The Todd Group began its close combat training in Australia during the late 1980's.
The Todd Group's entry into Australia came via a request from the now late Rangi Nichols of 'Who Dares Incorporated' to take on some of his instructing roles due to his failing health. Since then Todd Group depots have been established throughout Australia by depot instructors who have come up through the ranks.
Shane Gordon and Dave Stevens have been depot instructors and course coordinators for more than a decade and have been fundamental in the Todd Group's development and success in Australia.
All Todd Group instructors must have passed the gruelling phase one test. The Todd Group has been enlisted by companies in Australia looking for the most specialised close combat training available. There are no other organisations in Australia or the world that have such a training resume in European military specialist close combat.
The chief instructor Tank Todd has a lineage of no other military qualified CQB master instructor on the planet and is a current special operations CQB Master Chief Instructor.
The skills are current and battle proven and of European military origins and the personnel have had to earn their rank and right to promotion. The people that make it have the combative mentality are highly skilled individuals that are only interested in being the best they can be and do not want any back door entry or political pass.
Exponents are encouraged to experience all types of styles and systems and be knowledgeable and never close minded. The latest course was conducted by Tank and Shane Gordon, and Richard Turner coordinated the course. This was a full course with the thirty positions all taken in phases one and two of the Todd Systems.
Exponents included military qualified unarmed combat people, police, doctors, bodyguards, pilots, martial artist black belts, company directors and many trades and professionals. Depot instructors assisted on the course and undertook continuation training. There were several exponents who had trained in other CQB styles that have since joined the Todd Group. Spoken to over the week all exponents knew there was no easy way into the Todd Group but agreed they would never want to settle for second best. They said other courses they had attended were based on traditional martial arts, and combat sports and the instructors did not have qualifications in military CQC.
They found the reality to be very different when trained by a highly qualified military master chief and in European battle proven military CQB. They stated that there are many people out there that would not make it in the Todd Group and they doubt some military qualified instructors would pass the high risk phase testing. The training was conducted in two separate areas so that the phases could not observe each other training. This is because you must earn the right to be part of the advanced phase two or three training and you do not have the right to observe or partake under just any circumstances.
You can not learn this from a book, DVD or video, it is not for the general public and the skills are drawn from the Todd Systems military programs. The second reason is that there must be no distractions and training is a project to be continued not a task to be completed or interrupted due to distractions.
Tank oversaw both phases of training with assistance from Shane Gordon and Bryan Turner. The exponents were encouraged to ask questions and assisted with their skills improvements. They were particularly interested in the history and people in military close combat today and the employment of the skills in combat.
There were some characters on course and their traits and personalities once identified were well addressed in the camaraderie that is all part of CQB. I will state the very non-PC fact that it is certainly a man's world and the females that make it are very special exponents and not the norm.
Everyone had objectives to achieve and anything else was of no concern. That is the nature of the Todd Group courses front up, commit yourself and prove yourself.
Exponents and instructors during the lunch break could be heard reminiscing about their intakes or phase tests and asking each other what year they tested and did you know such and such etc. There were some real characters on course and during the bus trip to and from course the humour was rife.
Combat conditioning pre-phase test.
Exponents were introduced to the reality of field CQB with training exercises being executed uphill on uneven terrain. A very different reality to the indoors where mats and a flat even surface were the norm. Uphill multiple stands and tasks kept them honest. After five hard days of training came the time to step up to testing or stand down and observe.
There were twenty exponents eligible for phase one testing on day one and at the end of day five we had sixteen volunteers. After two phases of testing eight were removed from the testing phase for failing objectives.
Seven passed and one had to retest on the combative module. The standard was just average but all that passed had given their best and faced the risks, stresses and struggles of testing.
Post-phase one test group picture.
Some of the combative encounters were far from the desired quick and definite end and saw exponents having to call on all their inner resolve and energy to battle it out with opposition that was equally committed.
There were some badly battered bodies and with no protection or easy way out, the only way was to do the hard yards and employ the skills to the best of their ability.
The testing process is strict and does not favour or prejudice any exponent, it is merely a record of performance that determines whether an individual passes or fails. An above average phase test sees an average encounter ended in 3-10 seconds with one exponent on the ground and finished.
This was not the case in a majority of encounters on the test phase but the individuals desire to succeed and toughness was obvious. The next course is the annual international CQB course set down for March 2006 at the New Zealand headquarters followed by another group course in Australia August 2006.
After completing the course I had the privilege of travelling with my good friend Johnny Whipp back to Brisbane via Canungra Camp. It was a quality experience to visit the memorials to the training team and Vietnam Veterans with Johnny.
We had time to talk Military Unarmed Combat and plan for the future.
I spent the night at the home of Johnny and at long last met Mrs Whipp, before flying home the next day. Genuine friends like Johnny are what its all about.
Post-course visit to Canungra military camp with Major John Whipp.
Interested in Close Combat Training? Todd Group Depots are located throughout New Zealand and at various overseas locations.
For more information on Todd System of Close Combat see the following books, dvds and cds:
- Close Combat Books
The Do's and Don'ts of Close Combat – Tactical C&R – Control and Restraint – No Nonsense Self Defence – Military Close Combat Systems Phase One – Combative Masters Of The 20th Century - Close Combat DVDs
Self Defence of the Elite – 80 Years of Combative Excellence – Primary Option Control & Restraint – Military Unarmed Combat – Phase 1 - Close Combat CDs
Technique To Command – Combative Code of Conduct
