by Sid Heal, Los Angeles Sheriff's Department - Used by Permission

Because all tactical operations are dynamic, they are also time sensitive. Decisions and actions that are delayed are often rendered ineffectivebecause of the constantly changing circumstances. When an adversary is involved, the operation is not only time sensitive, but also timecompetitive. Time or opportunity neglected by one adversary can be exploited by the other. Recognizing the importance of this characteristic,Napoleon said, “It may be that in the future I may lose a battle, but I shall never lose a minute.”

A useful tool for understanding the importance of this concept is the OODA Loop. The OODA Loop, often called Boyd's Cycle, is a creation of Col. John Boyd, USAF (Ret.). Col. Boyd was a student of tactical operations and observed a similarity in many battles andcampaigns. He noted that in many of the engagements, one side presented the other with a series of unexpected and threatening situations withwhich they had not been able to keep pace. The slower side was eventually defeated. What Col. Boyd observed was the fact that conflicts are timecompetitive.

According to Boyd's theory, conflict can be seen as a series of time-competitive, Observation-Orientation-Decision-Action (OODA) cycles. Each partyto a conflict begins by observing themselves, the physical surroundings and the adversary. Next they orient themselves. Orientation refers tomaking a mental image or snapshot of the situation. Orientation is necessary because of the fluid, chaotic nature of conflicts makes it impossibleto process information as fast as we can observe it. This requires a freeze-frame concept and provides a perspective or orientation. Once we havean orientation, we need to make a decision. The decision takes into account all the factors present at the time of the orientation. Last comes theimplementation of the decision. This requires action. One tactical adage states that, “Decisions without actions are pointless. Actions withoutdecisions are reckless.” Then, because we hope that our actions will have changed the situation, the cycle begins anew. The cycle continues torepeat itself throughout a tactical operation.

The adversary who can consistently go through Boyd's Cycle faster than the other gains a tremendous advantage. By the time the slower adversaryreacts, the faster one is doing something different and the action becomes ineffective. With each cycle, the slower party's action is ineffective by alarger and larger margin. The aggregate resolution of these episodes will eventually determine the outcome of the conflict. For example, as long asthe actions of the authorities continue to prove successful, a suspect will remain in a reactive posture, while the commander maintains the freedomto act. No matter that the suspect desperately strives to accomplish, every action becomes less useful than the preceding one. As a result, thesuspect falls farther and farther behind. This demonstrates that the initiative follows the faster adversary.

Got a Second? - Boyd's Cycle - OODA Cycle - Written by Ken J. Good Today's environment of accelerating scientific discoveries and technological change bring ever-improving hardware to the end user. In thisclimate it is easy to overlook and even abandon the core foundation of any weapon system, the interplay and perceptions of the human mindin a combative situation.

A man who understood this better than most was Col. John Boyd, USAF (Ret.). Col. Boyd was tasked with determining why American pilotsin apparently inferior aircraft were consistently outmatching their Korean counterparts. Air to air combat takes place in a 360-degreesphere and represents the pinnacle of the man and machine relationship coupled with the man-on-man dynamic warriors dream about.

Boyd was an extremely accomplished pilot who had a standing bet with all students under his tutelage: $40 - 40 seconds. The student would be allowed to start in a position of advantage and if Col. Boyd could not maneuver his same typeaircraft into a position of advantage within 40 seconds, the student could collect $40. I don't think any ever collected.

Col. Boyd developed and pressed forward a simple, yet deeply profound model now known as the OODA cycle or as it often called, Boyd'sCycle. The cycle of Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act is the essence of combat and present in any human conflict.

Col. Boyd considered and defined the nature of combat in terms of time. All engagements were a competition for time, a preciouscommodity not voluntarily relinquished by either party. Col. Boyd understood the importance and advantages of relentlessly forcing theadversary to deal with a rapid series of events in order to disorient and “get inside” the opponents OODA Cycle.

Once “inside”, time for the insider moves as it should, one event flowing to the next in a predictable pattern, the outcome virtually certain.On the other hand, the “victim” is stuck in time. He has no apparent opportunities to Observe and Orient meaningful events. Decisions andActions are ineffective. He is pulled down and entangled in an unrecoverable death spiral. The laws of the universe somehow seem to havebeen unhinged. Time has somehow stood still as in a bad dream when one cannot run away from a terrible manifestation of the inner mind. In the battle of “mind-space” the goal is simple; get inside and stay there.


Observe, Orient, Decide and Act. O.O.D.A. The acronym is easy to remember. The cycle itself is absolutely crucial to understand if one is regularly in harm’s way.

In order to defeat opponents consistently and effectively, you must sequentially move through the OODA Cycle, whether you are aware of it or not.It is model that can be used to dissect compressed time frames in a logical and sequential manner. All engagements, whether they are air-to-airdogfights or an up close and personal, hand-to-hand confrontation, conform to this simple, powerful, and insightful model.

I have noted that by studying and learning to apply this cycle, one has an effective way to segment, analyze, and improve human performance inconfrontational situations. It is a gemstone to be admired and constantly examined.

Recalibrating the Internal Clock - The first issue is our perception of time itself.

I often illustrate people's perception of the time by walking to the back of theclassroom and then back to the podium while elucidating some tactical point. Whilethe class is still trying to digest the point, I then ask several students, “How long didit take me to walk to the back of the room and return to the podium?” Typically I geta few turned faces, questioning looks and frowns. They are non-verbally asking me,what difference does it make how long that took?

The answers I do receive will typically range from 2 seconds to 10 seconds, asubstantial variance. Some will argue that I did not give them any preparation toready their internal stopwatch. But this misses the point. No one in a rapidlydeveloping engagement is going to stop and remind you to calibrate your chronograph.The point is, using recall alone, the same event witnessed by trained observers isperceived to have taken place in different universes where physical reality moves atdifferent speeds.

The other interesting thing to note is that I will never get an answer like 3.345 seconds.

Why is this so? True, sometimes I get an answer of 3½ seconds, but that's as fine a gradient ever expressed. Our everyday existence does not require a division of time any closer than seconds for most events, in terms of verbal articulation. But in theworld of close quarter engagements, using only full seconds to measure time is like using a sledgehammer to fine cut a diamond.

Tremendous and significant changes can happen in one second. A proficient adversary can fire three rounds out of a semi-auto shotgun whilepassing by an open doorway, horizontally and vertically changing position in relation to you in under a second.

To further illustrate the calibration point in the classroom, I ask someone to stand up and I give this volunteer a “red gun”, an inoperative hardplastic replica handgun. I tell them to put it in their waistband, and I do the same. I tell them that they are now part of a futuristic new gameshow that pits one man against the other in a six-foot gunfight. The participants face each other, winner to receive one million dollars. Both arewearing metallic braces on their wrists and ankles that are held in place by a strong magnetic field. Both will actually be using real, perfectlyfunctioning firearms. When the green light is observed, you will be free to access your firearm and dispatch your opponent as required.

Now I throw a twist into the scenario. I tell the student, that he was smarter and more cunning than I and he offered ½ his winnings to theoperator of the magnetic field, if he would release his magnets 1 second earlier than mine. The operator says no, because one second was tooobvious and the producers would have him executed for this breach of the rules. So the negotiations continue.

How about .9 seconds? How about .8 seconds? How about .4 seconds? How about .2 seconds? The operator finally agrees to release my opponent's magnets .125 seconds prior to mine. At this point in the discussion, I then ask the student,would you take this time advantage if given to you, even if you had to pay $100,000 for it? The answer is inevitably, in the affirmative! Any saneperson would take any and all time given in a gunfight, no matter how small the increment.

We zoom back out. How important is time? How important is learning to perceive time? How important is it to re-calibrate our internal chronographs? How does one get better and more efficient at anything? www.nightreaper.com


A familiar shooting drill that many trainers use to roughly gauge a shooter's proficiency is the “El Presidente”.

The shooter starts out with their back facing to the target with a loaded and holstered handgun. At the sound of the buzzer the shooter spins toface 3 targets, 10 yards away, equally spaced 1 yard apart. The shooter is required to fire 2 rounds into each of the targets, reload, and fire 6more rounds, 2 in each target, attempting to hit the “A” zone of a standard IPSC target.

When you ask a new shooter to perform this drill you are not even looking for a time hack, but are more concerned about weapons handling andoverall safety during the entire process. If the shooter completes the drill safely under 15 seconds, everybody is happy.

Give that same shooter some solid instruction and a few hundred rounds of practice and he or she should be hovering around 10 secondsconsistently.

How does one go from 10 seconds to low 4-second runs? What should be examined is not how fast the shooter is shooting. But one shouldexamine closely by what process did this shooter eliminate so much unnecessary motion and negative mental distractions in order to repeat thisperformance consistently.

For the remainder of this discussion, let's assume that we are talking about split seconds of time to move through the OODA Cycle. Let's enterinto the matrix.

Observe - The Starting Blocks - The First QuarterThis has to be your highest priority, find the threat before he or she finds you. An insight on the obvious you say! There is more than meets theproverbial eye!

Evaluating the modern battlefield, one should note that an enormous amount of effort and resources have been dedicated to “seeing” or observingthe battlefield in real time. The investment in these resources has paid off handsomely during recent conflicts. The U.S. military exploits atremendous satellite network, flies high altitude reconnaissance missions, deploys airborne and ground based radar systems, runs patroloperations and gathers real-time intelligence from a variety of sources, all in an effort to gain an overwhelming advantage as hostilities unfold.

At this point in our military development, if we can see it, we can destroy it.

If you place yourself in the cockpit of a modern fighter jet, your prime directive is to find your opponent first and deploy your weaponry in a firingenvelope advantageous to you before your opponent even knows you are there, just as it was when aerial combat first unfolded.

It is no different in a close quarter battle situation using handheld or shoulder-fired weapons. You must first find the threat through your main“radar system”, your eyes, then deploy your weaponry in a firing envelope advantageous to you before your opponent even knows you are there.

Zooming back in, let's examine some areas that can cause a degradation of our “on board radar system”.

Placement of the Weapon Under the duress of searching for armed threats, we have noted that even very experiencedoperators have a strong tendency to place the weapon in the visual cone before they havelocated the position of the threat. More often than not, their finger is on the trigger, a well-known unsafe practice. Once in this position, the weapon, arms, and hands are now blockingout vital visual information.

This would be exactly like a fighter pilot placing a 3” by 5” note card over part of their radardisplay and putting their finger on the missile release button, all the time believing they aresomehow more ready to defeat their unseen opponent(s).

Body, Head, and Eye Movements Overall body movement, coupled with head articulation, rapid eye movements, as well as constant focal plane changes, allows for an almostinfinite number of possibilities for employment of your main sensor system, your vision. It can be too much, in terms of systematically observingyour environment.


This freedom can lead to large “gaps” for potential threats to move through, unopposed. You must understand this and deal with it throughproper training. An easy way to visualize this is to imagine watching a home video a friend filmed. You sit down and have an expectationthat you are going to receive good visual information.

As the videotape is played you soon become agitated because the camera operator was inexperienced and out of control. The recordedimages are jumping and jerking all over the television monitor. Important details of the dynamic situation are lost and undistinguishable.Lots of good intent, energy, and activity, but unfortunately the most important aspects of the event go unseen.

This video camera example illustrates the body, head, and eyes moving without intelligence and efficiency. To make matters worse, theindividual who was operating the camera was using the zoom feature (in and out) with completely random patterns. This illustrates anindividual improperly setting the focal length of his or her eyes while searching for an unseen threat. I have noted that individuals andteams have a strong tendency to tune their “radar” to one distance and angle and leave it there. This is especially true when the firstthreat is located and identified. Tracking one target, and one target only could spell death to a fighter pilot over the battlefield.

Since our visual sensors do not obtain data like phased-array radar, we must constantly change the distance and elevation of our vision, in asystematic manner. One must relegate this cycling of the vision to the sub-conscious mind through proper training and experience.

A famous German Fighter Ace was asked, what is your secret?Answer: “I have an acute awareness for the back of my neck.”

He was also asked what he thought about the P-51 Mustang. He responded, “Three of the four that I shot down today did not even know Iwas in the same sky with them.”

Notice he did not talk about hardware here. He drilled down to the inner man. Our eyes are set in the forward area of the skull, representingan approximate 210 degree field of view. This leaves us with an additional obstacle to overcome, a large area unseen directly behind us.

What is the optimal sequence for establishing the best direction, angle, focal length, body speed, and timings to use the vision properly in atactical environment? This is the art and science of using your vision to properly observe, and where the inner man reigns supreme over theexternal tools deployed in the environment.

This is an area of combat that begins to immediately separate a highly proficient shooting sportsman and a combatant on the modern,urban battlefield or street.

Orient - Establishing Reality - The Second QuarterOnce you have obtained good visual data (ideally before your opponent has) you must orient yourself to the overall situation. You must putthings in proper perspective based on real time input, previous intelligence, and generated assumptions. You are not processing in a linearsequential manner; you are processing in parallel. If you had the opportunity to freeze frame these moments and ask yourself, what data areyou considering at this moment, the list would grow quite long as the subconscious is probed with the conscious mind.

To help illustrate the concept, imagine a personal computer with an outdated central processing unit, a few megabytes of memory, notenough data storage, and a black and white 10” monitor all controlled by an antiquated operating system. Now try and run a sophisticatedsoftware package that requires significant resources. You will be immediately frustrated with the result.

When I was in the military, I had the opportunity to free-fall parachute out of a perfectly good airplane. When I immediately recalled the firstjump experience, it appeared to be a virtual slideshow. Only key images were etched into my mind. I remember checking my altimeternumerous times, verifying the location of my rip-cord (this dates me!), seeing the beauty of an inflated canopy and finding the “T” and thencontact with the ground. The entire event was 5-7 minutes long. After 60-100 jumps the staccato slideshow morphed into a streamingdigital video. Same timeframe, but now my brain did not have to spend precious resources finding a “spot” to burn the information in sinceit was no longer new information, but familiar territory. I could now casually see everyone exit the aircraft and immediately place myself inproper perspective to all jumpers, the aircraft and the ground.


I was spending plenty of time doing relative work with other jumpers, flying my canopy and landing extremely close to the desired target. I was nowable to assimilate huge blocks of visual data effortlessly, as well as recall them with great accuracy and clarity. I was now “oriented” to thissomewhat stressful event.

The brain has an amazing capacity for data storage, recall, and decision-making, provided it has some meaningful reference points. But when we arepresented with a totally new set of circumstances, with no prior reference points, we become disoriented. For example, when is the last time yourbrain had a threat with a loaded firearm swinging in your direction displayed on its internal movie screen?

Hence, the need for realistic training that creates these movies and turns them into valid reference points. High quality training paves a new andmuch needed information access road to a now cached experience. The experience will be real enough to prevent disorientation when actual combatis faced.

Consistent with the personal computer example, you are giving your brain upgrades specific to orientation. A larger cache of stored experiences onthe hard-drive, a faster CPU, memory, and data transfer rate, greater display size, resolution and color. You now have a greater probability of arriving ata sound solution in a shorter period of time.

I have spoken with numerous law-enforcement officers and military personnel following firefights on the street and in combat who have participated ingood force-on-force training prior to the real thing. They were not disoriented, quite the opposite. They clearly articulated the details of theengagement and followed a logical and effective sequence of events during the engagement.

Since all participants in the engagement must move through the OODA Cycle to achieve consistent and repeatable results, you must strive todisorient your opponent. Note I did not say, out shoot, out run, out shout; the prime directive is to disorient your opponent. Once in this state, he orshe should be overcome by events as you move smoothly on to the next phases and around the clock again and again. The opponent's perception oftime becomes distorted, incoming data is dismissed, decisions are irrational, and actions become erratic and ineffective. This is an immenselypowerful and often overlooked tactical tool.

You should have no sense of hurrying or waiting. You should be in harmony with what is actually happening.

Decide - The Pipeline - The Third QuarterPractical decision-making can easily be divided into two basic paths. The subconscious mindwhich can process hundreds of variables simultaneously, in parallel and the conscious mindwhich works in serial or sequentially, handling seven plus or minus two variables beforedisregarding or misinterpreting incoming data.

Any process that must be accomplished in a compressed time frame should be relegated to thepowerful subconscious mind, through training.

Subconscious decisions are decisions arrived upon based on what we perceive, how we orient that perception and the time allowed to make thedecision. If the threat is close and the time frame compressed, we will automatically default to the sub-conscious pipeline. Whatever we brought tothe situation, genetics, personality, training, assumptions, or tools available, will pour out of us without conscious thought or effort.

I frequently use an example based on a real world incident in Southern California. A police officer has pulled over a motorist on the roadway to issue atraffic citation. Starting off, the officer does everything correctly. He finishes his initial assessment and begins to approach the vehicle to makecontact with the driver.


“If you consciously try to thwart opponents, you are already late” - Miyamoto Musashi | Japanese Philosopher/Warrior - 1645

As he makes visual and verbal contact, the driver reaches down between his legs to grab a handgun, with full intention to shoot theofficer. The officer has just entered the OODA Cycle in terms of this particular engagement. The subject has already started cyclingand in some cases is already in the Action phase. As the officer reads the body language, then moments later actually sees thehandgun coming into view (Observation), he begins to orient to the situation. It is not something he witnesses regularly.

During the orientation phase, he concludes that this is really a handgun, this threat is real and imminent and he must decide what todo. As the threat is relatively close and the time frame is compressed, the sub-conscious immediately dominates the decision phaseand the officer is now on auto-pilot. The officer is driven backwards by the pressure of the moment and rotates 90 degrees to his rightand begins to accelerate and run to get back to his vehicle. The vehicle represents everything that is friendly and safe. It embodiesfamiliarity, cover, concealment, communications, and additional weapons with which to neutralize the threat.

The subject will now exploit the officer’s subconscious decision and subsequent action. The subject continues to move through theOODA Cycle, again, arriving at the top to Observe. The subject now exits the vehicle and observes a police officer with his back turned,essentially attempting to outrun super-sonic projectiles.

Let's get back to the police officer. Where is he in the OODA Cycle? He is in the unseen third O, as in “Oh Sh#@t”. He can no longerobtain any good visual information in relationship to the moving, now firing suspect. Only the grace of God can help him now. How didhe find himself in this situation with little prospect of successfully overcoming the circumstances? A virtually instantaneoussubconscious decision compelled him to arrive here.

Could it have been avoided? Most certainly it could have. How? Through well directed “Force-on-Force” training. This type of training would allow an officer to repeatedly observe this particularsituation (not for the first time while under extreme duress) in a more controlled, yet still challenging environment. This incrementalobservation process starts creating a cache that ends up becoming a valid reference point from which one can efficiently orient insimilar type events that might take place in the future. All the non-verbal cues, timings, the bio-mechanical possibilities and constraints of the combatants are now identified, sorted, stored and are ready for retrieval by thepowerful subconscious mind.

New courses of action will be discovered and can be experimented with. The subconscious now has new experiences from which todraw upon. This creates an improved matrix of actions, increasing the probability of success in the future.

Act - What we Dream About - The Final QuarterWe have finally arrived at the phase where most spend themajority of their time practicing, and from my perspective, theleast significant in terms of what is really required. This is whereyou pull the trigger, push the button on your pepper spray, call forback-up forces, or any number of actions. Don't get me wrong!You must be able to act powerfully.

You must develop a smooth, accurate look-down, shoot-downcapability with your shoulder-fired and handheld weapons from avariety of positions and circumstances.

Let's put this in perspective. If you were given just enough instruction to successfully fly an F-22 off the runway and around the sky,and you also received good instruction on how to release a missile, by simply pushing the red button on the joystick, would youconsider yourself ready for aerial combat? (That combat taking place in a 360-degree battle space flooded with multiple threats, whilesorting critical information and dealing with the physiological and psychological factors associated with flight in combat.)

To increase your chances of survival in this complex environment, you might construct a mock joystick at home and practice pushing the button really fast, over and over! www.nightreaper.com


Operators love to show others how well they see the relationship of two pieces of metal and pull a lever. They will run down range, carefully pull their target and hold it like a newborn. They will cherish it and show all interested and non-interested parties, including their neighbor's dog, their prowess at pulling a lever (pushing a red button). It's comical, sometimes.

If you simply learn to properly release a tiny metal missile from your handheld or shoulder-fired missile launcher, you are no more readyfor combat on the street or the battlefield than your newly found piloting skills.

It is all that leads up to the point of missile release that ultimately matters. Your observations, orientation, and decisions are whatallows a relatively minor action on your part to define the difference between success or failure, life or death. Whether you are in an F-22 or controlling a firearm, once you push the button or pull the trigger you are not going to make any difference on where that missileis going to strike. It will conform to its “programming” and the immutable laws of physics.

If you talk to the Gracie Brothers, you would find out that their best selling Brazilian JuJitsu videotapes are the submission tapes, thelast in their comprehensive series. This hunger to learn submissions (pulling the trigger) is enormous. Nobody is saying submissionsare not part of the total package and skill set, but the Gracie's will tell you, “Position before Submission”.

Prior to submitting someone a sequence is in effect. You must maintain a proper distance and balance relationship to your opponent,close the distance with your opponent at the proper time, take your opponent to the ground, establish a dominant position over them,then submit them (force them to give up, damage them to a point where they can no longer fight back or choke them intounconsciousness).

If you watch the greatest submission fighter in the world, Rickson Gracie, you will notice that he does not vary his routine by much.Rickson more often than not endend up choking out his opponents using the same dominant position and the same finishing hold.

Why was he undefeated after over 400 plus no holds barred fights? Why can't his opponents just counter the strategy employed time after time?

I believe it is his total mastery of the time and space prior to the relatively simple position and finish. It is the game within the game.The OODA Cycle in action.

I have had the opportunity to work with quite a few shooters that have the action phase of their personal development honed razorsharp. Their ability to shoot a handgun, shotgun, and rifle at paper and steel is literally world class, far outpacing anyone on ourtraining staff (if the only measuring stick is speed and accuracy) on non-threatening targets. This is certainly not a negative, but canlead to a false sense of security and accomplishment.

When weapons are out and everybody is carrying lethal force at the push of a button, the proverbial wheels fall off the chariot until allphases of the OODA Cycle are understood, mastered and consistently applied.

A smooth running OODA Cycle translates to good situationalawareness.

Situational awareness is the ability to collect, collate, and storedata in a fluid, dynamic environment, then accurately predictfuture events based on that data.

Predicting future events in a tactical environment is a potentasset to have in your personal arsenal.


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