The final HQ exported NZ short course of instruction

We are pleased to report the most recent Kapiti short course attracted a full muster of keen and willing exponents.

Both Phase 1 Basic and Phase 2 Advanced training was conducted as well as combined phases training.

Todd Group HQ is running at capacity and it is important that depots provide training in the regions throughout New Zealand and overseas.

We have capacity training and courses conducting schedules and heavy workloads with consultancy as well as providing advisement and information to our national and international members along with non-member enthusiasts of military self-defence and close combat.

Conducting full-time training and operating our own HQ facility and camp requires considerable workhours not only in the courses/training conducting but also in all the related duties.

Combine this with tactics and skills research and development and training equipment design, writing of training manuals and production and supply of CQC tradecraft specific training resources, administration, planning, facilities maintenance and upgrades and the list goes on and there are simply not enough hours in the day or boots on the ground to conduct all forms of training.

The recruiting, administration and facilitation of courses as well as the advance work relating to upcoming courses has increased by considerable over the last decade.

We are operating at critical manning on our training team with the demand exceeding delivery capabilities and as such some aspects have to be cut.

There will also be additional undertakings to take care of coming up to our 100^th anniversary celebrations here in NZ in 2027 that we need to be ready and prepared for.

Our most important focus is our rank and file and providing them with the very best of MSD/CQC training, as our members are dedicated individuals that chose to train long term and are not ordered or paid to undergo training.

They put in years of training and move up through the ranks and they must be our major focus.

Cutting NZ regional HQ conducted short courses is necessary to ensure our instructing team and our member exponents and proponents receive maximum training opportunities and maximum available training hours.

It is also the best means to recruit serious practical realist types that can accept the challenges of attending intensive one to several weeks’ duration courses.

These courses tend to attract more of the less serious types that are not prepared to attend intensive courses of instruction and volunteer for testing.

The training environment has changed considerably since the Covid-19 pandemic and so has the need for us to be proactive in our training provision means, methods and scope.

Todd Group HQ and Camp Todd will provide all New Zealand week-long or longer intensive and specialist courses of instruction with depot instructors providing entry, enabling and continuation training in the regions. International intensive and specialist courses of instruction will be conducted at our international hub country of Thailand.

All testing will be conducted at Todd group HQ/Camp Todd or at our international hub country of Thailand Todd Group facility.

This training provision regime is all about setting and maintaining standards and identifying those that are dedicated and committed and providing them with the best opportunities to complete mandatory training hours and volunteer and undertake testing phases.

Those that are serious and have the desire and resolve to apply, be accepted and attend intensive courses of instruction are the types we want to recruit.

Having depot instructors providing training in the regions to identify those that are serious and committed to being the best they can be will ensure they are at an enabling level at a minimum when they attend a Todd Group HQ/Camp Todd or Todd Group Thailand facility week-long course of instruction and testing phase.

This most recent Kapiti weekend course will put a halt to exported HQ conducted short courses and will ensure all attendees on Todd Group HQ and Camp Todd conducted courses are those that are prepared to undertake week-long intensive courses of instruction. This is very much getting back to the modus operandi of training provision we operated under for decades.

It is black-and-white, sign up if you are fully prepared ready and willing to undertake one of our intensive courses of instruction living CQC day and night for between one and three weeks.

The final weekend short course at Kapiti had a diverse group of entry-level and continuation training exponents.

Their levels of competency and confidence varied but they kept active for the full two days.

Training off the grid in the outdoors at Brent’s Kapiti depot was a fitting CQC environment and having three other Wellington area instructors in Phil, Hollis and Brent assisting ensured there was a good instructor to exponent ratio for combined phases training.

Attending exponents with more knowledge and experience than others willingly assisted new entry level attendees.

Over the weekend we covered a considerable amount of phase 1 basic training and practice and unarmed offensive and counteroffensive tactics and skills as well as some introduction to toughener and sickener combat milling and coming back from the dead.

The MSD military self-defence included seizure prevention and escape and short and long weapon disarming under incoming armed assault.

Keeping courses to a 14 exponents to 1 instructor ratio along with maintaining the old last bastion of positive bastardisation ethos and mil CQC camaraderie produces an environment conducive to the development of practical confidence and increased competency in violent threats neutralisation.