The OODA Loop: Why You're Getting Smashed Because You're Moving Too Fast

Slowing down is the fastest way to get better.

The single biggest difference between me as a white belt and me as a blue belt in BJJ?

I'm less spazzy.

That doesn't mean I know what I'm doing. Not yet.

But it does mean I'm not wasting energy thrashing around like a fish out of water.

Early on, Pr. Joe gave me a weird piece of advice:

It sounded insane. I'm already getting smashed. Now you want me to close my eyes?

But I tried it.

And something shifted.

Without my eyes, I had to feel. I had to notice where the pressure was coming from. Where the force was extending. Where I could redirect instead of resist.

I started slowing down. Not because I wanted to. Because I had to.

And when I slowed down, I started seeing things I'd been missing the whole time.

The same thing happens in life.

When you get knocked on your ass — at work, in relationships, in business — most people thrash. They react. They panic.

They waste energy fighting forces they don't understand.

And they wonder why nothing works.

What's Really Happening

You're getting smashed because you're moving too fast.

Not physically fast. Mentally fast.

You're reacting without observing. You're deciding without thinking. You're acting without understanding.

You're stuck in panic mode.

And panic mode burns energy, makes bad decisions, and keeps you trapped in the same bad positions over and over.

The Spazz Trap

Here's what happens when you're getting dominated:

Your brain panics. It sees the problem — mount, side control, back control — and it screams at you to do something.

So you do something. Anything.

You push. You twist. You thrash. You burn energy fighting against forces you don't understand.

And nothing works.

Because you're not observing. You're just reacting.

Reacting feels like effort. It feels like you're trying.

But reacting without observing is just expensive guessing.

On the mat, that looks like thrashing.

In life, that looks like:

• Sending an angry email without thinking it through
• Quitting your job in frustration without a plan
• Blowing up at your spouse because you're overwhelmed
• Making impulsive business decisions because you feel behind
• Throwing money at problems without understanding what's actually broken

You're reacting to the pressure. You're not solving the problem.

The Feedback Loop You're Missing

Most people think the problem is that they don't know enough techniques.

In BJJ, they think if they just learned more moves, they'd get better.

In life, they think if they just had more information, more resources, more options, they'd figure it out.

That's not the problem.

The problem is they're not processing feedback.

They get smashed. They try something. It doesn't work. They get smashed again.

And they never stop to ask:

They're repeating the same mistakes at high speed instead of learning from them at a useful pace.

The Real Cost of Moving Too Fast

Let's talk compound interest.

Every time you thrash without observing, you're reinforcing bad patterns.

You're training yourself to panic under pressure. You're wiring your brain to react instead of respond.

And over time, that becomes your default.

You get stuck in the same bad positions. You make the same mistakes. You burn out physically and mentally because you're working harder than everyone else and getting worse results.

The Hidden Tax on Your Relationships

Here's the part most people miss:

When you spazz, you're not just hurting yourself. You're making it harder for the people around you.

On the mat, spazzing is unpredictable. It's dangerous. It's exhausting to deal with.

Nobody wants to roll with the person who thrashes around without control.

In life, it's the same.

When you react without thinking, you:

• Damage trust with your team because they can't predict how you'll respond
• Push away your partner because they're walking on eggshells
• Burn out your clients because you're inconsistent
• Exhaust yourself because you're fighting every fire without learning from them

People stop wanting to work with you, live with you, or train with you.

And if people don't want to be around you, you're limiting your own growth.

The Recovery Problem

Here's the thing about getting knocked on your ass:

It's not the getting knocked down that's the problem. It's how long it takes you to recover.

Most people get submitted, swept, or dominated, and they stay rattled for the rest of the round.

They're still processing what just happened while the next thing is already happening.

They're always two steps behind.

In life, this looks like:

• Still stewing over last week's argument while missing what's happening now
• Obsessing over a failed project instead of learning from it and moving forward
• Staying paralyzed by a setback instead of adjusting and trying again
• Replaying what went wrong instead of observing what's actually in front of you

You're stuck in reactive mode with no way out.

Observe, Orient, Decide, Act: The Line That Matters

Here's the line most people don't see:

Reacting vs. responding.

Reacting is instinctive. It's fast. It's mindless.

Responding is deliberate. It's informed. It's effective.

Reacting burns energy. Responding solves problems.

The difference? The OODA loop.​

What the Hell is the OODA Loop?

The OODA loop was developed by fighter pilot John Boyd.

It stands for: Observe, Orient, Decide, Act.

It's a decision-making framework designed for high-pressure, fast-moving situations.

Like dog fights. Or BJJ. Or business. Or marriage. Or crisis management.

Here's how it works:

1. Observe: What's actually happening right now?

2. Orient: What does this mean? Where is the threat? Where is the opportunity?

3. Decide: What's my best move given what I know?

4. Act: Execute and gather feedback.

Then you loop back to Observe and do it again.

The faster you can move through the loop, the better your decisions get.

But here's the key: you can't skip steps.

• If you skip Observe and Orient, you're just guessing
• If you skip Decide, you're just reacting
• If you skip Act, you're overthinking

You need all four. In order. Every time.

Why Most People Skip Observe and Orient

Most people go straight from problem to action.

On the mat:

• They see mount. They push.
• They feel pressure. They thrash.
• They get gripped. They pull.

In life:

• They see a problem at work. They immediately start fixing it without understanding what's broken.
• They feel tension in their marriage. They react defensively instead of asking what's really going on.
• They lose a client. They panic and start discounting instead of figuring out why the client left.
• They get negative feedback. They justify and explain instead of listening and learning.

They never stop to observe what's actually happening or orient themselves to the situation.

And because they skip those two steps, their decisions are garbage.

They're acting on incomplete information. They're reacting to symptoms instead of solving root causes.

And they wonder why nothing works.

The OODA Loop Protocol

Here's how you use the OODA loop to stop getting smashed and start getting better:

Step 1: Observe — Slow Down and Feel

Stop trying to do something immediately.

On the mat:

Close your eyes if you have to. (Seriously. Try it.)

Feel where the pressure is coming from. Notice where your opponent's weight is. Notice where the grips are.

In life:

Before you react to the email, the argument, the setback — stop.

Ask:

• What's actually happening right now?
• What am I feeling?
• What are the facts, not the story I'm telling myself?

You can't solve a problem you don't understand.

Pressure test: Can you describe exactly what the problem is without adding interpretation or emotion? If not, you're not observing yet.

Step 2: Orient — Understand the Forces at Play

Once you've observed, orient.

On the mat:

Where is the force extending from? Where is it going?

What is your opponent trying to do? What are they setting up?

Don't fight the force. Find the angle.

In BJJ, fighting directly against pressure rarely works. You need to find the perpendicular angle, or at the very least, take the force they're giving you and extend it further. That way you can redirect instead of resist.

In life:

Where is the real pressure coming from?

• Is your boss actually upset about this project, or are they under pressure from their boss?
• Is your partner actually mad about the dishes, or are they feeling unappreciated?
• Is your business struggling because of marketing, or because your offer doesn't solve a real problem?

Don't fight the surface issue. Find the root cause.

Pressure test: Can you identify the actual source of the problem, not just the symptom? If not, you're still guessing.

Step 3: Decide — Pick One Move

Now that you've observed and oriented, decide.

What's your best option given what you know?

Not three options. Not five options. One.

Commit to it.

On the mat:

Pick the escape. Pick the sweep. Pick the submission.

Don't hedge. Don't half-commit.

In life:

• Pick the conversation you need to have.
• Pick the project you're going to focus on.
• Pick the decision you're going to make.

Indecision is worse than a bad decision. At least a bad decision gives you feedback.

Pressure test: Can you name the specific action you're taking before you take it? If not, you're still reacting.

Step 4: Act — Execute and Gather Feedback

Now act.

Not half-heartedly. Not tentatively.

Commit to the move.

And then pay attention to what happens.

On the mat:

Did it work? Why or why not?

What did your opponent do in response?

In life:

• Did the conversation improve the relationship or make it worse?
• Did the pivot move the business forward or reveal a deeper problem?
• Did the decision create the result you wanted or teach you something you needed to know?

That's your feedback. That's how you get better.

Pressure test: After you execute, can you explain why it worked or didn't work? If not, you're not learning.

Step 5: Loop — Do It Again, Faster

The OODA loop isn't a one-time thing.

You do it again. And again. And again.

The more you do it, the faster you get.

Eventually, Observe and Orient become automatic. You start seeing patterns instantly. You start feeling the angles without thinking.

On the mat, that's when you stop surviving and start winning.

In life, that's when you stop reacting to chaos and start leading through it.

Pressure test: Are you consciously running the loop during every challenge? If not, you're still on autopilot.

Step 6: Close Your Eyes to Force Observation

This sounds crazy, but it works.

On the mat:

Roll with your eyes closed. Not the whole round. Just 30 seconds at a time.

When you can't see, you're forced to feel. You're forced to observe. You're forced to slow down.

In life:

Remove the distraction.

• Turn off notifications and focus on the one problem in front of you.
• Stop scrolling for comparison and focus on your own progress.
• Stop asking for more opinions and trust what you already know.

Close your eyes to the noise so you can feel what's actually happening.

Pressure test: Can you focus on one problem for 30 minutes without distraction? If not, you're relying on inputs as a crutch.

Step 7: Focus on Escapes, Not Attacks

As a blue belt, I'm not trying to submit people.

I'm trying to survive bad positions. To escape mount. To recover guard. To improve position.

That's where the OODA loop matters most.

When you're stuck in a bad position, you have time to observe, orient, decide, and act.

When you're attacking, you're moving too fast to process.

In life:

When you're in a bad position — failing project, struggling relationship, financial pressure — don't try to win immediately.

Focus on:

• Stopping the bleeding
• Stabilizing the situation
• Improving your position incrementally

Learn to use the loop defensively first. Then apply it offensively.

Pressure test: Can you consistently escape bad situations using the OODA loop? If not, don't worry about winning yet.

The White Belt Who Closed His Eyes

When I was a white belt, I was getting smashed constantly.

Bigger guys. Stronger guys. Faster guys. Younger guys. (Seriously, I've yet to find someone older than me at my gym.)

One day, an instructor told me to close my eyes while rolling.

It felt ridiculous. But I tried it.

And suddenly, I could feel things I'd been missing.

Where the weight was. Where the grips were. Where the force was extending.

I started finding the perpendicular angles. The places where I could redirect instead of resist.

I stopped fighting against the force and started working with it.

And that's when I started getting better.

Not because I learned more techniques. Because I slowed down enough to observe what was actually happening.

The same applies to life.

When I stopped reacting to every email, every setback, every criticism — and started observing what was actually happening — I made better decisions.

I stopped wasting energy. I stopped burning out. I started solving real problems instead of fighting symptoms.

I stopped surviving and started responding.

The Excuses I Hear (And Why They're Wrong)

"I don't have time to observe. Everything happens too fast."

That's because you're reacting.

Slow down.

Even one second of observation is better than thrashing.

"I need to learn more techniques first."

No, you need to learn to use the ones you know.

More techniques without better decision-making is just more confusion.

"Slowing down feels like I'm doing nothing."

Slowing down is doing something.

You're observing.

You're orienting.

You're making better decisions.

That's not nothing — that's everything.

"I'm too tired to think during a crisis."

Then you're burning too much energy reacting.

Slow down.

Observe.

You'll be less tired because you'll waste less energy.

"I just want to get better faster."

Slowing down is how you get better faster.

Speed without understanding is just expensive repetition.

Put It on the Line: Your 72-Hour Challenge

Here's your challenge:

Pick one situation this week where you consciously run the OODA loop.

It could be:

• A tense conversation
• A business decision
• A conflict with your partner
• A problem at work
• A setback in training

Observe. Orient. Decide. Act.

Do it slowly. Do it deliberately.

At the end of the week, ask yourself:

"Did I react, or did I respond?"

If you reacted, you're still moving too fast.

If you responded, you're starting to get it.

The Standard That Separates the 1%

The best grapplers I've trained with — on the mat, in the dojo, in life — don't move faster than everyone else.

They move smarter.

They observe more. They orient better. They decide faster. And they act with precision.

They're running the OODA loop faster than you can see.

You can do the same.

But only if you're willing to slow down first.

Hit reply and tell me:

What's one situation where you spazz instead of observe? And what would change if you slowed down enough to feel what's actually happening?

Let's put it on the line.

— Chuck

⚔ The Dojo Drill

Today’s training:

The Compliment Drill

Give someone a specific compliment today.

Not flattery.

Observation.

📚 Leader’s Library

Book I recommend this week:

​The Obstacle Is the Way — Ryan Holiday​

Why?

Because the obstacle you're avoiding is the success you're not having...

Asking for your help

P.S. Know a martial arts gym owner who’s stressed about money or student numbers?

Can you do me a favor: send them to The Leader's dōjō 武士道場, my free Skool where I help owners get more students and keep them longer with simple systems.

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Chuck