The Cooper Color Code

The most important means of surviving a lethal confrontation, according to John Dean “Jeff” Cooper, is neither a weapon nor martial skills. The primary tool is the combat mindset.

John Dean "Jeff" Cooper (May 10, 1920 – September 25, 2006) was a United States Marine Corps officer who saw combat in the Pacific during World War II and in Korea. Cooper is the creator of what is known as "the Modern Technique" of handgun shooting.  He is also considered to have been one of the 20th century's foremost international experts on the use and history of small arms.

Cooper published numerous books, including Principles of Personal Defense. In the chapter on awareness, Cooper presents an adaptation of the Marine Corps system to differentiate states of mental readiness.

The color code, as originally introduced by Cooper, had nothing to do with tactical situations or alertness levels, but rather with one's state of mind.  It relates to the degree of peril you are willing to do something about and which allows you to move from one level of mindset to another to enable you to properly handle a given situation.

Cooper did not claim to have invented anything in particular with the color code, but he was apparently the first to use it as an indication of mental state.

White: Unaware and unprepared. If attacked in Condition White, the only thing that may save you is the inadequacy or ineptitude of your attacker. When confronted by something nasty, your reaction will probably be "Oh my God! This can't be happening to me." 

Yellow: Relaxed alert. No specific threat situation. Your mindset is that "today could be the day I may have to defend myself". You are simply aware that the world is a potentially unfriendly place and that you are prepared to defend yourself, if necessary. You use your eyes and ears, and realize that "I may have to defend myself today".

You should always be in Yellow whenever you are in unfamiliar surroundings or among people you don't know. You can remain in Yellow for long periods. In Yellow, you are "taking in" surrounding information in a relaxed but alert manner, like a continuous 360 degree radar sweep. 

Orange: Specific alert. Something is not quite right and has your attention. Your radar has picked up a specific alert. You shift your primary focus to determine if there is a threat. Your mindset shifts to "I may have to deal with that person," focusing on the specific target which has caused the escalation in alert status. In Condition Orange, you set a mental trigger: "If that person does ‘X’, I will need to stop them".  Staying in Orange can be a bit of a mental strain, but you can stay in it for as long as you need to. If the threat proves to be nothing, you shift back to Condition Yellow.

Red: Condition Red is a fight. Your mental trigger (established back in Condition Orange) has been tripped. "If 'X' happens I will deal with that person" - 'X' has happened, the fight is on.

In short, the Color Code helps you "think" prior to a crisis situation or fight. As the level of danger increases, your willingness to take certain actions increases. If you ever do go to Condition Red, the decision to use force has already been made (your "mental trigger" has been tripped).

As we continue to discuss awareness and safety, it is critical to think in terms of Cooper’s color code.  Being aware is one aspect, being prepared is another.  Cooper’s color code helps us set lines in the sand and mentally prepare ourselves to respond if those lines are crossed.

More to come.......until then,

Stay Safe!