The term ‘combat triad’ was used long time ago by Jeff Cooper in defensive shooting to refer to the 3 key aspects required for success: mindset, gunhandling, marksmanship. In recent years, the term has generalized to represent: mindset, tactics and skills.
- Mindset – Any course of action requires a firm decision so that you are committed and willing to endure whatever hardship/pain during the process as well as the consequences after. This includes keeping a clear head and focusing on the ‘desired end-result’.
- Skills – Technical skills and knowledge. This includes ensuring the identifying, the maximizing, and the developing of an abundance supply of resources required. The term resources includes physical aspects like endurance, strength, adaptability, speed, etc. It can very well be weaponry like stick, key chains, magazines or whatever.
- Tactics – Not all skills are suitable in all situations. Tactics is about applying the knowledge of your skills and its limitations, knowledge of your opponent physical/mental abilities, plus the environment, to close / widen the gap between you and your opponent to ensure a desirable outcome. Tactic emphasizes on a planned adaptive ‘interaction’ between you, your opponent and the environment.
Exercise
- How does this relate to the list of ‘six harmonies’ or the list of ‘eight methods’ that are deemed so important to us? Can you map which is what or identify what is missing? (refer back to this post if you forgot what are the list of harmonies and methods).
- Which definition do you prefer and why?
Modern combat triad