I can tell you the license plate numbers of all six cars outside. I can tell you that our waitress is left-handed and the guy sitting up at the counter weighs two hundred fifteen pounds and knows how to handle himself. I know the best place to look for a gun is the cab or the gray truck outside, and at this altitude, I can run flat out for a half mile before my hands start shaking.
~Jason Bourne, The Bourne Identity
Cultivating the Gentleman Spy attitude starts with developing your situational awareness (SA).
SA can be thought of as knowing where you are and what is happening around you at all times. This starts with recognizing that there are countless “threats” around you. Whether you’re sitting at a restaurant or driving down the road, all sorts of things can happen that will require your attention or action.
COOPER’S COLORS
Following a progressive approach of directed attention, you can take steps to make sure you’re always prepared for whatever may happen. Colonel Jeff Cooper, a former US Marine and one of the 20th century’s foremost experts on self defense and small arms use created a color code that is still used in military, police, and intelligence communities.
- White – you are tuned out, unaware of what’s going on around you.
- Yellow – you’re relaxed, but aware; a general state of attentiveness.
- Orange – you have identified something of interest that may prove to be a threat or require your action. This is the time to start “war-gaming” potential courses of action so you can be prepared if something happens.
- Red – a potential threat has now become a potential target. Whatever you identified in condition orange has made a threatening move or a situation has developed that requires your direct action. Now is the time to act, if you haven’t already.
- Black – the worst possible state, you are in shock, unable to act, and stop processing information. This is usually the result of being pushed from condition white directly into a system overload.
ALWAYS BE AN ASSET
By beginning to study the things around you and use the appropriate escalation of attention, you are setting yourself up to always be in the best possible position when something happens. Crime victims say “I never saw it coming” because they were tuned out and unaware; they were jolted from condition white directly into condition black. These people are useless in a fight and generally present an additional liability.
By living your life attentively and understanding situations as they progress, you will be more capable of dealing with anything that comes up. You will be an asset, instead of a liability.
QUICK START GUIDE:
More information and training ideas are inside the full Gentleman Spy program.
To start working on your situational awareness today, put down the phone and begin paying attention to what’s around you.
Start quizzing yourself on what you notice:
- Inside a building, where are the exits? What about fire extinguishers, first aid kits, or AED’s?
- Start noticing men of “fighting age” – 15 to 35 or so. Take note of their attitude, whether you can see knife clips or notice a concealed weapon.
- You’re looking for predators. If you noticed them, did they notice you?
- On the road, what is happening ahead of you? Behind?
- If you need to slam on the brakes or make an evasive maneuver, do you have clearance on the left and right?
You don’t need to be on high alert 24/7, but don’t get caught off guard.
Ready for more?