Gentlemen,
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Rob, what would you say the average person's OODA loop consists of, time wise?
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The Warrior Expert Theory is based on the idea of raising awareness so that one can Recognize situations and appropriate responses, instead of having to "figure it out" or even "decide"...
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Let's not confuse Erik's question about
the average person with someone who is a highly trained
Warrior Expert.
Too, "average person" is a bit misleading unless you truely want to average the population as a whole. By average person, I would take that to exclude those with hundreds of hours of training and practice, as well as those at the opposite end of the scale that wander through life as if the world is a round-edged, nerf-padded kindergarten class.
I'm going to spout off some
personal opinions and you're free to correct me if my thinking is outdated or just plain silly.
For people who know crime exists but it's not "real" because they have never experienced it, rarely encounter criminals and don't know anyone who has been a victim, I'd guess that "recognition" ahead of the act will be pretty low and reaction time measured in seconds. In otherwords, reaction will be
behind the curve and physical contact is very likely.
Those of us who have been exposed to crime and/or carry a firearm are probably a bit ahead of the previous group. We will likely recognize obvious signs, observe suspicious persons, vehicles or activities within 20-30 yards about 75% of the time. Reaction times are probably measured in the 10ths of seconds and
if a mental plan has formed as a response it requires an obvious overt act to trigger it. Reactions will vary probably from 0.8 to 1.5 seconds depending on circumstances.
At a higher skill level, but not one in which the person has extensive training or practice, I expect that they can recognize more subtle cues as well as notice potential threat indicators. Within 20-30 yards, recognize potential crime indicators about 85% of the time and beyond 30 yards about 50% of the time. Reaction times need to be measured in 100ths of a second and this person is prepped to respond to more subtle changes in behavior as a trigger.
I put many of our TFL members in this category simply because they tend to self-educate here.
In civilian life, one must be sure that the potential threat is real, not imagined. This requires identification of some action or a series of actions/events that tells the person that "sumthin' is gonna happen" and more importantly, it's gonna happen to
them. We may be "behind the curve" simply due to the nature of self-defense and its legalities,
but we don't have to be very far behind that curve.
The OODA loop can be scrambled by actions or observations that don't make sense or are outside of experience, forcing cognitive analysis to be performed (as opposed to simple identification-response thinking). Such as a threatening looking person entering a 7-11 who brings a 32oz slurpee to the clerk and "accidentally" spills it on the counter. Threat response diminishes when the clerk shifts from thinking "hold up man" to "mop on register 1".
Years ago, an older street officer gave me the advice
remember: Eyes, Hands, Feet.
Eyes - How intently is he looking at you? Is he avoiding eye contact? Does he avoid eye contact but keep looking back briefly? If he has sunglasses, you don't know for sure where he's looking.
Hands - Where are his hands?! What are they doing? Is there anything in his hands? What is it? Hard or soft? Long or short? Hands and things held in hands are what will hurt you. Watch his hands.
Feet - Check his feet. Is he standing relaxed or ready to run(move suddenly)? Is one foot pointing in your direction so he can quickly move your way? Is his weight forward or back on his heels? Feet often move first to indicate direction.
Lastly, if someone or something appears suspicious to you, don't "give up" on that feeling merely because outward signs say you're wrong. Don't relax your guard until after you're away from the setting.