At the conclusion of a course I always like to write my thoughts down in my handy dandy note book, better known as my Blackberry. I do that to make sure that when I complete a post course report (I do this for all the courses) I have a fresh recollection. During my return flight to the U.S. from Lima, I wrote down an unusual amount of thoughts and opinions in my notebook. By the time I was finished I had the stewardess asking me to step out of the aircraft. I was the last one in the plane. OK, I am exaggerating a bit. The bottom line is that there were so many thoughts and opinions that I could write a two hundred page book. Before I sat down and wrote this article I read my notes numerous times and there appeared to be three constant themes. I will address these three issues (themes) in this article. First I want to point out that I am not writing this article to make fun or insult anyone. There are no cultural boundaries or race lines. This article is meant for everyone, however I will be focusing on a specific experience. I hope this will be read with an open mind and it will be taken as constructive criticism.
There is an old Zen question; Is your cup half empty or half full?
Ego, Closed Mindedness and Lack of Concentration, these are the three constant traits that my notes pointed to. It is common to have one or two individuals per course exhibiting one or more of these traits. What was unusual about this particular course (FPSS) was that over 80% of the students exhibited one or more of these traits. The positive side and why FPSS was a success was their “heart”, I will not take that from the Peruvians. However, heart without the mindset and the skill set does not make a warrior. On the contrary, it creates an over confident walking target better known as a “sheep” by Lt. Grossman in the book “On Combat”.
Ego has positives and negatives, we all have an ego and we all should. It is when that ego disrupts the path of learning and clutters decision making, that’s when we have a problem. I am not a psychologist and I have never been accused of being a self help writer so I will speak specifically about combat/tactical training.
To start, I do not give a shit what your background is…Delta, SEALs, SWAT, PSD, Special Forces, Stripper, Dancer, Professional Bowler or Vetted Civilian. As long as you are in good standing and not a criminal you are a go. The issue is that if you come from an elite background or you are used to doing things a certain way, it is not that easy to come to a course with an open mind. I understand that clearly. I am going to assume for the sake of common sense that most of you that attend a course either want to refresh the basics, or want to learn something new.
Since I started training in the eastern martial ways at the age of eight, I was taught to empty my cup before stepping onto the training hall. “Every day is a learning day, every day you add to your skill box, everyday you understand life better, I was told constantly by my sensei. The bottom line is, If you come in with a full cup, with all the knowledge packed into your ego box, there will be absolutely no room for learning and it will defeat the purpose of why you are there to begin with. Step outside the box and open your mind, be receptive to new ideas, concepts and tactics. During the course do your best to adhere to what is being taught, there is no one way to do things but give it a chance it might work for you. If you continue doing it your way with complete disregard for what is being taught, you will slow the class down because the instructors will constantly correct you. At the end of the course you will decide what you will place in your skill box. I quote Bruce Lee “absorb what is useful discard what is not”.
Closed Mindedness is a compliment of the ego. It goes beyond the act of trying new things. It restricts you from thinking outside the box which is essential during combat and field operations. Training gives you an opportunity to make mistakes in a safe environment. Don’t be afraid given the situation to think outside box during training. If you are not absorbing what is being taught or you are confused, ask a fucking question! Make sure you ask it to the instructors. When the instructor guides you to a place of understanding, the next step is to apply it. This is the area where I gather all of my strength and pray to god to give me the patience I need. You understanding and nodding your head with a big smile does not tell me anything. I would like to observe you apply what I just enlightened you with. Unfortunately, specifically in this last course many students continued doing things incorrectly even after they acknowledged that they understood. Let’s just say we did the best we could. It almost appeared that you could demonstrate a technique 54,000 times and the end result was the same. Most continued doing their own thing. Please open your mind, once again empty the cup before stepping into the training hall.
Lack of concentration many times stems from the ‘who cares” attitude. Based on my training and experience, most people I have trained are not stupid. This is a simple fix. Pay attention, be aware and stay focused. In combat, if you are not on your game and lack concentration you will feel the wrath of your enemy. I hardly doubt that you would go into combat at a low awareness level. I am going to assume that you will be at a super high level of awareness. Do your best to keep focused during training and remember “we train as we fight”.
