TACTICAL APPROACH (Page 2 ctd)

(This article appeared in April 2003 issue of Blitz Martial Arts magazine).

The Tactical Approach

An approach I choose to term the "tactical approach" is a different way of addressing self defence training. I didn't invent it; you just have to look outside the martial arts' square we have been conditioned to think within. But I am defining it. It isn't style related, it can be applied to all existing styles or systems intended for self defence but not without changes to those systems. It's a framework that sits over the top and is not prescriptive about which technique to use (hence independence of style).

The concept is straightforward, but the full description would fill a book (this series of articles are in fact extracts from the draft form of a book on this subject). It states that street confrontations should not be viewed as a contest of skill - a typically martial arts perspective. These are situations to be 'survived' by all means available, internal (physical and psychological) and external (environment), technical and tactical. It is about outthinking as well as outfighting your opponent(s) - using what you have to best advantage. Consequently the training required is broader and higher level than is typically found in martial arts' curriculum.

The basic concept derives from the military where opposing armies seek to leverage the capabilities of their respective forces by intelligent placement and movement of forces, deception, timing, initiative, use of terrain, and exploitation of their own strengths and their enemy's weaknesses etc. This is tactical combat. No general of any worth would simply 'throw' his army against an opposing force with no strategy and tactics, in the simple hope that physical and technical superiority will win the day. [1]

Although deriving from the military I would hasten to point out that this is not some pseudo-military system of defensive tactics for commando wanna-be's. It's just that the concepts are well developed and tested for military confrontations and much of the declassified research coming out of the military at present does have direct applicability in the civilian context. And let's face it, the military has the budget to do extensive research on the subject of humans in combat. My familiarity with this field derives from my military and defence background but now in the civilian environment I see the vast untapped potential for the application of this knowledge to the person in the street - appropriately modified and adapted of course.

Scope
The scope of the tactical approach is based on a number of premises:

1. Threat Response Options: We have more than the 'fight' option as a response to any threat situation. Generically we have five options, four of which are common to all intraspecies aggression in the animal kingdom. These are fight, flight, comply and posture. The fifth, 'defuse' is inherent in our ability as humans to communicate with each other. Each of these five options has sub-options.[2]

2. Confrontation Stages: Confrontations have four distinct stages, pre-confrontation, pre-fight, fight and post-fight. Each stage has different characteristics and requires a different set of tactics and skills.

3. Skill Hierarchy: The skill set required to comprehensively and holistically deal with any confrontation has five components: theory (background knowledge), strategy and tactics (our game plan), psychology (tactics and impact of emotions), technical or psychomotor skills (technique), physical (the fitness base that supports our ability to act). [3]

4. Context: All confrontations occur in a context: the nature and seriousness of the altercation, the location, the environmental circumstances (lighting, nature of ground surface, obstacles, ambient noise, etc), the other people around, weapons to hand, escape routes, my physical and mental state, 'their' physical and mental state, worst case outcomes etc. Any and all these factors have a bearing on our plan of action, how we want to resolve or end this situation (our strategic objective) and how we intend to achieve that (our tactics). Our choice of strategy and tactics determine the techniques we choose, if any, to execute. In ambush situations you of course act first then think then act.

There are two other frameworks that govern the manner of training and the manner of execution of this tactical approach. These will be described in subsequent articles.

NOTES:
[1] See 'Tactics MCDP 1-3' United States Marine Corps publication for more detail about this doctrinal approach.
[2] As described in Chapter 1 'On Killing' Little Brown & Co., (November 1996) by Lieutenant Colonel David Grossman where there is a more detailed scientific explanation.
[3] An adaptation of Dr. Tudor Bompa's skill taxonomy as detailed in 'Theory and Methodology of Training: The Key to Athletic Performance', Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company; 3rd edition (May 1998).

{photo5}