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[Hock]

As told by Police trainer Ken Murry...


Take 5 apes and put them in a large cage. In the center of the cage put a staircase.

Hanging from the top of the cage, put a banana hanging from a string. Arrange it such that whenever an ape steps on the top step to get to the banana a hose showers all the other apes with water. Eventually the apes will learn not to try to get the banana because they all get wet. They just will let it be.

Now, remove one ape and put a new one in. He will see the banana and try to get it, but as soon as he heads for the stairs the other 4 apes will beat the crap out of him, because they don't want to get wet. Eventually the new ape will learn not to climb the stairs. You can disconnect the hose at this point.

Change one of the remaining 4 original apes for a new one, leaving 3 original and 2 new. When the newest ape tries for the banana, the other apes will beat the crap out of him. The last one you changed out will participate in the beating because he wants to fit in and can't believe this idiot newcomer doesn't know the rules.

Continue to change out all the original apes, one by one, until you have 5 new apes. They will never go for the banana, and beat up any newcomers who try, and the only reason is because “That’s the way it’s always been around here.”

Just because “that’s the way it’s always been …” is insufficient reason to preserve the status quo of a law enforcement training program.

[Trainer]

First heard that as a "twleve chimp" story. I heard that it was actually based on science experiment.

[Hock]

Great example of "losing your way" in training.
Great example of, not only police training, but many classical martial arts "group-think."

Hock

[juszczec]

I see your point.  But now I'm gonna play devil's advocate.

Obviously the apes failed to find out that the original cause for what because the standard response was no longer present.  And, yeah, they could have tested it.


The question is, where/how do you apply this to somethiing bigger like armed/unarmed combatives?  What facts and assumptions need to be accepted as true?  Can any of them?  How about true most of the time?  Many of them?

Fighting, I think, is like English.  For every rule, there is an exception.  Kick a man in the groin and he'll be incapacitated - except the guy I saw catch a jumping spinning back kick in the nads, fly backwards 5 feet, get up and win the match. 

Stab someone in the head and they'll die - except the soldier in Iraq who's pictures were posted on this site with a 10 inch blade (I think) up to its handle in his skull.

So what can we count on as a given?

Mark

[Hock]

"So what can we count on as a given?"

Stay out of a room with 5 apes. It ain't gonna be pretty.

Hock

[grlaun]

I'd add to that:

Know about the 5 apes - take whats applicable from them for the future and move on. 

[Milldog1776]

And lay off the bananas!