November 25-30 was the last public application military combative course to be exported to Thailand by the Todd Group for 2013.

This brings to an end a full year’s calendar of headquarters as well as national and international exported courses of instruction.

The exponents on Todd Group courses are usually made up of both civilian and military personnel. The combined civilian serious proponents and military proponents compliment one and other on course. The joint training experience of both service pers and civilian proponents living military CQB/CQC together develops a great mutual respect for one and other.

Group Skills Drills.

We have Regular Force and Special Operations personnel on selected courses of instruction and they all thrive on the challenge and describe the tactics and skills as just what they are looking for and have been looking for in many cases for considerable time.

It is an unusual situation to have combined groups of civilian and military personnel training in phase 1 basic, phase 2 advanced and phase 3 specialist all at the same time in different locations of the training facility simultaneously.

This was the case for the latest combined military and civilian course of instruction for selected Royal Thai Navy personnel that combined with Todd Group instructors and phase 1,2 and 3 combative proponents at Marine Bay Navy base Chonburi.

The civilian attendees thrive on barracks life and the long days involved with wide-ranging aspects of close quarters combat, close quarters battle, defensive tactics and self protection training.

Phase 1 pre beach CQC training brief.

From eight hours plus a day of land CQC to amphibious CQC, lectures presentations and short course training including the defensive tactics tactical control and restraint module, the exponents and instructors are kept busy living combative training the intensive military course of instruction way.

It is very much a reverse role when you consider the instructors by majority are civilians with decades of exponent and instructor participation experience and qualifications instructing military personnel. The reason it works for the Todd Group is the long and respected history of military training provision that was established by our founder the late Harry Baldock.

The military pers thrive on the opportunity to be trained by Todd Group instructors that have decades of instructing experience.

The Todd Group being the oldest training provider of its kind globally have protected the teachings and ensured they are the most current and proven and as such this reality attracts practical realists striving for combative excellence and wanting to challenge and test themselves.

This trip included meetings with police and military in regards to the Todd systems and future courses of instruction for South East Asia. The inquiries for providing training keep coming in.

The most recent Thailand course attracted a full course of phase 3 specialist proponent attendees that also were involved in instructing primary skills from a predetermined module under assessment as part of their instructor continuation training.

The phase 1 course of instruction included both the military and civilian attendees and had the services of our translator when required.

Phase 2 CQB back up edged weapon armed ground combat training.

Phase 3 instructor brief.

Phase 3 armed CQB training.

I personally have trained military personnel from many countries that do not speak English and have had no problem in doing so by employing the military CQB/CQC training methods to achieve this. (Mimic my movements) at entry drill level.

Taking a look around the three locations of the outdoor training field and you could see just how committed and serious the attendees were.

They worked away diligently learning and practicing the skills of their phase of training focusing on skill first speed second and power and velocity generation as a result of proficiency gains in the previous components.

But most importantly they concentrated on the dirty tricks that would give them the best means to combat or counter a formidable enemy threat.

Phase 1 truing of the cover guard.

Three nights were spent in the sea training in phase 1 basic amphibious close quarters combat and self defence as well as phase 2 advanced amphibious CQC.

The phase 3 attendees underwent phase 3 specialist deliberate lethal amphibious CQC.

Phase 3 amphibious assault preparations for training.

The brain to boot psychological conditioning and preparation for extreme battlefield violence package was outlined to all phases of training prior to this package being generally released as planned for 2014.

The camaraderie was ripe and the willingness to share everything on course made it a very special and for many a different experience that they will not easily forget. Some civilians simply do not understand the importance of leaving their selfish ways behind and working as a team rather than an individual out for the best and most comfortable they can get for themselves. They soon realise when their shortcomings are identified and quickly learn to be a team member and not a selfish individual. Through providing combined allied civilian and military training new friendships are formed and respect for one another is the outcome of kindred spirits committed to self-improvement powered by guts and determination shearing in the same experience.

While the Todd Group is responsible for the provision of instructors and instruction we never stop learning and observing wide ranging proponents enables us to identify small differences in skills or skills employments that are beneficial and would not be possible to identify without cross-fertilization through association.

The last several weeks I’ve spent instructing demonstrating consulting and conducting presentations as well as confirming courses for 2014 and 2015 and it has gone very quickly.

This course included in attendance the Todd Group’s head wrestling and grappling coach Caleb Steven on the phase 1 course of instruction.

Caleb instructed the civilian and military attendees in some basic freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling skills that were well received.

Wrestling basics training on the beach.

The attendees could see the similarities of some skills of our military CQB/CQC systems with wrestling as a result of wrestling being a combat sports derived from ancient European military armed and unarmed combat.

In another lesson I combined beach combative training that included hybrid kill wrestling and military battlefield unarmed combat for marines.

The Marines on course were very interested in this module.

Beach deliberate self-decentralisation maintaining weapon operation integrity.

The nature of the high level of inner resolve was blatantly obvious when I conducted crowd combat exercises and various methods of military factor of confusion CQC crowd combat training.

Such organized combative chaos exercises where everyone was vulnerable and must stay alert willing ready and able in order to neutralize any threat that came inside their kill zone truly brought out the best in the participants.

Both the military and civilian exponents enjoyed the crowd combat and factor of confusion military combative drills training.

Crowd combat conditioning and factor of confusion decision making training.

Training drills to enhance commitment to objective achievement.

 

The morning of day six and we had just one candidate willing able ready for the phase 1 test in Caleb Steven.

Combat milling toughener phase 1 test component.

Coming back from the dead enemy party seizure control and containment.

Phase test hold escapes component after hold prevention testing.

Phase 1 test disarming under entry assault and phase ambush at weapon point.

The combative component of the phase 1 test prior to battle handling exercises.

The enemy party was made up of phase 2 and 3 proponents all committed to ensuring Caleb had to surpass the required standards to achieve a phase 1 test pass.

This is important to the Todd Group headquarters rank and file as all candidates must surpass the required phase test standards and will as such if successful be accepted and respected for their achievement.

We are well aware that there can be considerable differences in physical attributes as well as skills capabilities but it is important that all candidates on the phase 1 test achieve the objectives required in relation to inner resolve and the employment of their decided phase 1 skills. We do not expect or accept anything less and there is no easy options favoritism or disadvantage extended to any candidate.

Caleb is reasonably light weight but with his wrestling background had the ability to hold position or change position with confidence that when combined with his phase 1 skills ensured he was a formidable candidate.

I have heard in relation to mixed martial arts at the highest level recently by commentators that the most important capability now is wrestling to ensure competitors can control their opponent maintain position as well as move and take down their opponent down combined with controlling them on the mat.

Wrestling being derived from ancient European military close quarters combat also enhances exponents capabilities in CQC training and testing as well as in battle field unarmed combat and self defence by means of sound physical capabilities.

You cannot chose your enemy on the battle field or in the street and in testing enemy per selection is not an option either. The Todd Group testing regime requires candidates to face and strive to neutralize any enemy party regardless of physical attributes or gender which aids in developing confidence in one’s self and in one’s primary skills.

Caleb attended the course with the desired attitudes commitment and attention to detail in relation to being the best combatant he could possibly be.

He surpassed all the required competencies levels and earned his phase 1 test pass and right to train in the phase 2 advanced package.

If it was easy and mainstream everyone could be open to doing it. We have achieved our reputation and status by training tens of thousands of exponents over more than 8 decades by providing training and testing that identifies those that have what it takes to join our ranks. There are no political passes or soft options.

From international rugby players to Olympic gold medalists body building and power lifting champions MMA heavy weights, boxers, wrestlers and kick boxing champions as well as military regular and elite forces personnel all mixed in with committed realist civilian combative proponents makes for a great training and testing ground for skills.

Military combative training is not for everyone but for those that are after dirty or for military combatants deadly battle field proven methods it does provide a tested and proven means to neutralize the most violent threats. We enable candidates to arm themselves with knowledge and test themselves under the control of highly qualified military combative instructors.

The Todd Group has more than 50 depot instructors nationally and internationally and in 2014 will expand our recruiting capabilities globally by targeting our primary exponent demographic that being committed alpha male/female realists.

Every year more and more services and individuals seek out our training services and from these committed realists our training provision expansion has been made possible.

It is most pleasing to note that all exported courses in 2013 have achieved return confirmed 2014 exported courses of instruction.

I have a week of continued individual tuition and group training to provide as well as meetings to establish training provision for next year before I head back to the old Todd Group headquarters.

Then a final visit to Southeast Asia between late December and early January will put an end to a very successful and capacity schedule year for the Todd Group.

If upon reading this post course article you consider you have the interest and will to train in the Todd CQC system and if capable ready willing and able test yourself striving to be the best combatant you can be then you simply need to check out the to date confirmed courses for 2014 at www.toddgroup.com and email us at [email protected] with the country and dates of the course you wish to apply for.

We will then provide you with the application official forms and process your returned application. If you meet the responsible citizen course joining criteria you will be advised on how to secure your position on an upcoming course.

Not all attendees test but those that want to progress must successfully test to advance.

Many for whatever reasons are happy just to train in the Todd systems phase 1 skills on our intensive week long courses, being volunteer courses allows for this.

I would like to thank the commander and the service personnel on course as well as my staff including the Todd Group instructing cadre and all the Todd Group proponents and exponents on this CQC exported course of instruction.

Stay Ready Willing and able to combat or counter anything and everything always.

Exponents and instructors on course comments.

We are so fortunate to be trained by instructors that train the military and police and have done for such a long time.

It is amazing being able to train with soldiers as a civilian and the people that you meet on Todd Group courses have so much knowledge and experience.

I have met and trained through chief instructors to of hand to hand combat to the super powers at the Todd Group and these experts all consider the Todd Group to be the best in the business.

I have been a Todd Group member for over 20 years and have attended many courses meeting so many leading military instructors that all hold Tank and the group in the highest regard. The Todd Group have the respect of the elite and that is something very special.

If I did not attend Todd Group courses I would not be able to go to the places I do and train with the people I do. Us civilians being able to stay and train in military camps with active serving soldiers through Tank and his team of instructors is a honor and something very special.

While most of my friends that train in martial arts look to overseas masters for their higher knowledge here in New Zealand, we are very fortunate to have the Todd Group with its long history of training military in hand to hand combat. People come from all over the world or get the Todd Group to go to their country and instruct CQC, simply because they have done the hard yards and are leaders at what they do.

There are many places you can learn martial arts and combat sports but in New Zealand there is only one place where you can be trained in current military CQB by elite military instructors and that is the Todd Group. A Thai guy on course told me that like in New Zealand in Thailand there is no other training provider like the Todd Group.

It is great to train with people that share in the same interests and values. The level of instruction including being trained one-on-one by military expert instructors is just incredible. The test phase is what all determined people on course want to do and is just the most practical way of testing yourself. Anyone who is capable but does not test is missing out on a real reality check. Until you have under gone phase testing at the Todd Group you are missing out on something very special indeed.

Being able to live in a military barracks and train with soldiers as well as have your questions answered by Todd senior instructors adds to the experience and benefits.

I have been on other courses promoted as close quarters combat but nothing even close to the experience and what you get on Todd Group courses.

I have visited the Todd Group home in Dunedin and the history there at the Todd Group goes right back to some of the big names in military CQB. Tank has an amazing collection and is so happy to show you around and let you look at his collection and files that include some very rare and valuable military CQB historical items and documents.

I asked about Tanks background and he let me look over his resume and it is just incredible. Course reports military certification and qualifications achieved over his entire life and signed off by the brass. I knew the first time I attended a Todd Group course that this was it for me.

The course management aspects of the Thailand course from applying to attending and being messed and all the varied training were perfect. This is another of Tanks strengths along with him being a master of instructing army CQB. He really ensures everything is addressed and being from the military myself where we have a lot of staff and resources at our disposal when it comes to conducting courses, I was so impressed with Tank’s attention to detail and ability to be flexible and make immediate changes when and where needed. We are in the best hands when being trained by the Todd Group.