Condition Yellow--Men. Vs. Women

I just wrote a post explaining Cooper's Color Codes because they seem to be misunderstood so much -- this is a great opportunity to post a link to it.
smile.gif

http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum35/HTML/000518.html

-Cougar :{)
 
To be honest, I would have to admit that we train a system for the most part. I do have one Guro who likes to do situational training, so we get some, but not proportionally as much as we should for the street.

Our system translates well though, as systems go. We drill unarmed vs. knife, and we train in all ranges.
 
Situational awareness is important.There is a public safety convention held every year at Oshkosh,along with the pilot`s convention.I hit them both.People do find new ways to seduce the pooch.The NTSB reports are mostly about some failure in the judgement process.
If you are paying attention, you don`t have to get into a lot of these situations.If you must,you can have the odds on your side.Sometimes going into harm`s way is what you do.It is not an option.
I don`t know much about women. The ones that I have known are pretty much DEFCON White.
This may not be a representive sample.I have always worn weapons,so what`s to worry about with me? I think that they would be fat,dumb and happy regardless.Heads up and locked.
My Mom is not trainable.She is open and trusting.She can afford it,in a way, she has sons.Her Mom was very good with a gun.It skipped a generation I guess.
I am not sure of the answer to your question Donna,but this is what I have observed.

[This message has been edited by FNG (edited 08-04-2000).]
 
All right, let's try and tackle it.

IMHO the three major differences in the going to Condition Yellow or Orange between men and women are size and strength, social conditioning, and sexual assault.

Size and Strength
On the average women are smaller than men and have less upper body strength. Most women are very much aware of this. Many women look at men in general as potential attackers at all times. These women would be in Condition Yellow - however, awareness per se is good only insofar as it helps with avoidance if the woman does not have a backup plan (with the will, attitude, and training to implement it) if the situation goes Red!

Social Conditioning
IMHO most women are socially conditioned in the U.S. to seek co-operation over conflict, and certainly are not conditioned to accept the brutalities necessary to effective self-protection. I see this as adding to a Condition Yellow mentality in their awareness of the possibilities rampant in the attackers but adding to a feeling of helplessness in the woman. Again, Condition Yellow is good, but not unless it leads to effective action.

Sexual Assault
It can happen anytime, anywhere, to any woman.

All women know this - except for the few in complete denial.

It so seldom happens to men that we just don't think about it. Men can share in the first two factors - smaller size and strength, socialization against violent responses - but we find it difficult to imagine what women must go through every day with the knowledge and awareness that they are targets for this intensely personal, devestating assault.

This morning's Louisville Courier-Journal has a story of a rape of a 78 year old woman in a nursing home.

Donna, does this come anywhere close to the differences you see between the stimuli to Condition Yellow in men and women? Are there any other ladies who would contribute their views on this topic?

student




[This message has been edited by student (edited 08-04-2000).]
 
Wait a minute. What I was trying to say was that we all need to have situational awareness.
Gee, I hope that I have gotten that done.
 
I'd like to see more people's views on this topic.

Living in the City, many women I know are, or at least, try to be, pretty alert most of the time. Though I see them missing things quite frequently. I know my girlfriend is usually more alert than I am, but she is alerted by and notices different things than I do. I'll try to pay attention to what specific differences there are, if I can. She usually carries a knife, but it's more often than not in a backpack style purse, when I take it out and put it in her pocket she just rolls her eyes at me. But when walking through Oakland (where she lives) at night, she will often have a folder or auto (which I won't carry, but she will) in her hand. When I feel slightly unsafe, I will slide my knife part way out of my pocket, to make it quicker to grab, but I have yet to take it out and hold it closed; while she does this on certain streets, I would only do it as a reaction to a very specific (perceived) threat.

I also know a lot of women who are just completely trusting and oblivious, and I fear for them.

My roommate is the kind of woman who will bark, but not bite, and probably wouldn't run until it was too late. She doesn't take advice.

Most of the men I know are not very alert, assuming that if something comes up they will be able to handle it. There've been many instances when I felt unsafe, due to the general social environment more so than due to a particular individual or group, and my male friends didn't seem to notice a thing. This is when I wonder if I'm paranoid or they're oblivious. Overall I don't feel that I'm too paranoid though.

I would really like to see more people post their observations here, as it is an important topic which doesn't get addressed often enough.

And could someone break down for me the rainbow of alertness/aggression.

------------------
Jason aka medusaoblongata
-----------------------
"I have often laughed at the weaklings who call themselves kind because they have no claws"

- Zarathustra

[This message has been edited by medusaoblongata (edited 08-09-2000).]
 
In the original Cooper system the differentiation between "YELLOW" and "ORANGE" was that Yellow is a state of relaxed alertness, whereas Orange signifies a specific concern. From Yellow you have picked up a potential problem, or, threat and you focus on it until it is resolved.
Many training agencies and instructors have modified the Cooper version, to include, for example, Condition Black.
I like to explain the Colour Code by using the anaology of a warship radar:
WHITE= radar switched off.
Yellow= radar on "general (360) sweep
Orange= potential threat, radar on "localised sweep"
Red= Identified threat, weapons slaved to the radar.
Black= ROE (Rules of Engagement) permit you to fire.
Note, on a warship you can have one radar still sweeping 360 while the other is doing a localised sweep. Humans must use our senses, and not tunnel in on a potential threat to the exclusion of everything else.Scan!
It may be relevant to this thread that when training VIP Protection teams we found it useful to include another level. "YELLOW-ALPHA" is the on-duty state. Its still a general 360 alertness but with the energy turned up somewhat more than normal everyday use.
Sorry to take so much space, hope it may help.


------------------
Check Six...
Dennis

 
Thanks for the explanation.

Any other women out there with observations. Or does anyone have anything more to add?
 
Even if you've already read my post on the color codes you might want to check that thread again; some very good replies have been posted.

As for Donna's question ... I don't know ... I know a lot of women who walk around in public stark naked and fast asleep, but I know a lot of men who do that, too. Seems a lot of strong young men think they don't have to be alert (or armed, or trained) just because they're strong young men....

25% of rape victims are male. Most of the victims are boys, of course, often very young boys.

-Cougar :{)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top