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Monthly Lecture: 08-2004

THE JOURNEY TO UNCONSCIOUS COMPETENCE

By: Skip Gochenour

July 17, 2004

Operational definition: Unconscious competence (UC) is the ability to intuitively apply, on demand, skills and techniques which are blended, in whole or in part, and delivered in a seamless fashion as operational circumstances dictate.

UC application of skills and techniques permits practitioners to expend conscious energies on “reading” the human dynamics of the operation. The ability to intuitively apply components of skills and techniques as needed by operant circumstance enhances the confidence of the practitioner.

I. The Journey

A. Operates in four phases.

1. Unconscious Incompetence (UC)

2. Conscious Incompetence (CI)

3. Conscious Competence (CC)

4. Unconscious Competence (UC)

B. Unconscious Competence (UC)

1. In this phase you are unaware of the “rules” that will help you gain competence in the ability to handle operational incidents.

2. You have little if any understanding of the positive or negative benefits derived from a study of skills and techniques.

3. You operate in a trial by error format that is devoid of a matrix by which you can judge the value of the self generated experiences you enjoy.

4. You may, or may not, recognize the need to find a way to acquire an organized exposure to the “rules” that will generate competence.

C. Conscious Incompetence (CI)

1. You are aware there are “rules” that define skills and techniques that can help you acquire competence in operational settings.

2. You begin a process that is largely drill based to learn the skills needed as the first building blocks towards operational competence.

3. Dwell time is used to inculcate skills from the drills.

4. Skill drills are layered and dove-tailed to develop multi-faceted skills sets.

5. You develop an awareness of the span of skills and techniques required to become competent.

6. You develop a sense of the mistakes you make, though you may not know how to correct them on your own.

7. You are largely overwhelmed by the requirements of the tasks and the demands of multi-layered applications.

8. Skills and techniques are a function of direction, not demand.

D. Conscious Competence (CC)

1. This phase is the longest in the continuum.

2. It is the most inconsistent in displays of competence for the execution of skills and techniques.

a. As progression is made through this phase, the Practitioner will show levels of UC applications in some skill sets and levels of CI or CC in others during execution of techniques.

b. Some skills and techniques will operate on demand, others will operate on direction.

3. Practitioners in this phase develop and refine a system that allows the organization of the “rules”.

4. The “rules” driving the various skills and techniques allows the practitioner to develop self-initiated training regimens that inter-mix the various skills and techniques.

5. In this phase the practitioner is a slave to the “rules” for each skill and technique.

a. The practitioner is willing to believe that he only need follow the dictates as provided by the “gurus” and he will be virtually invincible.

b. He is driven to know “what is expected” of him, convinced the “school” answer is the measure of his demonstration of competence.

c. His operation base is usually limited or non-existent, or is in a very tightly controlled, specialized response system.

d. His confidence is easily shaken when, during a real or artificially constructed operation, he applies a technique and does not get the expected response.

1.) In an actual operation he will be dismayed and dither.

2.) In a simulated operation he will insist it was an unrealistic test.

E. Unconscious Competence (UC)

1. During operations, all applications of skills and techniques are intuitive. There is no conscious consideration of the technique to be applied.

2. All mental energy is directed to monitoring the changing conditions.

3. Techniques are blended as the evolving circumstances require.

a. The practitioner uses the “rules” of technique application to blend the components of various techniques to develop the most useful response, given the operating circumstances.

b. He is a master of the rules, not a slave to the rules.

4. No mental effort is apportioned to the process of applying the technique.

5. Mental effort is restricted to reading the human precipitated changes in operational circumstance.

II. Components: Drill, Technique and Operations

A. Competence is developed through:

1. Drill

2. Technique

3. Operations

B. Drill

1. CI begins with repetitive drill under the tutelage of a skilled practitioner.

2. Drills permit the practitioner to learn and practice hand skills and shooting skills.

3. Sufficient dwell time committed to each drill, under the direction of a tutor, must occur to inculcate the proper execution of the skill set.

4. CC and UC continue to practice foundational skills through the use of drill.

a. CI and CC drill on accomplishing a presentation that results in the weapon coming to bear on a target with the sights aligned. They then verify the sights are aligned and fire the shot required.

b. For the CI and the CC, exact replication of the drill as taught is the imperative. They strive to become slavish in the exact application of the drill. In an operational environment he will do the same drill, he will try to do it faster than he accomplishes it in a non-operational setting. The “rules” of the drill is the master.

c. UC performs the presentation, confident the sights are aligned, and use various forms of sight appearance as verification that the required shot will be accomplished.

1.) He has developed an immediate, direct and uninterrupted pathway of communication between his visualization judgment and his trigger finger.

2.) His conscious mind is free to determine the need for the shot and to determine the proportions of the desired impact area.

3.) When the desired impact area is selected, he intuitively judges the required visualization for the shot, and when that visualization occurs the trigger finger responds with the required finesse to the trigger to accomplish the shot.

4.) Drill has enabled him to generate event driven response.

5.) He learns the difference between the needed visualization and trigger finesse to accomplish a hit on a man sized target at 10 feet and a hit and to strike a man in the left eye at the same distance.

6.) He masters the “rules” and makes them work for him.

The CC still feels a need to see

the same “sight” picture for

either shot.

C. Technique

1. Techniques generally apply to dynamic movement and weapons employment.

2. CI and CC study techniques under a tutor.

3. As with skills drills, these two phases of competence are still using significant to substantial amounts of mental effort applied to the “rules” of the technique, as the technique is being applied.

4. At this phase of development there is an operating belief, indeed a hope, that there is a superior technique, which if correctly applied, will cause them to prevail in an operation.

5. The imperative is to find the “right” technique, apply it correctly and with exactitude. The “rules” of the technique are the master.

6. Unfailing belief in the “right” technique is directly proportional to the level of “ninja turtle” that developed the technique. Tricky, sexy and cute qualities existing in the technique usually facilitate the unfailing belief.

7. CI and CC have an unfailing belief in the technique that posits that practitioners must create distance between themselves and the threat. The technique is practiced until it is accomplished reflexively. It is a useful technique in open spaces. In confined, contained areas, the technique exacerbates the problem.

8. The UC understands the purpose of the technique and modifies the application to the circumstances as they are presented.

a. The technique does not rule his response. He rules the response through modifying a particular response and/or blending components of various techniques.

b. Creating distance between the practitioner and the problem is to allow for disengagement, escape and evasion. There are circumstances when the only available route to exercise this technique is to initially close the distance between the practitioner and the problem.

10. The UC understands the purpose of The imperative is to accomplish the goals of the technique, not slavishly apply the technique in text book fashion.

D. Operations

1. Operations can be simulated or real.

2. Simulated operations can be live fire or human interaction, judgment development based.

3. Simulated operations, live fire.

a. Commonly referred to as “shoot houses”, these simulated operations permit the practitioner to practice decision making in changing circumstance, dynamic movement while reading architecture and obstacles and skills drills.

b. CI’s in these simulations are generally overwhelmed. CC’s may start out displaying some degree of competence, but often have their skills quickly degraded. Upper level CC’s may have the discipline to complete the exercise acceptably performing the drills and techniques, but do so by “thinking” their way through each physical challenge.

c. As the signal to noise ratio, inherent in the complex environment, increases in intensity and cumulative effect, the ability to consciously apply specific techniques and skills is degraded.

d. There is insufficient mental energy remaining to consider the meaning of changing circumstance.

e. In a simulated operation where two explosions have already occurred, obviously generated by hostiles, the CI and CC will still be using varying amounts of conscious thought to accomplish skills and techniques in the “right” fashion. There is insufficient mental power left to recognize an explosive device strapped to their body, realize the implications, and modify their “correct” technique application of placing two shots to the chest of the hostile. They will still be using a certain amount of mental energy to be sure the sights are in “proper” alignment. They must follow the “rules” of the drill or technique.

f. The UC performs skills and techniques intuitively. He devotes little if any mental effort to perform them.

g. His mental energy is available to “read” the signs and signals operating in the incident and consider the implications of their meaning, preparing to take advantage of opportunities created in the crisis.

h. The CI and CC, at least those that are not reduced to dithering, expend their mental energy, ploddingly resolving one component of the problem at a time.

i. The UC uses his mental energy to mine the situation for clues of developing circumstance and searching for opportunity in the crisis while focusing on the goal of resolving the overall problem.

4. Simulated operations, human interaction judgment based. Force on Force (FoF)

a. In FoF simulations the CI and CC are denied the time needed to deliberately apply technique and skills.

b. Likewise, they are denied the control of circumstance afforded in “shoot houses”.

c. Unpredictable actions on the part of the role players dictate the circumstances of the encounter.

d. Mental energy is consumed with interpretation of the actions of the actor.

e. There is insufficient remaining energy to consciously execute skills and techniques.

f. The CI and CC lack time and control of circumstance for their imperative of “correct” application of a skill or technique.

g. The UC does not devote conscious energy to the execution of skills and techniques.

h. Skills and techniques are event and circumstance triggered responses. They are rather more applied than selected from a list of possibilities and performed.

i. The imperative of the UC is to look for opportunity within the crisis to accomplish his goal.

j. The CI and CC will look at a situation and consider means of applying their techniques. The UC will look at the circumstance and develop opportunities to accomplish his goals. In the final incident in ATSA Village at NTI XIV, the CI and CC looked for locations to fight. The UC looked for opportunities to disengage, escape and evade.

III. Summary

The UC is a master of the rules. He understands that skills and techniques are for the purpose of accomplishing the overall goal. All other categories are mastered by the rules. They believe the application of techniques and skills are the goal. At their respective levels, they are correct. If they remain stagnant in that supposition they will not make the transition to UC.

The UC understands the plan is not the master. Evolving circumstance modifies the situation and can degrade the execution of the plan. Plans are for managers and bureaucrats who are always in search of someone to blame.

The able and competent understand the plan is merely a means of mental preparation that prepares the mind to see advantages and opportunity presented by the evolution of crisis. It is the bailiwick of leaders.

Managers, like some recently retired generals commenting on the current war, are slaves to plans. They are masters of logistical manipulation.

Leaders, like UC, understand men and their motivations. They understand that motivated competent men observe opportunity and exercise upon it. They look forward to the opportunities created by crisis.

The CI and CC are stuck in the “belief” they can “manage” a crisis if only they have the “right” plan and assiduously apply the “right” technique. To them, failure to acquire the expected result is a product of a poor plan or poor technique. It is an occasion for whining and hand wringing.

The UC rejoices in his opportunity to prevail in accomplishing his goal through the opportunities created by evolving crisis circumstance.

ATSA STUDY GROUP DRILLS

JULY 17, 2004

LONG SHOTS

Pit: 1

Props: One Pepper Popper with 4” dot painted on the center disc.

(1) set of sand bags.

Purpose: To have the practitioner demonstrate his ability to place precise fire on a distant and small target. Practitioner will have to demonstrate the regulation of his sights.

Process: Practitioner will use the sand bags to place 5 shots in the 4” circle painted on the Pepper Popper. The practitioner will then place 5 shots on the Pepper Popper from free style.

ATSA STUDY GROUP

July 17, 2004

DOTS

Pit: 2

Props: Three IPSC targets with six dots. The lower right hand dot will be 1 ½” in diameter. The remaining five dots will be 3” in diameter. Dots will consist of two columns of three dots.

Purpose: To allow the practitioner to practice using the sight appearance on the defined target as an indicator of the finesse required to the trigger to accomplish the required shot. The practitioner should “read” the sights as they appear on the designated impact area to determine the required finesse for the trigger.

Process: Beginning at “engage ready” the practitioner will place 10 shots into the designated impact area of the dot identified for each string. No less than 8 shots are to be in the designated impact area for each string. The practitioner is to “read” the sight appearance on each impact area to determine the amount of finesse required to the trigger for each designated impact area.

Dot: 1 Lower right dot. 1 ½” Range 3 yards.

Dot: 2 Lower left dot. 3” Range 5 yards.

Dot: 3 Center left dot. 3” Range 7 yards.

Dot: 4 Center right dot. 3” Range 10 yards.

Dot: 5 Top left dot. 3” Range 15 yards.

Dot: 6 Top right dot. 3” Range 20 yards.

Head shots. 6”x6” Range 25 yards.

ATSA STUDY GROUP

July 17, 2004

THE WEAK AND THE STRONG

Pit: 3

Props: Four Pepper Poppers and one 8” knock down plate.

Purpose: To allow the practitioner to practice strong hand and weak hand engagement in a man on man exercise.

Process: Pepper Poppers and the knock down plate are set in a “V” formation with the KD plate at the center of the “V” and closest to the practitioners. The KD plate is 10 yards from the practitioners and the PP’s are set at 11 yards and 13 yards.

Exercise 1: Two practitioners will stand side by side in front of the target array. On the start signal, they will draw from the holster and knock down the two PP’s on their respective side of the “V” formation. They will then engage the KD to determine the winner of the round. All shooting on this exercise will be strong hand only. There will be three runs for this exercise to determine the overall winner between the two practitioners.

Exercise 2: This exercise will replicate Exercise 1, except it will be done weak hand only.

The start signal will be the draw process by one of the practitioner’s. A flip of the coin will determine which practitioner will be the initiator on the first string. After the first string the initiator will alternate from string to string with each pair of practitioners.

ATSA STUDY GROUP

July 17, 2004

SPEEDING

Pit: 4

Props: Five steel gongs

Purpose: To allow the practitioner to practice shooting at speed, freestyle, strong hand and weak hand.

Process: At 10 yards from the target array the practitioner will, on the signal “gun” do a presentation from the holster and engage the 5 steel gongs as rapidly as possible.

Exercise 1 will be freestyle.

Exercise 2 will be strong hand only.

Exercise 3 will be weak hand only.

Time to complete the exercises will be kept. The total time of the tree runs will be combined. Three seconds will be added to the time for each miss.

ATSA STUDY GROUP

July 17, 2004

THE CARBINE

Pit: The Rifle Range

Props: Four IPSC targets and one steel gong.

Purpose: To allow the practitioner to experiment with “reading” the sights to determine the degree of trigger finesse required to make shots on man sized targets within 100 yards.

Process: The practitioner “reads” the sight appearance at the varying ranges to determine the degree of finesse required to make the shot demanded.

Exercise 1: 10 yards.

From “contact ready” the practitioner transitions to “engage ready” and fires one shot into the head of the target. The exercise is repeated, firing one shot to the body.

Exercise 2: 25 yards.