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| Warrior Work Week 18 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the next few weeks, we are going to look at some of the warrior work that we focus on in the g.e.t.i.t. integrative arts programs. A lot of martial arts and various stratums of our society focus on techniques and the "power" of techniques but there is no power in a technique if there is no power inside of you. The color code this week can be viewed as it stands but I also ask that you apply the concept of how our words "strike" others and ourselves as well instead of thinking that striking only applies to hands and feet or other body parts. Apply the color code to help increase your awareness in ALL your relationships and work at using it to be soft, open and receptive to what is going on around you; be sharp and clear with your actions and words but allow space for change within you and around you. The color code helps you look at goals, energy, techniques, situations, inner skills and possible outcomes so you can position yourself for success and not be caught "wondering" how something could have happened without your advance awareness. Share it, discuss it but most importantly, use it and test it in your life! COLOR CODE The goal of the color code is to help you identify the various levels of mental preparedness that exist in dealing or not dealing with conflict. Jeff Cooper, the founder of Gunsite, developed the original color code for training F.B.I., military personnel and other members of the law enforcement community. This color code is a g.et.i.t. adaptation of that code. From the time we are young, we are conditioned to believe that striking others is wrong and yet there are times when you may have a moral obligation to strike someone to protect yourself, family or community from harm. The difference between striking someone out of a malicious intent and a loving intent is the difference between getting the death penalty and getting a medal. In both instances, force is used but the intent behind the force is what juries deliberate. The color code helps to take you through an escalation of thought from the level of the victim to the level of the warrior who is acting out of love to protect and serve. White - relaxed, unaware and unprepared This state is the one in which "we never saw them". Often we are preoccupied in our own thoughts or activities and are not aware of what is going on around us or even the intent of those around us. This is the state in which we are an accident or victim waiting to happen. Yellow - relaxed and alert In this state we are relaxed but we are aware that there are predators and power oriented people who like to hurt or abuse others. In this state we realize that "we might have to hit someone today". We walk out of a store and are aware of the parking lot and the people in it, When we walk into a building we look around and are aware of the people in it. We look at people's intentions by watching their body language and looking for things that are out of place. Orange - specific alertness In this state we see a potential situation that may require force. "we may have to use force on that person." Something is out of place. We read an intent that is aggressive, hostile or preditory. Red - proactive resolution In this state we are acting to diffuse or end the conflict. It may be something as simple as seeing a suspicious person in the parking lot and walking back into the store and asking for assistance or reporting it. It could also be a verbal challenge in regards to a person's goal like "what are you doing here?" or "what do you want?" or a verbal diffusion like, "I don't want to fight" or "I'm sorry if I offended you". Proactive resolution means to see conflict and resolve it with as little force as possible. In this state we are engaging or disengaging, releasing, locking or even striking based on the situation and our moral and legal guidelines. We have clear goals and we are directing our energy through verbal and or physical techniques to achieve them. Black - Void In this state there is so much pressure mentally, emotionally and physically that our mind shuts off and we default to the base level of out intent and training. That is why so much emphasis in the martial arts is placed on the following two slogans: · the way is in training · purify your intent In training you learn to deal with more and more pressure without having the consequences that exist in the "real world" and you see where your skills fall apart. Also we come to see that everything we do originates from our intent. It is like the main computer programming chip that all the programs run from even though they may take many different shapes and forms. People without clear intent and training "blank", "freeze" or "lose it" in this state and then often regret the outcomes that result. To apply the color code, start using it on a daily basis and also evaluating the level that others are in while they are moving through their day or interacting with others. Apply it to the characters in movies to see the level of their mental conditioning. In using the color code within the overview of the g.e.t.i.t. acronym, it fits in with developing one's inner skills, learning to read situations and then applying the best techniques that fit the situation to achieve your goal. Look back at the end of your day and observe the different colors you were in throughout your day and the co relation between the colors you were in and what you created and accomplished. By Peter Hill, Copyright 2004 www.getittogether.net Week 19>> |