Ken Todd Group Chief Instructor Germany employing an oblique kick
Berlin was the first stop short course in Germany that was part of the July Thailand Germany short introductory courses circuit.
This course was for current and new phase 1 basic CQC exponents and phase 2 and 3 assistant instructors and instructors of the phase 1 basic package.
The course was a short introductory two-day course where exponents were introduced to the Todd Group European military unarmed offensive and counteroffensive assault as well as phase 1 basic military self-defence tactics and skills.
Skills delivered were predominantly primary options of threat neutralisation and some emergency options for situations when compromised and taken by surprise.
2017 has seen a number of introductory short courses added to our already capacity schedule for recruiting purposes to identify committed exponents for attendance of later intensive week-long courses of instruction.
The courses attract new entry practical types that don’t want to train in traditional fighting arts or combat sports but want to know military self-defence methods to protect themselves as well as services personnel wanting military close combat and military self-defence training to make them safer and increase objective achievement in the execution of their duties.
There are more and more individuals applying that have been training in various martial arts self-defence styles and have developed interest in wanting to train from military instructors in the current military CQC and self-defence systems they instruct to the military.
There are also those that want to train from instructors that have instructor qualified from European military leading instructors from World War II.
These interested and committed enthusiasts of MSD/CQC may well be recruited on courses such as the recent Berlin course.
Often their pathway to European military CQC and MSD is through determining they want more practical skills to take care of themselves and they research instructors’ lineages and the systems to make sure they are military instructed courses of instruction.
They are getting more savvy at determining if there are better and safer ways to neutralise threats and they want their questions answered up front about instructors’ qualifications and if the instructed skills are currently being instructed to the military.
Short courses that identify such willing realists are proving their worth and this fits with our recruiting regime and training ethos of identifying training testing proving and qualifying one confident competent candidate at a time.
The short courses are also good opportunities for assistant instructor and instructor under assessment familiarisation and training for our phase 2 and 3 members.
The Doc a committed CQC Instructor truing up an exponents hard cover guard
Introductory short courses allow for attendees to determine if military self-defence and military close quarters combat is what they are looking for and also to identify if they are committed realists with the attitude and determination required to undergo longer courses of intensive training and testing.
The courses are volunteer courses of instruction where attendees can observe or partake in any of the instructed modules in relation to their physical capabilities mental makeup and line with any injuries they may be carrying.
To move up through the ranks as civilians in the Todd Systems of European military self-defence and European military unarmed combat exponents must be mentally tough and committed to self-improvement.
They must strive to achieve high level competency and be prepared to accept the challenges of preparation training for phase 1 testing and the rigours and realities of phase 1 testing.
Often attendees that have prior training in self-defence styles are not prepared to test and find the training very different to what they are accustomed to.
Those that are not capable or not wanting to test can at least learn the tactics and skills of the phase 1 basic package at a level and rate that fits their capabilities.
Rank and promotion in the Todd Systems of European military self-defence and European military close quarters combat have mandatory completed training courses requirements prior to volunteering for phase 1 basic testing.
Passing phase 1 testing is required for promotion to phase 2 advanced training and completing a mandatory 400 hours of phase 2 training is required prior to volunteering for phase 2 testing.
Passing phase 2 testing and being accepted for phase 3 specialist armed and unarmed combat training is a requirement to undergo such training.
Assistant instructor and instructor qualification requires previous completion of the mandatory training hours and passing of the testing phases prior to being accepted for assistant instructor training and assessment and instructor training and testing.
From initial enquiries and applications to applying for short introductory courses like the Berlin course and then committing to attending a week-long intensive course and undergoing and passing phase 1 testing enables a pathway from entry through to basic level proving off competency and mental toughness and becoming a recognised group member.
Completing training without passing one’s testing phase is not testament to combative capability in the Todd Group.
You become recognised through being prepared to volunteer for testing and quietly and confidently surpassing the mental toughness and skills competency requirements proving yourself under threat neutralisation requirements.
Those that are not up for testing or do not want to test can attend as many phase 1 basic courses of instruction as they wish to so they can remain current in the phase 1 basic package.
The phase 1 basic package is the most important training package as it provides the primary basic means of violent threat neutralisation by the simplest means.
While it won’t make you a champion combat sports person it will maximise your chances to neutralise formidable foes by means and methods that would never be allowed in any combat sport.
It all comes down to the individual combatant’s mental toughness which is the most important factor as the very best skills are worth little if the individual does not have the mental toughness to deal with their fears and employ primary CQC methods of threat neutralisation.
Improvised armed threat neutralisation, unarmed ravaging of vulnerable life-support targets and destruction of delicate bodily vitals that can incapacitate a determined aggressor are skills that enable the underdog the best and safest combative chance of threat neutralisation.
The knowledge that they are learning the military CQC and MSD skills that are taught to the military elite is a major incentive for the practical realist to attend such training for civilians.
They do not want to fight competitively for many reasons, even though some of them are very rugged and mentally tough individuals.
Not only are a lot of people not prepared to train the military combative way but also some simply think they could not employ the brutally controlled and calculated CQC methods to neutralise another human being.
They all know there is always someone bigger and better and some with bad intentions so they must either be prepared to do what may be unthinkable to them in everyday life when theirs or their loved ones’ lives are in danger. Those that commit to CQC training believe in the military CQC ethos of threat neutralisation by proven dirty tricks is a safer more effective means of formidable threat neutralisation.
Most importantly they know to take some on in a fight that is bigger stronger and more skilled by fighting them is high risk and your chances are reduced by considerable.
This is why lightweights do not fight heavyweights and is why there are gender and weight categories in combat sports.
The best chance of threat neutralisation when you are the underdog is by dirty tricks brigade military CQC and MSD that has been developed for life or death battle field actions on threats from formidable enemies.
Conducting this short course in Berlin gives the attendees a taste of the CQC systems and is self-identifying in regards to their level of training commitment and inner resolve identifying what is required to partake in intensive training and testing.
Unarmed offensive and counter offensive assault basic skills training
Exponents on courses that are not accustomed to controlled aggression contact training without body protection or protective suits can be apprehensive at first but soon find training the way you will defend yourself in civilian life is very different to suiting up and pad work.
Unarmed combat and unarmed self-defence is brutally basic and must prepare practitioners for dealing with sudden aggressive shock actions on. They need to train the way they need to neutralise such threats to best prepare them for real life encounters where there are no rules safe environments or protective suits.
Similarly, military CQC training in battle dress and body armour as they will be dressed on the battle field is very important for reality and to learn how to go combative under such conditions.
The Berlin short introductory course over 2 days like all the introductory short courses the Todd Group conducts every year are also beneficial for word of mouth recruiting.
Short courses attendees that decide to attend a week long intensive course will be introduced to the Brain to Boot mental toughness package to provide practical methods to increase mental toughness and the personal psychological enhancement tactics and skills required to overcome fear and stress realities and neutralise threats. Combining the Brain to Boot tactics and skills with the best of dirty tricks brigade threat neutralisation tactics and skills, provides the individual under threat with their best chance of fast silent safe threat neutralisation.
The most important ingredient is mental toughness and when combined with skills that take no prisoners the individuals chances of threat neutralisation are increased by considerable.
Not all attendees on short introductory courses have what it takes to achieve and advance but at minimum they will have undergone effective means of threat neutralisation, whereas others will identify themselves as combative capable and committed to self-improvement and volunteer for an intensive course of instruction and testing phase.
The two-day introductory short course program gave new exponents a hands-on insight into the principles tactics and skills of phase 1 basic CQC.
Now it’s up to the individuals to commit to applying and volunteering to undergo intensive continuation training to ensure self-improvement promotion and advancement.
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