Condition Yellow Stance

As you know, the staff at Masada Tactical never rests in efforts to keep our system evolving, and assure that we address all needs continuously.  Our staff meets regularly and evaluate the various skills, new threats that may need to be addressed, and develops new skills to meet these demands.  We do so every two weeks.

In the most recent instructors meeting we decided to introduce a new stance.  Yes, a stance.  sounds simple enough, but this stance is more than just a physical position, it is a state of mind.

Before I describe the stance, let me explain a term: Condition Yellow.  We didn't invent it, it is actually referred to as the Cooper Color Codes, and it refers to states of awareness.  To put it in practical terms, if you are at home, in your little bubble, feel as safe as you can and completely oblivious to anything else out there, you are in Condition White.  At the heat of a stressful situation, when all senses are in hyper-drive, and you are going into overload, you are probably in Condition Black.  And then there are the ones in between: Condition Yellow, Condition Orange, and Condition Red.

Until now we had two stances in ICS: Neutral and Fighting stances.  One is when we are not expecting an attack and one for when the fight is one.  But there was a flow in that.  In essence we gave our students legitimacy to be neutral, oblivious, in condition white.  Reality is that we should never be in that state.  As soon as we leave the house and are out in the real world, we should always be at the very least in condition yellow.

So what is this new stance then?  well, it stems from a law-enforcement term called "Interview Stance".

The Interview stance allows officers to assume as reactionary gap and a safe posture without necessarily engaging in a fight.  Similarly, we would like our students to do the same:

1. When facing a person, body should be slightly bladed with strong side back.
2. Head should remain on a "swivel" and be continuously aware of the surrounding.
3. Hands should be relaxed and placed where they can easily be engaged: such as cupped in front of the body, overlapped on the chest, or loose next to the body.  Hands should never be in pockets or crossed which would make any attempt to engage them in the fight, if one ensues, a slower process.

That is it.  It is a small change from our neutral stance, but when you think about it the state of mind is all different.  From now on we would expect our students to assume this stance whenever in class, on the street, or otherwise in a situation other than their home.

If a situation comes up where one needs to engage and get into a fighting stance, he/she should be able to do so easily.  Keep in mind that every step towards a fighting stance should be a step taken forward.  Again, more of a mindset than anything else.  Burst in, assume control: tactically, physically and mentally.  And stay safe.

Tzviel 'BK' Blankchtein

Masada Tactical, LLC