I read the pdf link to an essay on Boyd's OODA cycle and it got me thinking.
Obviously the instigator of a series of actions almost always starts "inside" the reactor's "time cycle."
That is to say, the robber is always going to, at least initially, have the advantage over the robbee in a robbery. He's probably done it before, he is commencing the series of actions, and he knows what kind of outcome he is looking for. Whereas the robbee starts out with his mind on other things, probably has never been robbed before, is reacting to the robber's actions, and has no definite outcome in mind other than hoping he doesn't die.
Couple this with the fact that most middle-class folk don't have much training in being attacked/robbed. Even those who do have SOME, probably don't have enough to suddenly shift the tables in their favor against a seasoned foe.
This all seems to me to say that ANY TIME you find yourself reacting to a situation, you are behind and will STAY behind in the time-cycle; and if the situation culminates in a final win/lose outcome, you will almost surely lose. That could mean being robbed, raped, killed, whatever "lose" may mean in that situation.
To say it more clearly, once you find yourself being acted upon, you have already lost. Therefore, it is not enough to train yourself to do [whatever] in any situation that might crop up. You need to train yourself to either:
1) avoid those situations completely or
2) predict those situations far enough in advance to be able to initiate a counter to them before they begin to happen or
3) train SO THOROUGHLY that you are able to get inside the aggressor's time-cycle after the situation has already been initiated.
This last option might be good for a cop or a soldier, but not the average joe who has to hold down a non-combat job, family, etc. Too little time in the average week.
Obviously the instigator of a series of actions almost always starts "inside" the reactor's "time cycle."
That is to say, the robber is always going to, at least initially, have the advantage over the robbee in a robbery. He's probably done it before, he is commencing the series of actions, and he knows what kind of outcome he is looking for. Whereas the robbee starts out with his mind on other things, probably has never been robbed before, is reacting to the robber's actions, and has no definite outcome in mind other than hoping he doesn't die.
Couple this with the fact that most middle-class folk don't have much training in being attacked/robbed. Even those who do have SOME, probably don't have enough to suddenly shift the tables in their favor against a seasoned foe.
This all seems to me to say that ANY TIME you find yourself reacting to a situation, you are behind and will STAY behind in the time-cycle; and if the situation culminates in a final win/lose outcome, you will almost surely lose. That could mean being robbed, raped, killed, whatever "lose" may mean in that situation.
To say it more clearly, once you find yourself being acted upon, you have already lost. Therefore, it is not enough to train yourself to do [whatever] in any situation that might crop up. You need to train yourself to either:
1) avoid those situations completely or
2) predict those situations far enough in advance to be able to initiate a counter to them before they begin to happen or
3) train SO THOROUGHLY that you are able to get inside the aggressor's time-cycle after the situation has already been initiated.
This last option might be good for a cop or a soldier, but not the average joe who has to hold down a non-combat job, family, etc. Too little time in the average week.