World War II 82nd Airborne who observed a sight:
“that has never left my memory. It was a picture story of the death of one 82nd Airborne trooper. He had occupied a German foxhole and made it his personal Alamo. In a half circle around the hole lay the bodies of nine German soldiers. The body closest to the hole was only three feet away, a potato masher (grenade) in its fist. The other distorted forms lay where they had fallen, testimony to the ferocity of the fight. His ammunition bandoliers were still on his shoulders, empty of M-1 clips. Cartridge cases littered the ground. His rifle stock was broken in two. He had fought alone, and like many others that night, he had died alone.” (From the book, D Day, Stephen Ambrose)
Since an early age I have been fascinated with the nuances of “exceptional” performance. I believe it all started when I was in school, when a visiting teacher (the Coach) visited our school promoting the sport of soccer.
I remember the Coach as being a physically imposing man with the biggest thighs I had ever seen. He was impressive and demanded respect without asking for it or maintaining a heavy hand. He loved soccer and would occasionally sidetrack with a discussion on the “science of soccer”.
Through the following semester, we learned more about soccer than I knew about baseball, football and basketball combined. His instructional method made the class fun for everyone, despite a student’s athletic abilities or conditioning. His class focused on teamwork and eliminated super star attitudes. Yet, when he singled out a student who had exceptional technique or made a great move, it was to explain in great detail what made the technique or move successful.
At the end of the semester, the Coach brought in 2 PE majors that were finishing their teaching internship. By this time we were scrimmaging and ultimately both of the PE majors participated in the games. They were both on the college soccer team; they were fast, strong, aggressive, and very competitive. For a bunch of kids in a part of the Country where soccer was new, these two young teachers were nothing short of awesome.
Afterwards the class encouraged the interns to scrimmage Coach. The Coach attempted to avoid the match until one of the interns told him they would take it easy on the “old guy”.
Once the game started, the coach/teacher/educator disappeared and the persona of a seasoned athlete manifested. I remember how much quicker and explosive the Coach was compared to his juniors, and how he moved with a fluid gracefulness. Time and again the Coach outmaneuvered the two college athletes with a skill that seemed relaxed and effortless. It ended with the young studs embarrassed and scratching their heads.
Later we were told the Coach had played professional soccer in Europe. Around 45 years of age, he was twice the age of the college soccer players. He did not have the speed, strength or the conditioning of the younger athletes, but he out performed them in every facet of the scrimmage.
The Coach was not faster, but quicker. He was not stronger, but more explosive. His movements were not reactive, but always a step ahead of his opponents. He was not over-powering, but precise. The Coach had something special, that gave him the competitive edge.
Every profession has someone who exudes something special. For example;
Professional sports has Tiger Woods.
Business has Warren Buffet and Steve Jobs.
Neural-science has Joseph LeDoux.
In each case, these individuals represent the pinnacle of their profession. But why? And more importantly, how can we study them to capture those special traits and pass it on in our own profession?
Over the decades of studying various aspects of human performance, I have learned we can divide practitioners (of any profession) into 3 broad categories; the average, the exceptional, and the gifted.
The average composes 80% of any field, for they are those that are adequate enough to perform their skills and be acceptable.
The exceptional are those that practice the fundamentals longer, research better techniques that allows them to study, train and refine. They are 20% of the group.
The elite comprise the top 10% in performance. Many believe the elite are born with traits or characteristics that are perfectly matched to their profession. But they also are distinguished by their passion, drive or “heart” - today we call it commitment to a mission - that places them into the elite category.
In organizations, the elite are the leaders of the industry. In sports, the elite are gold medalist and highest paid athletes. In science, the elite receive a Nobel. In journalism, the elite attain the Pulitzer. In business, the elite make the front page of a Fortune Magazine. When the elite are pulled together for a round table session, they are the handful that dominate their profession.
In the past 3 decades I have learned to appreciate the difference between elite athletes, brilliant minds, and cutting edge leaders within various trades. But the elite still fall short of those who have that something special. Those who Hericletus described 2500 years ago when he said, “ah, but the one.”
What is about the one who has something special? We know for certain it is not physical attributes, for most everyone who has that something special quality is not the fastest or the strongest. It is certainly not the intellect, as most of the successful business leaders, academics and scientists are not in the top 1% of their graduating class.
While there are always anomalies to the rule, those that have something special are average to above average in physical abilities and intellect. We know the special are driven, another word for “spirit, mindset, heart, passion, commitment, or mission driven”.
Among professions the “one” are celebrities. They are the rich, the famous, those who influence an industry. They provide entertainment, they create jobs, or they enhance our lifestyles. Their impact on society varies, and they contribute in some special way.
But in regards to humanity, it is the professional warriors who move into the storms of aggression, who expose their back to provide cover for the innocent, who hold the line while others retreat or flee, and who knowingly sacrifice their lives to save the hopeless.
Throughout the history of humanity, the “one” who have that something special are professional warriors. They are criminal justice officers, soldiers, firefighters, intelligence officers, rescue workers, combat aviators, combat computer technicians, teachers of young developing minds, as well as the final line of defense, the CCW community.
During the D-Day invasion, a lone 82nd Airborne trooper left a testament of something special. He died the death of a professional warrior to stop the atrocities of the Nazi machine who were murdering millions who they believed were genetically inferior.
7 years ago today on September 11, 2001, humanity across the globe saw something special when professional warriors entered two buildings to rescue thousands.
No one debates the contributions of professional warriors, only how can we better educate and enhance a professional warrior’s.
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The mission of the Warrior Science Group is to enhance the education and performance of the professional warrior through the study of the hard sciences. Throughout the near future, we will explore Warrior Science from a holistic view that encompasses as many facets of human performance as possible. Some will include technique, training principles, fitness, stress physiology, nutrition, leadership - all of which contribute to developing that something special trait.
You will note WarriorScience.com has taken a broad approach to what constitutes today’s professional warriors. Thus, you will see articles addressing a wide range of clients from the criminal justice officer and soldier who are on the front lines, to the rescue workers and first responder, to the last line of defense (CCW permit holder). We will develop information for the operator, the trainer and the administrator.
Our goal is to update the entire site once a month, that will include daily news updates. And we also want to have some fun in the process.
For the PPCT community, in time we will transition all of the PPCT website (now located at www.ppct.us) to www.WarriorScience.com.