|
OODA Looping, is it a theory that just sounds good or is it a real tool that
we can train up and utilise as martial artists?
That term was the invention of
the great fighter pilot and military strategist John Boyd. It's an acronym for
Observe, Orient, Decide, Act.
"The key to victory is operating
at a faster tempo than the enemy," Boyd's biographer Robert Coram writes. "The
key thing to understand about Boyd's version is not the mechanical cycle itself,
but rather the need to execute the cycle in such a fashion as to get inside the
mind and decision cycle of the adversary."
The use of
Colonel John Boyd’s Theory – OODA Loping can be a very
rewarding pursuit. It aligns with a
number of other awareness and action theories that have emerged in my martial
arts journey. With all due respect to the Authors I would suggest that most of these other theories have some lineage to Colonel
Boyd's work.
Boyd breaks this cycle down to four
interrelated and overlapping processes through which one cycles
continuously:
- Observation: the
collection of data by means of the senses
- Orientation: the
analysis and synthesis of data to form one's current mental
perspective
- Decision: the
determination of a course of action based on one's current
mental perspective
- Action: the physical
playing-out of decisions
This decision cycle is thus also
known as the OODA loop. Boyd emphasized that this decision cycle
is the central mechanism enabling adaptation (apart from natural
selection) and is therefore critical to survival.
Boyd's "theory of war" was to
"get inside" your adversary's OODA loop: to manipulate what he observes, so that
he orients himself to unreal conditions managed by you, makes decisions based on
the false premises and acts accordingly, while you maintain control of the real
situation thus produced and are able to act in ways which the adversary cannot
understand or meaningfully respond to.... Boyd based himself explicitly on Sun
Tzu's The Art of War, and explained: The ideal military objective is to win your
adversaries over to your side. When that cannot be done, the best strategy is to
win in war not by beating your enemy in direct combat, but by so managing his
perception of his situation that he becomes disoriented and collapses
psychologically and ceases to be able to fight. The objective is to drive your
enemy to mental breakdown, and then move in and take over without a struggle
(Sun Tzu: "The great General wins without fighting.").
A smooth running OODA cycle translates to good
situational awareness. Situational awareness is the ability to collect,
collate, and store data in a fluid, dynamic environment, accurately predicting
future events based on that data. Predicting future events in a tactical
environment is a potent asset to have in your personal arsenal.
Let's break this down to an everyday situation
and examine how to apply OODA in a simple situation. But before we do
remember to not go overboard with this. In the example outlined below we
should remember that the purpose of going out is to have a good time and spend
time with your friends or the one you love.
Let's imagine you have gone out to the movies
with your partner and then progressed onto a nice restaurant for dinner.
The restaurant is across the road from a hotel (pub or bar). The movie
finished around 8pm and you walked a couple of blocks to the restaurant.
When you walked up the road and entered the restaurant the weather was fine and
town seemed quiet. Now lets OODA.
- Observation: the
collection of data by means of the senses
What is the distance between you
and your car? What type of hotel (pub or bar) is it? Who did you notice as
you walked to the venue? How many exits are available? What is the
layout of the place you're in? How much light is there? Where are the
blind spots? What is the atmosphere or general mood of the people like?
Who is the "Alpha" in the room? What is my gut feeling right now?
- Orientation: the
analysis and synthesis of data to form one's current mental
perspective
Will the environment change as
the night unfolds? What time will I be leaving the restaurant? Who
will I be leaving with? Will I be walking past the hotel (pub or bar).
How much traffic will there be later? Where will people be standing or
moving as they leave the pub? What else might unfold that I
haven't thought of? What does my intuition tell me?
- Decision: the
determination of a course of action based on one's current
mental perspective
What options are available to me
for safe exit routes? Who will be a potential ally in a conflict
situation? What improvised weapons are available to me? Should
we stay late or leave a little earlier? Should I call a taxi/cab for a
ride home? Can I walk with others when they leave the restaurant?
What tools or information will make my decision clearer or easier to implement?
- Action: the physical
playing-out of decisions
What is the best
course of action given the current and possible future
circumstances? How committed to that action am I?
As my action begins to unfold ..... I start
OODA looping again and again. Over and over until I feel I'm in a safe
and familiar environment. I continue to OODA loop so I can see events
unfold and make adjustments as required to ensure the safest outcome I can
achieve. Or win the battle if required.
This thinking is not about living in fear or
worry about constant danger. Or even preparing for violent encounters at
every turn. It is about situational awareness and some basic contingency
planning as you move through different environments. The purpose of life
is to be happy, not live live with paranoia, just maintain awareness.
Keep training, keep OODA'ing and be aware of
your surroundings.
Sensei Peter
| 
