Come March 2027 and the Todd Group will celebrate 100 years of mil close combat and mil tradecraft self defence training provision and trade craft training development.
Over the 100 years we have only had just two Master Chief Instructors in our founder, the late SGM Harry Baldock, and myself, military elite combat master instructor Geoff tank Todd.
The old HQ facility does not only include our schools of instruction in being a mil close combat and mil self-defence learning and training authority but is also a research and development centre for our European mil CQC/MSD excellence .
The training provision factor of difference has always been that both our chief instructors have been military qualified master instructors with considerable instructing service to the military regular forces and military elite.
Another very important point of difference is the Todd Group, formerly and formally the Baldock Institute, is the developer of the doctrine, training and management packages and the tactics and skills developers.
The soldiers and civilian enthusiasts we train get their training from the HQ source and tradecraft training skills developers.
While with Eastern fighting arts styles NZ gets such training directly or indirectly from overseas origins, where as we attract global operators and enthusiasts down under and to our Thailand facility seeking our European mil battle proven trade craft training.
Tens of thousands of military, law enforcement, close protection pers and civilian enthusiasts have been trained by us since 1927.
The Todd Group is involved in all aspects of our specialist tradecraft training including weapons, training weapons and specialist mil self-defence and mil CQC equipment design and supply.
We have a lineage and history of no other global training provider and are not only New Zealand’s first but are the only private specialist providers of our European military elite self-defence and military close combat full training packages globally.
Our century of training provision will be celebrated with a formal dinner at Larnach Castle along with attendees meeting at Todd Group HQ to take in the atmosphere of the oldest NZ close combat facility, including the history room and memorabilia equipment and training weapons displays.
Celebrations will include the opportunity for former and current members as well as VIP guests to observe the 2027 annual course at Camp Todd immediately following the formal dinner and official celebrations at Larnach castle.
Former members and current members wanting to register for the Centenary celebrations must do so from this link. https://toddgroup.com/todd-group-100th-anniversary-march-2027/
Obviously there will be considerably less seats available for the Larnach Castle formal dinner and official celebrations than perceived members and former members wanting to attend.
This being the case now is the time to register, remembering there are only allocated places available in regard to rank and status.
Next week we will conduct the 30th annual Todd Group HQ conducted course at Camp Todd and even in these global uneasy and somewhat hard times where there are limited flights and rising airfares, we have a full muster. Hard times only motivate and make more determined the serious dedicated and committed types.
We set stringent vetting and training or course joining conditions and requirements and conduct courses the true military CQC/MSD way and are pleased to report courses continue to achieve full musters of willing exponents and we annually have full courses and training calendars.
That being said with our long history and allied connections we can conduct and export even small group specialist training globally.
While we still have national and international depots, all major intensive courses of instruction are conducted by Todd Group HQ Master instructors in New Zealand at Todd Group HQ and at Camp Todd or in our international hub country of Thailand as well as out of our training depots.
The key to our longevity is setting and maintaining the highest standards and providing what serious enthusiasts expect in regard to hard heavy and hostile training regimes and testing the gruelling mil CQC way.
Applicants and our rank-and-file alike tell us it is the longest history as military qualified high level training providers and being trained by highly qualified military close combat Master Instructors that was of major importance to them when looking for and applying for training/course joining.
They simply want to be trained by military master instructors that are or have been long-term instructors to the military, including the military elite.
They thrive in the positive bastardisation non-PC environment where they are given every opportunity to prove themselves hands on and know there are no backhand salutes, political passes or any form of easy options.
The wide scope of training available from Todd Group HQ including dual country specialist close personal protection courses and self-minder courses as well as specialist law enforcement defensive tactics and military detainee handling training from the HQ development source of the training packages development are something that serious exponents, proponents and instructors seek.
Being able to get our specific training tactics and skills resources including continuation training manuals and DVDs directly from Todd Group HQ is important to our rank-and-file.
The Todd Group does not only develop military, law enforcement, close personal protection training packages and resources but also produces programs and training resources including our D-War: declare war against rape program and manual and Dads and Mums Little soldiers training manual for parents to instruct their youngsters in home and out and about safety and security, including with a major focus on abduction prevention, counter actions and canine threats neutralisation.
Our underdog training resources enable members to have their family members trained in very important safety, security and self-protection capabilities.
Alpha types that have been trained in trade-craft primary practices threat neutralisation are armed and have the capabilities to be able to combat or counter violence. Such alpha types applying for course joining can usually be easily trained and upskilled to be formidable if they are mentally tough practical realists but underdogs facing overdog violence require very specialist training to arm them with anti and counter capabilities and we take much pride in such training provision and put considerable time into such training packages, research and development.
One of, if not the most important resource we have produced is our brain to boot mental toughness package and bible sized book for the development of military close combat and urban self-defence mental toughness enhancement specific to violent threats neutralisation.
Members get exposure to the most current proven primary practices and specialist training equipment including training weapons to best arm them with primary threat neutralisation capabilities.
We have long-term Allied global instructors, associates and connections and for many years the Todd Group has been a global hub for European military armed and unarmed combat and military self-defence with leading military elite instructors, Master instructors and Master Chief Instructors visiting, instructing and partaking in courses of instruction.
Our rank and file get to be instructed by and rub shoulders with current and former-generations of military Master instructors like SGM Lawrence Jordan U.S. Army Special Forces retired, Maj Johnny Whipp Australian Army chief military unarmed combat instructor retired along with many of our regular and elite forces trained and instructor qualified members.
Training resources we design and provide have been designed the military CQC way to provide best capability and always with safety in mind.
The TSB 45, tactical safety baton 45° south is one such device that revolutionises safety in operational baton usage under violent assault threats, especially under no ballistic edged and bludgeon type weapon assaults.
This Todd Group invention is the only two handed grip expandable rotational baton where both hands are always behind the forward shaft and rear housing and not exposed to contact that in the case of edged and bludgeon weapon assaults that could well cause serious injury to the hands, fingers and thumbs and loss of retention of the baton.
Like with mil CQC and MSD skills development the same processes go into the development of training kit and weapons in maximising both safety and threat neutralisation objective achievement.
Setting and maintaining the highest close combat and military self-defence standards has always been our ethos and being involved in all aspects of our mil close combat tradecraft full time has contributed to our longevity and serious exponents seeking out our training.
We have our own CQC/MSD custom set up HQ facility and Camp Todd to provide our exponents and proponents with all the equipment and training environments to provide them with a high level close combat training experience where they can get in maximum training hours under week long intensive courses of instruction.
The centenary is a lot about paying respect to our former military master instructors for their training, testing, qualifying and them seeing fit to endorse, support and mentor us.
Our unique lineage includes my former instructors in SMG Harry Baldock, Col Rex Applegate, Pl Sgt Charles Nelson and others that will be remembered at our 100 years milestone celebrations.
The Centenary celebrations and 2027 annual course at Camp Todd will be my final duties as the Todd Group Master- Chief instructor and will include the official handover to our new Master-Chief instructor Kowley “Cowboy” Mitchell.
Cowboy will have put in 35 years post the centenary and has been an instructor to Regular and Elite Forces and has been involved in every aspect of our tradecraft training provision and training weapons and resources design and development.
He is right now certainly the best per with all the required skills and expertise required to lead the group forward into the future.
I will take on the role of overseas exported courses provision and will continue to support Cowboy and the group in any way I can.
The hundredth celebrations is something that will only happen once and I look forward to see as many former members and current members in attendance sharing in the enormity of the occasion and the camaraderie of meeting up with old and current training mates.
The included week long intensive course will be phase 1 basic training only for all ranks to avoid having to conduct separate phase 2 advanced and phase 3 specialist restricted training with having so many expected guests members and former members in attendance.
This will give the chance for former members and current members alike to observe or experience the most current proven primary phase 1 basic tactics and skills.
The course will be open to non-members applications depending on available Camp Todd accommodation. Link to course joining information and application facility https://toddgroup.com/todd-group-100th-anniversary-all-ranks-course-camp-todd-2027/
Current members course confirmation facility link https://toddgroup.com/course-confirmation/
My more than fifty years have gone by so fast and it has never been just a hobby or just a job but has always been an uncompromising commitment labour of love and a responsibility that I have taken very seriously.
It is the fine lads and lasses that have achieved high level capabilities that have provided my greatest satisfaction and have always been my driving force to arm them with primary proven capabilities.
Anyone wanting to experience true European mil close combat and self-defence under the command of Cowboy and I along with the training team in camp the military CQC way can apply.
