Jeff Cooper Resources (Further Reading)

Jeff Cooper's Commentaries, which appeared in the pages of Guns & Ammo magazine, are available at:

http://dvc.org.uk/jeff/

Jeff Cooper Legacy Foundation

http://jeffcooperfoundation.org/news/

Tribute to Jeff Cooper, on Father Frog's website:

http://www.frfrogspad.com/cooper.htm

Jeff Cooper Books

http://www.jeffcooperbooks.com/

Influences, Part I: Colonel John Dean "Jeff" Cooper and The Color Code

Jeff Cooper is a monumental figure in the realm of self-defense with a pistol. A lot of us looked to his writings back in the day when there were few voices giving advice to those interested in taking some responsibility for our own safety.

He didn't invent everything he taught, but he put it all together into a system that made a lot of sense. He also described his system in terms that could be understood and used by the rest of us. Some of the elements of his system included:

• Awareness and the Color Code
• Attitude and mental toughness
• Modern Technique of the Pistol
• The 1911 pistol in .45 ACP caliber

Even if you're not a dyed-in-the-wool "Cooper Trooper," there are ideas from the Colonel that can be incorporated into anyone's approach to self-defense. Perhaps the best of these is the Color Code.

The Color Code

The thing to remember about Col. Cooper's Color Code -- as I understand it -- is that it is an indication of the mental state of the individual and that individual's readiness to fight, not a measure of the threat level in the environment.There are four colors in the concept:

Condition White - Unaware and unprepared. If attacked, a person in Condition White is not ready to defend him or herself and will likely have no inkling of the attack until it's too late. Unfortunately, many people go through life in Condition White.

Condition Yellow - Relaxed alertness. A person in Condition Yellow is not looking for any specific threat, but is aware of what is going on in his or her surroundings. Good drivers spend their time on the road in Condition Yellow. They know what is going on all around their vehicle, and they are alert for accidents, road hazards, careless drivers, etc. Anyone who carries a firearm for self-defense should be in Yellow. This condition is not taxing or tiring, and it's possible to be in Yellow for 95% or more of your waking life. People familiar with the Color Code sometimes refer to, "Living in Condition Yellow."

Condition Orange - Heightened alertness, with a focus. Something isn't right or has caught the attention of the person, and is being examined as a potential threat. Perhaps it's someone in a coat on a hot day, or a car coming down a dark street with its lights off. At the same time, the general alertness and awareness of surroundings is maintained. It would not do to focus on someone blocking your path and miss his partner sneaking up from one side.

Condition Red - Ready to fight. A potential threat has been identified, and the defender is waiting on a "trigger" -- set during Condition Orange -- before taking action. It might be a potential threat's distance: "If he comes any closer with that knife, I'll shoot." It could be some other action: "If that hand comes out of his pocket with a weapon, I'll stop him." The defender may or may not have a weapon in hand at this moment.