Pre-testing CQC training

Stamp kick stands training

August and September have been extremely busy with the planning and advance work for not only the week-long intensive September course but also the Todd Group HQ intake induction and the upcoming dual country close personal protection course followed by the Thailand courses circuit.

Recent interest in our European military CQC for responsible civilians has increased by considerable and led to full muster courses of instruction.

The accepted applicants have been mature practical realists that are seeking primary military self- defence and military close quarters combat training under the instruction of a military CQC/MSD Master- Instructor.

Mil CQC/MSD training is not an art or sport and attracts practical realists both male and female looking for military dirty tricks brigade skills that give them their best chances of defeating formidable foes.

Being based on foul means of assaulter incapacitation equates to giving even the underdog the best chance of defeating formidable foes.

Against the odds facing an assaulter of superior physical size and attributes including a male assaulter of a female such disparities can be overcome by means of proven foul military self-defence and CQC.

Most new entry exponents understand that European mil close combat/self-defence was developed to combat battlefield actions on and enemy fighting styles.

They want true military proven self-defence and CQC tactics and skills to win not merely survive under assault.

These are but some of the reasons men and women join our courses and training including experienced fighters. This course was no exception with exponents and instructors including fighters and coaches of top of top combat sports codes.

They have done their research and discovered that the Todd Group, formerly the Baldock Institute is the only such training provider of our specialist European military self- defence and armed and unarmed combat training packages with a lineage and longest private training provider in our trade-craft.

Settling for anything less than the best is not the mind-set of someone seeking primary self- protection and close combat capabilities.

Todd Group CQC courses attract exponent’s ranging from those that want to arm themselves with our most current effective and proven self-defence skills through to those that want to accept the challenges of testing and achieving advancement and rank.

Being volunteer courses exponents can opt to observe any facets of training that they want to and this enables attendee’s access to self-defence training at a level commensurate with the physical and mental make-up and capabilities.

Those that want to undergo phase 1 basic testing are given every assistance with their preparation for testing.

Many have aspirations of becoming a national or international Todd Group depot instructor in their country.

Those that do not test, pass testing and be selected for advanced Phase 2 and specialist Phase 3 training will not be able to advance beyond Phase 1 Basic training.

We do not release in the public domain our advanced and specialist training packages as to do so would be unprofessional, irresponsible and an insult to those that have had to pass grueling testing to achieve rank and access to advanced and specialist training.

The Todd Group is not a franchise and depot instructors keep all instructing revenue and receive every assistance and guidance from Todd Group HQ.

They must follow responsible trade-craft training provision practices as set down in their depot instructors SOP’s and conditions. This includes stringent applicant vetting requirements before an applicant can be accepted for training joining.

Recruiting information must be cleared and based on fact without any sensationalism or innuendo.

Testing is very self-revealing and grueling and many that have considerable training hours and grades in non-military self-defence styles fail to pass while others that are strong-willed practical realist types with no previous experience pass. More fail than pass as was the case with this most recent course testing and it’s not uncommon for all to fail.

If it wasn’t like this it would not best prepare candidates to neutralise violent threats.

Exponents find European military CQC very different to fighting arts based styles self-defence.

All testing must be conducted by Todd Group HQ to maintain the required high standards of candidates that pass. There are no back hand salutes, political passes or easy options.

Candidates must be uncompromising in their pursuit of objective achievement and surpass all requirements and testing levels of competency, confidence and need to be mentally tough.

Loyalty, integrity, responsibility, dedication and commitment are musts for membership.

Joining the group is one thing and maintaining membership is another as all members must conduct themselves responsibly within their CQC codes of conduct contracts and breaches will most likely lead to them being binned or resigning their membership as a result of their actions and being persona non grata.

Being a member and training in our primary mil self-defence and CQC is a privilege and not a given right.

Not all training exponents are ready after completing a week-long intensive course of instruction and some will require more training hours to ensure they are best prepared ready willing and able to overcome the adversity of testing.

The reality is those that have what it takes and are committed to achieving their objectives can do so.

Often it is the psychological stresses that defeat candidates over the physical rigours and risks of testing.

This most recent week-long intensive course of instruction has been plotted to replace the Auckland week-long course and will now be an annual course on our NZ calendar.

Exponents came from Auckland, Wellington, Cambridge, Christchurch, Blenheim, Dunedin, Otago and Southland.

They conducted themselves with maturity, respect and responsibility making for a top training experience.

PC is far from the realities of being effectively able to neutralise violent threats and as such the course must reflect this to best prepare exponents to defend themselves if under threat, overcoming the stresses and fears of threatening actions, verbiage and violent assault.

Many had not previously experienced true European military close combat/self-defence and found the harsh realities bastardisation and camaraderie far removed from anything they had experienced before, but it didn’t take them long to accustom themselves to living mil CQC and thriving under such a regime.

Hard, heavy and hostile is the modus operandi of our CQC/MSD training and testing. Undergoing testing to best arm candidates with the required capabilities to pass testing and ensure they have the highest personal chances of overcoming violent threats against them must be as realistic, challenging and demanding to best arm them with capabilities.

Exponents enjoyed not only the training, but also the unique experience of undergoing training in our designated training camp and at our HQ facility that was established in the same building in 1936.

They had the opportunity to check out our history room and look over our collection of CQC equipment, training weapons and memorabilia.

Having a 95 year history of excellence in our mil CQC/MSD tradecraft and being the developers of the tactics and skills and holders of the doctrine provides our exponents, proponents and instructors with training and assistance directly from the HQ source.

We would like to congratulate the one candidate that passed phase 1 testing and all the exponents and candidates that showed commitment to CQC self-improvement on this solid week long course of instruction and testing phase.

CQC drills to command

Toughener training on the testing phase

Edged weapon assault disarming

Live blade disarming

Long edged weapon assault disarming

CQC unarmed actions on testing

BHE’s surprise sudden shock actions on

Candidates must accept the realities of military close quarters combat training/testing as civilian enthusiasts quickly getting used of the requirements and training regime and must be commended for this.

The term boot camp is common in these days of various types of training, but is considerably different to residential day and night intensive week to two week long close quarters combat courses of instruction.

Living military CQC the military close combat training way on intensive week-long or longer duration courses of instruction has proven over the decades to be the best way to train, prove, test and qualify candidates.

Downtime on course included more training or involvement with close combat/self-defence related lectures, video presentations or evenings revision and preparation for testing.

If it was easy anybody and everybody would be able to attend and undertake training, but it is not and for good reason and we do not seek the masses as from the rest come the best as the old military adage goes and we are looking for those that are mentally tough, serious and committed to striving for close quarters combat and military self-defence excellence.

There were injuries on course that come with the territory that resulted in pain and discomfort as well as adversely affected capabilities, but this did not affect exponents and candidates willingness to keep going.

Just applying, being accepted and attending, joining in the spirit of the training regime identifies those that accept challenges from those that do not.

They all got it and understand there is no second best when it comes to best preparing oneself to defend the most important trophy, your life.

All attendees underwent an introduction to our contact inoculation program at Todd Group HQ and Brain to Boot mental toughness enhancement package at Camp Todd.

These two specialist training packages are most important as without high level intestinal fortitude/inner-resolve and an understanding of how to reduce or deal with the effects of close quarters contact combatants chances of defeating a formidable foe or foes are adversely effected.

We now prepare for exporting our specialist close personal protection course of instruction and a course circuit of our hub country of Thailand training facility locations.

This week long intensive course of instruction not only provided training and testing for phase 1 basic and phase 2 advanced exponents but also included phase 1 basic and phase 2 advanced assistant instructor and instructor under assessment training/qualification.

Abridged/Edited post course received comments.

I want to thank you for a great experience, R and I debriefed on a lot of thoughts on the way home and we both thoroughly enjoyed the week and learnt a lot, not only a lot from ourselves, and what’s required of each of us moving forward. We are open and honest about our deficiencies and the need to do more in those spaces.

This journey we are on is bigger than both of us so we now realise we need to be better focused as we get prepared to move through the next training cycle, onward and forward towards achieving our ultimate goals for ourselves and those that mean the most to us.

We were feeling it yesterday, but we now have to shake it off and keep going, I’m champing at the bit to retest & with the universe willing, I look forward to testing in March.

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It was an honor to train this last week at Camp Todd, I didn’t take the test, however, my training is not over, it has just begun.

Again it was an honour to train under your guidance.

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Endless acknowledgements.

I have also seen (a new) but also a pathway I have

been passionate about for most of my adult life.

Thank you for providing me/us with the opportunity

to be able to pursue this alongside the very best.

Have a great week…and we will see you soon

Reinvigorated

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Thank you for last week. A truly unique, challenging and rewarding experience. It was a real eye opener for me and I’m grateful to have been a part of your training program.

Thank you, I would also like to be considered for the March program.

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