The Three Disciplines

[Hissho]

From Progressive Force Training:

http://www.pfctraining.com/PFC_article_3disc.pdf


The Three Disciplines
By Brian C. Hartman

The myopic US Military is struggling daily in its global war on terror with
immeasurable problems both political and tactical. Exacerbating these issues is
an obvious lack of training and knowledge from the lowest private to the highest situationally ignorant policy maker. Domestic law enforcement is no exception to this same dilemma. Politically correct personnel standards, status quo training programs and mind boggling tactical ineptitude (especially amongst leadership)directly contribute to the (avoidable) deaths of many officers and troops every year.

The paradigm shift required to get the ball rolling may reach the exploratory
phase fifty years after we are all dead and gone. That being said, the burden of your personal success and survival rests on your shoulders and your shoulders alone.

FITNESS

Every one of us knows the fat gun guy. He may be able to shoot quickly and
even accurately while spewing out an endless stream of technical trivia. But this is the guy who gets winded and sweaty during the arduous task of loading magazines. Should he ever find himself unarmed or out of ammunition, a relatively fit 8th grade girl would likely outmatch him. Coach Mark Rippetoe says it best: “strong people are harder to kill, and in general, more useful.”
This is not a piece about getting in the gym to build better glutes, but it does
address the importance of physical fitness as it relates to lethal encounters.
Under the stress of a gunfight your pulse will soar to over 200 beats per minute destroying fine motor skills and inducing visual and auditory exclusion. The exchange of gunfire can be the catalyst which kicks loose a chunk of plaque in your aorta. It might not be a bullet that kills you, but instead lasagna. A fit body will also be more resilient against penetrating or blunt force trauma. Considering that the first truth of fighting is that you will get hurt, this is a rather attractive ancillary benefit.

What of positions and mobility? An inability to swiftly displace (or a significant
food blister) may severely impair your accuracy or response time4 as well as
comfort while sitting at the deli counter. If you cannot assume a left kneeling
position due to recent surgery that is unavoidable. If the extra 100 pounds you’ve been trucking around perpetuated that surgery, you may want to seriously onsider salad. Ask a veteran of Fallujah or North Hollywood about the
importance of conforming to cover and rapid movement. Running with your dog, swimming, plyometric stretching, playing racquetball, or (if you’re hardcore) incorporating kettlebells, calisthenics and sprints into your
range routine is incredibly beneficial. If you execute 20 lunges on the range with a standard defensive response fired in between each rep, you have just
completed a comprehensive set. Add armor, helmet, carbine, magazines and
SAPI plates and now it becomes a full-blown workout. Your goal? To physically
stress and strengthen your body at least twice a week.

WEAPONCRAFT

Giving your credit card number to the gear retailer for the latest high speed x, y, z is in no way a guarantee that you will be able to wield it with any skill. Comfort with a weapon in your hand (either hand) whatever that weapon may be, is a crucial skill. Countless hours of training have a made the tennis racquet an extension of John McEnroe’s arm. Those who make their profession or trust their safety to being armed must not be an exception.
Pragmatically speaking, live fire and combative training can be logistically
challenging. Late nights at the office, inclement weather, proximity to the range, ammunition expense and your spouse demanding you mow the lawn can all remove the air from your progressive balloon. But there is an answer.
The ready availability of weapons simulators (knife and firearm) and dummy
rounds are not a second-rate substitute for “real training”4 they are real training!

I have spent many a rainy day practicing the clearance of malfunctions, loading and reloading while listening to an iPod. Blue guns allow you to perform
thousands of safe presentations (either open or from concealment) that do not place undue wear and tear on your valuable firearm or hands. PFC’s popular Searching for Adversaries program is conducted exclusively with blue guns and is considered to be one of the most valuable blocks available. Dull-edged training folders are a fantastic tool for practicing angles of attack in your garage, or the LMT (Last Magazine Tactic) live fire on the range. For a real training challenge you can place yourself in a pitch-black room to practice your skill sets. Comfort and proficiency in all levels of visibility is the mark of real system mastery. Eight hour range sessions every six months are far less valuable than 3 tenminute dry fire sessions per week. Your goal? To lay your hands on and manipulate a weapon at least twice a week.

KNOWLEDGE

So now you’re a tri-athlete who can hit a dime on the move at 50 meters. But
what of mindset? Maneuver? Tactics? Terrain? Communication? Skill at arms is
not enough. Many a man’s blood has been spilt who could effectively use his
weapon but only under controlled two-dimensional conditions.
“Those who forget history are bound to repeat it.” Woodrow Wilson
You must educate yourself. For clarification, education has nothing to do with
reading the sundry gun rags. These magazines are shameless sheaves of
advertising in disguise: buy this new expensive holster buy this .50 caliber
slingshot here’s what happens when you throw a hand grenade at a Jellomold. Understand that by knowledge we also do not mean the inner working of the light double-action hammer. Instead we are talking about an appreciation for the philosophy of battle, the tactics of the victor (and defeated) as well as the moral courage and ferocity of a balance-minded warrior. The study of warfare at the macro, micro and psychological level is as much a science as physics or engineering.

So what should I read you ask? Begin with the classics of this realm and
progressively dig deeper into them and yourself. Here are some
recommendations.

1st GRADE

“The Art of War” Sun Tzu
“The Prince” Niccolo Machiavelli
“The Book of Five Rings” Miyamoto Musashi
“On Killing” Lt. Col. Dave Grossman
“The Last 100 Yards” H. John Poole
“Bravo Two Zero” Sgt. Andy McNab

JUNIOR HIGH

“Not a Good Day to Die” Sean Naylor
“The Warrior Elite” Captain Dick Couch
“The Rescuers” Leroy Thompson
“Warrior of Zen” Suzuki Shosan
“Extreme Alpinism” Mark Twight
“Touching the Void” Joe Simpson

GRAD SCHOOL

“My Commando Operations” Otto Skorzeny
“On War” Carl von Clausewitz
“The Endurance” Caroline Alexander
“Phantom Soldier” H. John Poole
“Guns Germs and Steel” Jared Diamond
“Attacks” Erwin Rommel

This list is by no means comprehensive but effectively spans many centuries,
perspectives and corners of the world. One common thread you will notice is the inclusion of books on mountaineering. As a former climbing instructor this topic is near and dear to my heart. But on a deeper level I believe there is no topic, which so closely resembles combat as excursions into the unforgiving heights of the mountains4 places on earth where despite the best training and equipment, your survival percentage drops to zero on a relatively short timeline. Like warfare, successful mountaineering is predicated upon strength, wisdom, courage, preparation, leadership, teamwork, fear, death and victory. I challenge you to read “The Endurance” and not be inspired. Your goal? Study hard won lessons of history at least twice a week for thirty minutes.

CONCLUSION

Dedicating two days per week to each discipline equals six days4 and on the
seventh you rested. This is a very realistic and doable approach that will certainly help you with your combative skills and goals, but will also benefit your personal and professional life as well, whatever you undertake. Train the body, train the mind, train often, train for victory.

[Ellis Amdur]

Kit - that's a great article!

I have one very small quibble with Hartman's reading list, and that is the conclusion of Andy McNab's book, Bravo Two Zero.

I'd recommend another book - title and explanation follow (from my own booklist).

Asher, Michael
THE REAL BRAVO TWO ZERO: The Truth Behind Bravo Two Zero
Cassell Press, Great Britain, 2003

Two remarkable books appeared after the first Iraq war – Andy McNab’s Bravo Two Zero,& Chris Ryan’s The One That Got Away, detailing the experiences of a squad of SAS soldiers, who fought an epic ongoing battle against Iraqi forces, killing over 250, destroying mobile units, and Ryan, eventually, walking all the way to Syria and freedom. Together, the books represented one of the most remarkable running battles since Xenophon’s march across Persia. According to Asher, another former SAS soldier, who retraced their steps across Iraq and who, fluent in Arabic, spoke with soldiers, police and civilians involved in this event, much of these accounts were lies. No Iraqis were killed, and McNab, and even more so, Ryan, besmirched the memory of one of their sergeants,who was blamed for their discovery. The book recognizes what was truly heroic in the squad’s actions, something far removed from McNab and Ryan’s Rambo fantasies, and in addition, is written in the grand tradition of desert loving Englishmen who travel with perhaps the most honest and honorable people on earth, the traditional Bedouin. Highly recommended

It seems like nit-picking, perhaps, but after reading Asher's book, as well as having a conversation with an SAS vet, McNab seems to have sold out his brothers - and Asher's book truly is far more instructive.
Best
Ellis Amdur

[George Kohler]

From what I understand Asher's book is not accurate as well.

In my opinion, the most accurate story about the 8-man patrol is Soldier Five by Mike Coburn (a pseudonym) who was on the same operation.

It is true that both Andy McNab and Chris Ryan are not welcomed back to Hereford, almost compared to as being Hamon'ed.

As for Asher being in SAS, he was in 23 SAS, which is Territorial Army unit (the UK's equivalent to the US reserves - 21 SAS is the same). Not the 22 SAS which is the one that does the well known missions.

[Ellis Amdur]

Thanks for the clarification, George. Apologies for the thread drift. Because the initial post is really solid on so many levels.
Best
Ellis Amdur

[Hissho]

No problem re: the quibbles, I'd toss Grossman out as well, and I think other books re:the Japanese warrior ethos are better than Suzuki Shosan. Part of it may be what he is aware of in the field as well.

The concept of the reading list (to be read and re-read as our understanding changes) is a good one and can get overlooked in the community that tends for obvious reasons to focus on hard skills and experience over thinking/theorizing on the subject.

I think the most value lies in the middle of both roads.

[leavittk]

Thanks for the list. Guns, Germs, and Steel was a very interesting book I thought.

[Ksingh]

No problem re: the quibbles, I'd toss Grossman out as well, and I think other books re:the Japanese warrior ethos are better than Suzuki Shosan. Part of it may be what he is aware of in the field as well.

The concept of the reading list (to be read and re-read as our understanding changes) is a good one and can get overlooked in the community that tends for obvious reasons to focus on hard skills and experience over thinking/theorizing on the subject.

I think the most value lies in the middle of both roads.

Any particular reasons why you would toss out Grossman.

cheers

Kamal

[Hissho]

His data is based on SLA Marshall, who later came under fire (pardon the pun) for research methods and IIRC admitted "cooking the books."

[Jeff Cook]

Given a choice between reading about combat, and actually doing battle drills and collective training under battlefield/CQB simulation, I have to go with the latter. Reading is good though; something to do after I clean my weapon, and when I am in the latrine.

"The myopic US Military is struggling daily in its global war on terror with
immeasurable problems both political and tactical. Exacerbating these issues is
an obvious lack of training and knowledge from the lowest private to the highest situationally ignorant policy maker. Domestic law enforcement is no exception to this same dilemma. Politically correct personnel standards, status quo training programs and mind boggling tactical ineptitude (especially amongst leadership)directly contribute to the (avoidable) deaths of many officers and troops every year."

Problems always exist, maybe more-so in asymmetric warfare. However, I take a bit of exception to the modifiers "myopic," "immeasurable," "obvious," and "mind boggling tactical ineptitude."

With that aside, the information is sound, and standard military doctrine. I would like to look into more of what Mr. Hartman has to say - am always looking to enhance my training and survivability, but before I do that, I would like to know more about him. How long was he a Marine, what was his job and rank, why did he get out? Same for his LEO career. Thanks.

Jeff Cook

[Hissho]

He places fitness (not typically much a priority for most "combative" martial artists, it seems) and weaponcraft as first and second. Though I take your point, Jeff, and do feel we have far too many people reading and writing about the "real thing" versus actually doing it.

Classical bushi seemed to be suspicious of the man who "smelled of books" as well.

But I think it is a mistake to relegate reading, and the pursuit of knowledge outside our own direct experience, as an afterthought post-weapon's cleaning, or to the latrine. Though it could come in handy if you run out of paper.


"The nation that will insist upon drawing a broad line of demarcation between the fighting man and the thinking man is liable to find its fighting done by fools and its thinking by cowards.”

—Sir William Francis Butler

[Jeff Cook]

Kit, I read AARs, FMs and TMs, MTPs and ARTEP manuals as my first choice for that sort of thing. I'm not discounting the listed reading material at all; I am prioritizing.

His points are valid concerning civilians. However, he starts off bashing the military. And then he goes on to state what is already extremely basic military training doctrine. As a professional Soldier, that comes off a bit disingenuous to me.

Jeff Cook

[Hissho]

Not to mention the Internet...

I am venturing a guess that he's reading those as well. If not, he should be.

I think if we don't always question where we are at we don't progress. Indeed I have seen a marked tendency for folks to rest on laurels and not upset the status quo because it is just easier sometimes than to start challenging established assumptions, or for some of the old dogs to learn new tricks.

Some do state these things more strongly than others, or have more passion for whatever reason. It is not generally well received.

Not defending him, or even necessarily his point of view vis-a-vis the military, just identifying with him from my own perspective (LE - and don't get me started!)

[Jeff Cook]

Thus I ask about his background, Kit. If he's "been there-done that" that would certainly help.

However, if he was a low-density MOS stirring a pot of grits his entire tour, and/or has been hanging around disgruntled "fringe" troops to develop his opinion of our "myopic military" with "mindboggling tactical ineptitude," he's not going to get much notice from the professionals, but rather from the ostracized, the wannabes, and the nuthuggers.

Keep in mind Kit, his entire professional presence on the internet appears to be for the purpose of selling a product. That in itself, minus the negative, insulting tone, is bound to make serious "violence professionals" a bit suspicious of his motivation and what he has to say.

In spite of that, I will maintain an open mind. Again, if I knew something about his resume, his background - that would help. Why is he no longer a Marine? Why is he no longer an LEO? What is his experience and training in those jobs? For someone like me, those things are vitally important before taking potentially life-and-death training and advice from him.

By the way, great chatting with you here Kit; it's been way too long. Are you back up to 100% after your incident?

Jeff Cook

[Hissho]

Jeff

I get where you are coming from, and its always good to ask those questions. It is easy to collate a lot of solid information that's out there and regurgitate it to make yourself sound pretty good to those who are not so discerning. It is an interesting parallel to some discussions you see in the koryu community, where the fakers are getting so good that they are looking more legit, by citing information from the right sources and people.

And even some of those with the real time experience have embellished their resumes and made more of their backgrounds in order to sell books or hawk training. With more Scott Rietzes (LE) and Kyle Lambs (Military) coming into the field, that is going to get progressively harder I think.

BTW, I'm fine and went back to full duty a few months after. Thanks for asking. What has had an incredibly humbling impact on me was the outpouring of support from literally across the nation, and from people I had never met or corresponded with. And the continued questions and concerns such as yours.