This most recent week-long intensive course of instruction attracted serious, dedicated and committed exponents. This is the advantage of conducting small group specialist courses of instruction over a week duration.

The course was conducted out of Todd Group HQ enabling visiting exponents to stay in the city.

The phase 1 test was conducted at camp Todd on day six.

We have had a full schedule of courses intake inductions and individual and small group training for local and visiting exponents this year.

Todd Group HQ being a designated specialist close combat and military self defence training facility provides all the tradecraft specific kit and equipment to enhance the training experience.

The course also included a visiting assistant instructor/instructor course of instruction.

As always time on intensive courses of instruction is fully utilised and the testing phase comes round quickly.

Only one exponent volunteered to be a candidate for phase 1 basic testing at Camp Todd.

This is testament to the exponent’s that did not test on this occasion being grounding and having a realistic understanding of where they are at in relation to the levels of competency.

They were given the option to participate in the phase 1 basic test as enemy party and some took up the offer and this experience will help them with their future testing.

The phase testing as usual is a hard, heavy and hostile environment far removed from the cheering and encouragement of many committed competitive and fighting arts environments.

The candidates are expected to dig deep and perform at a high level of commitment and competency with no encouragement.

This is to prepare them for the realities of defending themselves under actions on assault.

The test does not favour or prejudice any candidate and they need to be able to take orders and instructions and fulfil them to the very best of their ability.

They need to be hard-nosed, grounded, practical realists that are not adversely affected by hard, heavy and hostile verbiage and actions but through their brain to boot mental toughness training know how to endure and overcome the effects of hostility.

Often competency and proficiency levels can be reduced under testing due to the nature of the testing including the stresses and fears that the surroundings, environment and proceedings can produce.

Candidates that succeed under testing are those that are truly practical realists that are well grounded and that have a realistic factual knowledge of their inner resolve, intestinal fortitude and practical combative mental toughness as well as have achieved the high level of competency in all tested skill sets required to pass testing. There is nowhere to hide and every error and inadequacy is apparent.

Not only must they realise testing errors but also they must expect a right old bollocking from the training team Master- Instructors overseeing the testing phase.

They must not only be highly committed but also must be safety conscious and conduct themselves with committed controlled aggression at all times.

The most recent candidate had demonstrated high level capabilities for some time under training, but those high levels were reduced somewhat under the realities of the testing regime.

The enemy party provided a real time reality check and ensured the candidate had to perform above the accepted level to achieve his pass.

This is a common reality of the difference of intensity and enemy party between enabling training and effective passing of testing phases.

The usual post testing phase feast at camp Todd was a fitting end to a solid week long intensive course of instruction.

Having attendees from wide ranging backgrounds, various services and with prior training in combat sports and civilian self-defence styles makes the course dynamics interesting and diverse and gives the attendees a new perspective by hands-on experience of what our military close quarters combat and military self-defence is like and how different it is to their prior training.

This type of comment is very much the norm with attendees that have undergone civilian type self-defence training or traditional fighting arts styles training and gradings.

The biggest problem on intensive courses attended by those that have dedication and commitment to achieve, is not the mil CQC/MSD training experience for them as civilians or their prior styles experience but is more the requirement to achieve objectives, by means of controlled aggression and target accuracy employment of dirty tricks brigade foul methods of proving their threat neutralisation capabilities.

Another course down and now we are preparing for the upcoming dual country close personal protection course of instruction.

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