Leo Prinsloo, highly skilled proponent, instructor and operator’s interview after putting his skills and personal attributes to the ultimate test

In the words of Leo doing what needs to be done under assault can be very different to what many think is how they would get the job done and they need to wake up and smell the roses.

That is an unfortunate reality as some people’s actual skills and tools are not up to defeating formidable foes.

From the training ground to the battlefield the facts behind what enabled Leo Prinsloo to foil a multiple vehicle armed heist are testament to his tenacity and specialist capabilities.

In the closed shop low to no profile of elite close combat operators, proponents and leading instructors the matter of facts can be very different than general public perception as far as the realities of high level violence best means and methods of threat neutralisation are concerned.

The reality is the only times the general population hear of how experts defeat enemies is when it hits the media, social media or when their actions result in winning a military decoration awarded for valour or other recognitions of bravery.

Leo did not seek or want such a high profile but that was outside his control and now he has to live with it.

This article is to get the facts of the matter on the background and likes and dislikes of dealing with urban warfare criminal violence from a man that has spent his entire working life doing the business.

Being a friend, instructor and fellow close combat proponent of Leo you will get to read the interview I conducted that was more like a fact of matters chat between the two of us.

The reality is that on the battlefield, that includes the urban battlefield, facts are very different to fiction.

Leo has been thrown into the global spotlight because of his actions of recent and this feature is to provide an insight into his life time of pursuing excellence as an operator and instructor and the special attributes and skillsets he possesses.

This feature will include a focus on the important facts of the matter in regards to Leo’s lifetime, dedication to achieving high level expertise as an operator and instructor that enabled him to overcome the effects and actions on of the high risk urban battlefield assault that he neutralised. Leo’s recent actions have led to millions of on-line hits and a massive public profile that is a result of his life time of dedication and commitment to the pursuit of excellence arming him with the capabilities to overcome the extreme high risk faced threat. He certainly didn’t learn the tactics and skills by competitive or traditional means or part time hobby enthusiast participation.

He has always accepted the challenges of hands on primary skills training and testing and anything less would not be unacceptable in best arming him to neutralise high risk threats.

Leo, like other South African operators and instructors that have joined the ranks of the Todd Group did so because they need skills superior to the enemy and in any unarmed actions on that means the best of battle proven foul or deadly dirty tricks brigade skills sets.

The Todd Group as military elite and specialist law-enforcement training providers maintain a low profile as far as objectives achievement of the operators we train go which is very different to fighting sports high level publicity.

Leo will tell those under his training that unarmed combat best prepares you for the worst case scenario, that being unarmed against a formidable foe.

The common analogy we use is navigation as in if you do not have a Gucci GPS or trusty compass at your disposal, you had better know how to navigate without such equipment and the same applies if you do not have your primary and back up weapons capabilities, you better know how to use non-ballistic and improvised weapons and your boots and bodily weapons to stop aggressors in their tracks.

Leo points out that all the weapons capabilities in the world and all the fighting arts prowess amount to less than nothing at the sharp end if are not mentally tough enough to do what needs to be done.

It’s easy to look good in a safe controlled environment but a very different matter under high risk actions on. It’s all too late to find out under assault that you do not have the required capabilities to neutralise the threat.

Leo joined the ranks of the Todd Group with considerable operator and armed combat instructor expertise.

He did this to learn European military elite close combat from the oldest private specialist training providers of European military CQC with a lineage of credentials from some of the leading pioneer experts of military close combat including Col Rex Applegate, SGM Harry Baldock and PLTSGT Charles Nelson.

Most terminal skills from the great wars are still primary best options simply because they were developed for warfare and are very much kill or die best of battle proven means and methods.

Leo was looking for the best available military unarmed combat and military self-defence skills as he believes you should never settle for less and should never go for the closest or most convenient option when it comes to protecting your life.

Leo trains as he would in going combative in an actions on and as such is always armed and ready.

He enjoys the diversity of mil CQC including detainee handling and close protection specific close combat.

After Captain Ben Mangels left the continent there was no mil CQC/MSD Master-Chief instructor providing the bag of dirty tricks training he did.

Ben was a close friend and was our Close Combat Instructor’s Association President that I had trained with and from and we had instructed joint training together.

He endorsed my provision of training in South Africa and after having two South African operators in Keith and Andre attend a course I conducted in Thailand the decision was made to conduct training in South Africa.

Leo and Trevor Langeveld attended the first course in South Africa and were the only two candidates to pass the testing phase. Leo has attended all courses I have conducted in South Africa since then.

Leo is the Todd Group South African Chief Instructor and not only attended the first Todd Group week-long course in South Africa back in 2013 but has since facilitated our courses.

He has been course manager for our exported courses to South Africa and has hosted our training there including training for groups of wild life law-enforcement and security/protective personnel.

He identified himself from the outset as a highly committed close quarters combat exponent with extensive tier 1 operator and CQB instructor experience.

His extensive experience as an operator and specialist skills instructor begun with serving in the Police Special Task Force an equivalent of the military elite as an operator and instructor rising to the rank of Captain.

He was with the Special Task Force for 12 years and spent the last 4 years in the role as chief instructor for Task Force Snipers.

He has extensive experience as a CPO including the protection of presidents and royals as well as being a highly skilled in specialist roles such as hostage rescue.

Leo owns his own firearm training company called “The Edge Shooter Training Academy” and also works closely with Fortis Pro Active Defence Solutions where he is a chief instructor of firearms and advanced driving training.

On Todd Group courses exported to the continent Leo not only partakes and assists with CQC training leading from the front but also instructs our members in CQB.

Being the true professional he is he always ensures he is current in the operational roles, duties, tactics and skills of those under his training including having an extensive knowledge of the likely risks, dangers and threats.

He drives the routes and knows the layouts, this is very important for ensuring the tactics and skills training he provides is based on the most current knowledge and understanding of threats and the best means of neutralising them.

He makes sure he keeps current and up to speed with the threat environments by driving on jobs when time permits and it was during driving on such a job that his vehicle was targeted and he foiled his armed aggressors attempted heist.

Leo’s father served in the defence force and this along with the next-door neighbour who was a police officer influenced Leo towards a military or law enforcement career that led to him joining the police at age 18.

When I introduced the Brain to Boot mental toughness enhancement training and offered the manual to course attendees in South Africa Leo recognised the major importance of such vital training and actively took on board the skills applying them to his CQC/MSD training.

Leo considers 100% mental toughness is what is required to overcome the adversity of violent threats.

All the skills in the world amount to little if you do not have 100% mental toughness and an uncompromising commitment to objective achievement.

This is not about flash and dash, or how high you can kick or how good you look fighting arts wise. This is about tactically correct threat neutralisation decision-making backed up by high level specialist confidence and capabilities specifically for neutralising high-risk threats.

Leo points out that many fighting arts techniques would be suicidal on the battlefield where you are facing armed violent criminals that won’t hesitate in killing you.

Some think grappling or ground fighting is the best for close combat but the reality is wrestling with an armed enemy that wants to kill you makes such practices suicidal.

Some stand up fight skills in battle dress would be difficult if not impossible to execute with required momentum.

Some think that the latest style or competitive code is the way to go but forget that CQB/CQC skills were developed to combat and counter some such traditional or sporting practices by lethal and foul overkill means and methods and to adopt take on techniques over take out skills is not the mil CQB/CQC/MSD modus operandi.

Even on CQB shooting courses before the first weapon is handled or round fired he begins with the realities of using ones weapon in a high stress environment is based on how the brain is programmed to manage such an incident.

The importance of self-control, intestinal fortitude and the realities of the effects of live fire in a life or death actions on as well as objective achievement and outcome considerations are what matters most. The fact of the matter is range shooting competency with targets that do not fight back is very different to when a kill or die action is imminent or in progress.

Over or under reaction or panic before decision-making can change an individual’s life in a millisecond and operators must understand the effects outcomes and consequences of getting it wrong.

Being able to recognise and control or eliminate the effects of fear and stress, control respiration and maintain primary physical capabilities are all most important combative capabilities that require specific training and this was something that Leo understands and lives by.

Leo is an advocate for my brain to boot mental toughness enhancement package and knows the importance of mind control in that your mind is your primary weapon in an actions on.

He has had a copy of the manual for many years but more importantly he understood from the outset the importance of the principles tactics and skills from being an operator and instructor with extensive actions on experience and he uses them in training and in actions on as he practices what he preaches.

He says tactical respiration for armed and unarmed combat not only reduces the effects of actions on hormonal dumping but enables real-time fast mapping assessment and decision-making.

On that urban battlefield under armed assault his prior training and extensive practice enabled him to see a picture that was somewhat slowed down, testament to his control and ready and preparedness under adversity to do what needed to be done to get the best outcome.

The picture unfolding being seen as in slow motion is testament to both high level training and realistic threat exposure combined with employing the major and minor practices that keep you in the controlled aggression zone of maintained primary capabilities.

His tactical respiration ensured he could decipher real-time threat and make decisions in a controlled manner as well as post actions on be able to clearly remember all details.

He did not allow the extreme dangers and high-risk nature of the assault to affect his capabilities.

Leo did not come from a martial arts or combat sports background and only underwent basic level self-defence and unarmed combat training as part of his training in the Special Task Force.

Leo knew he wanted and needed more CQC/MSD training which led to him signing up for that first Todd Group course in South Africa and identifying himself as a top exponent.

He said he got a most in-depth experience through this European military close combat training which was very different to what he’d seen being offered based on traditional or competitive styles.

It’s clear to the point and it is worlds away from fighting for a medal when combating extreme violence where it’s all about winning, objective achievement and going back home after violent actions on.

The methods, means, target areas and the overkill level of threat neutralisation are very different to non-operational practices.

Not only are the selected target areas not allowed in competitive fighting arts but they are certainly not ever targeted with live weapons to take an enemy out.

The majority that base their opinions on everything other than best of battle proven close combat for the battlefield practices including what they see in movies as Leo puts it need to wake up and smell the roses. It saddens him to see how the majority of the world have turned to or are being turned to everything but what they need to save their lives and achieve their objectives.

He says that it never ceases to amaze him how individuals deluded impressions of themselves after watching mixed martial arts twice believe that they are champions and experts.

He describes such talk the talk but never walk the walk types as using the strongest muscle in their body their tongue and nothing more.

Unfortunately a lot of police and military personnel are not committed to defensive tactics and close quarters combat training and will only undertake such training if they are ordered to and paid for doing so.

Those with the smarts know when they need higher level skills training and will seek out those that can provide the very best capabilities, the rest will not which may not only endangers themselves, but also their fellow operators.

Many claim that battle proven skills have not evolved, but if you evaluate their civilian styles practices, they often expose the user to increased danger through not being role, duty and threat neutralisation specific ways of winning.

They promote techniques that simply could get you killed in combat like wrestling or rolling around on the ground under actions on, on the battle ground where you must know that weapons and lethal unarmed skills are a reality not submissions and take on techniques.

Leo’s decision-making under threat required practical decision-making, calculated sudden aggressive actions and having a primary weapon capability. There was no way he would ever consider grappling or ground fighting or taking the violent armed criminals he faced on with fisticuffs fight skills.

Not only are there armchair experts but also those that claim to be high level instructors in close combat without ever having being qualified in it.

Leo and I both wanted to be trained by those of the highest rank that got their training from military leading Master-Instructors.

Lineage, depth of knowledge, earning ones rank and achieving high level status are what we both looked for in instructors and training packages that were true military elite trade-craft skills sets.

Some that claim combative capability are certainly not military combative qualified as they are simply afraid of failure by being exposed and look for softer options, back hand salutes, easy entry or try and gain credibility by association.

They forget there are no easy or soft options and it takes hands on, getting in close, going dirty and deadly and training in your primary tactics and skills until they are part of your mind set and personal arsenal to the point you can execute them without error and at high intensity.

This applies to not only battle handling exercises and toughener and sickener training but also CQC drills to command.

Even the brass can make bad decisions when it comes to deciding on training options based on the word of others that have their own agendas or know no better.

In Leo’s world such practices as back-hand salutes and political passes are met with discontent.

He describes such individuals that he has had the misfortune to cross paths with as being more interested in glamour and stroking their inflated egos than effectiveness.

In the industries that he has had to work in the realities of it may come down to life or death, he has had to deal with individuals that don’t know right from left and with attitudes that could only be described stupidity driven by arrogance, making them extremely dangerous company.

You can’t make honey out of turds when it comes to having to train those that are not willing to learn or won’t accept the rigors and challenges that are a must in arming combatants with primary skills.

One indicator of exponents less then committed demeanour are those that complete the days training with clean fatigues and not a bead of sweat bump or bruise on their body.

This speaks volumes of just how willing and committed they aren’t.

Leo maintains a high level of physical fitness through his hands on training and his love of long distance running.

He started running when he joined the police and it has become a passion over the decades, making it not only great for the body but also cheaper than therapy.

He has done endurance events road running including the Comrade’s 90 km marathon which he has completed 22 times.

He has also done his share of trail running completing some runs over a hundred kilometres.

In Leo’s words when he joined the Todd Group it provided entry into in-depth military close combat training.

Everything came together for him with the combined mental and physical tactics and skills that arm you with increased knowledge and capability.

He is quick to point out that you must stay actively involved and maintain a current status to be best prepared to deal with violent threat neutralisation.

While many people take courses and claim to have learnt nothing that comes down to being their own fault or the mere fact that they have hidden agendas.

It is hard to believe, even from a low level course that an active participant would learn nothing, even if it was just learning the dangers of the delivered techniques.

If the techniques learnt are to be considered dangerous or ineffective at minimum this proves to you that your current skills are better.

Leo expanded on the courses he has undertaken in the Todd systems and how they revealed not only the specific means and method of effective objective achievement but also provided full strategies of practical applications of the skills including contingency options to deal with actions on oh-shit situations.

He further explains that undergoing this training was a true awakening in body mechanics subject manipulation and the provided ripple effect to take down the target and finish the actions on.

I asked Leo of his opinions of his phase 1 basic test on the first course in South Africa and he described it as brilliant.

He said he had never felt so intimidated and there was no misconception that this like the weeks training leading up to it was far removed from the usual BS passed off as close combat.

He described success and outcomes never being influenced by whom you are, who you know or who was assessing you.

You need to be able to overcome stress, stay focused, be flexible and innovative and mentally tough in the achievement of your objective.

This test really challenged me and unlike others not in a false sense of achievement or ability way.

It’s certainly not for the types that want credibility by association or expect respect without doing the hard yards and earning their runs on the board.

Outside of being an operator and instructor Leo enjoys hiking and mountain climbing and finds that a good way to take his mind off of the stupidity of society and stupid people.

He likes to keep busy and moving and also enjoys spending time with his pet pitbull that is always pleased to see him.

What displeases him is seeing non-close combat styles being passed off as military close combat when they are not fit for purpose role or threat neutralisation.

He has had the displeasure of observing combined knife stick and empty hands fighting arts training in demonstrations to people that know no better and believe what they are seeing is real close combat when that could not be further from the truth and this is something that truly makes his jaw drop in disgust.

There are some unscrupulous types that use innuendo and dubious credentials that try and baffle the gullible with bullshit.

They are more marketing geniuses than anything and their techniques are often worthless in the real world.

The reality is in Leo’s world, the real deals don’t publicly make unbelievable outrageous claims and why would they want such information in the public domain except for self-marketing purposes.

He laughs and says you would think that there must be millions of military elite operators and police special task force personnel with all those that lay claim to have served with such specialist services.

They think that no one will ask the hard questions and expose them for what they are.

He goes on to say that those that are of integrity and honesty won’t pass themselves off as something they are not and everyone should be striving to do the best at what they are good at and not making out they are good at things they are not.

For the most part there is very little known about our European mil elite primary close combat tactics and skills outside of our ranks and for good reason to ensure only those that are cleared for course or training joining and earn the right are armed with such capabilities.

The video footage from the foiled heist has been viewed tens of millions of times and is available online. You will identify that the required skills were mental toughness, aggressive driving and primary weapon capabilities not fight skills.

The major weapon before Leo debussed was his vehicle.

This being the case, the following questions I put to Leo are more about the decision-making and decided options execution and reasoning for his effective actions under threat neutralisation.

Through his prior training, he makes himself familiar with the modus operandi of the enemy and in this case the urban criminal enemy.

Through training and high repetition practice as well awareness through prior actions on and high intensity realistic BHE battle handling exercises training, he knows what to look for and what to expect.

Even before the job starts in his mind’s eye, he is contemplating what to look out for and courses of action to keep him and his partner safe and ensure they get back home.

He remains vigilant constantly scanning the environment using his rear vision mirrors and being aware of trailing and side flank vehicles.

He watches for the tell-tale signs of aggressive actions, including lookouts, backup vehicles and shooters.

Even though he was alert and aware of his surroundings and vehicles around them, the first indicator of actions on was when the first shots were fired and there were a lot of rounds fired.

As Leo says see these guys know what they’re up to and their objective is to stop and takeout anyone in their way and seize the cargo.

Immediately Leo turned on all his mind and body combat and counter action, assessment and decision-making capabilities and went on the offensive.

His senses were heightened and his controlled tactical respiration was turned on to control hormonal dumping and the effects of actions on stresses.

This capability enabled him to keep an open mind and be aware of his surroundings, including the criminals vehicles and their changes of tack.

He did not only take deliberate action but also gave his partner instructions on what he needed him to do. The trade-craft tactics and skills were principle based enable flexibility and adjustment to meet the threat specifics and threat neutralisation requirements.

He said his partner in his first week on the job had shown considerable courage and any armchair self-proclaimed expert who said otherwise is full of shit.

He was looking for tell-tale signs of criminal vehicles and their occupants as well as their positioning in relation to his vehicle.

He was especially preparing to deal with rear flank vehicles and driver-side approaching vehicles.

While his vehicle was hardened, it did not have any gun ports making return fire impossible.

This left him with the only weapon at his disposal that being the vehicle he was driving to stop the threat by evasive and aggressive driving including ramming the criminal’s vehicles.

He had a plan B already decided if his vehicle should be disabled and that would be to tactically debus and take the fight to the bad guys in the street.

Leo’s pre-visualisation began before he started this job, before the first shot was fired so he was ready prepared and willing to do what needed to be done.

He braked hard and swerved towards them where he forces and kept them on the left side away from the driver-side combined with other important tactics to maximise his safety and set up a means of neutralising the criminal’s vehicles.

Keeping their vehicles behind them made him and his partner harder targets and more difficult to be stopped in their forward travel.

He identified an opportunity or set up the opportunity through his aggressive driving to ram their vehicles or attempt to run over them when they made the mistake of getting out of the vehicle on the road.

He was always thinking ahead of what to do next, describing it like two OODA loops with his need to be on the inside. Covering the inside line forced the criminals to have to react to his actions from the outside and this caused doubt and delayed decision-making in their minds in relation to what was happening and what he was doing.

His initial actions were instinctive through planning preparation and being armed with knowledge and this provided him with an edge and advantage when he braked hard and employed an aggressive maneuver at the white pickup that would be responsible for taking the merchandise, including trying to run them over.

His aggressive actions driving enabled him to clip the Audi with the shooters as well as taking offensive action against the courier van.

When he saw the Audi turnaround he doubled back and continued his offensive driving actions directed at both the vehicle and the criminals.

Leo knew what he had to do and was driven by controlled aggression that powered him with nothing less than an attitude at that moment in time of winning at all costs.

He employed a ramming maneuver at one of their vehicles forcing it into the concrete barriers.

Eventually Leo’s vehicle went down when it became stuck on rounded concrete barriers.

He immediately took the primary weapon from his partner, debussed and went after the only person left in the Audi who was the driver who had left this vehicle and was running for his life.

Leo had had a major leg injury and as such could barely run, but this did not stop him as he knew he had to take the fight to them and soon realised that he had put an end to his aggressor’s attempts at taking him and his partner out.

Keeping moving as long as he could, being evasive and offensive gave him the upper hand and ended the actions on.

Leaving their vehicles was not unexpected to Leo as he well knew the vehicles would have been stolen for the heist and as such had no value to them.

After the contact he employed coming down and cooling off controlled respiration to control the effects of hormonal dumping, emotion and the enormity of the faced actions on and being successful in the objective achievement of protecting their cargo and not being wounded or killed.

The criminals were smart but not smart enough or well enough trained to take out Leo and his partner and get their hands on their cargo.

They dropped their weapons, left their vehicles and ran for their lives knowing that it would be unlikely that they would get shot being unarmed and running away.

Leo was well aware of their modus operandi and tactics and by use of his expertise and long experience combined with using his tactics and skills including his brain to boot mental toughness practices was able to make tactically correct decisions inside rules of engagement and the laws of self-defence, testament to his mental toughness and maintaining a professional status.

He explained even though situations can change up or down quickly through planning, preparation, practice and a mentally tough controlled aggressive uncompromising attitude you have the best chances of objective achievement and keeping yourself safe.

Everything is made possible through mental toughness capabilities combined with best specialist tradecraft practices that are principle based allowing for adjustments and changes to deal with specific threats including changes in threat types and the need for real-time fast mapping assessment and employment of contingency options.

You must not lose momentum and contingency options need to be cohesive to avoid hesitation and as such presenting yourself as a static target through loss of momentum.

Deliberate actions cause enemy confusion, especially when there are multiple vehicles and multiple players involved and there is no time for their use of communications devices.

They have to look, think and act not only for themselves and with their vehicles in mind but also for their other partners in crime and their vehicles.

Leo knew that every one of them was the enemy and he had to be the sole source of their demise and as such only had to think for himself his partner and their vehicle.

He had trust in his tactics and skills, he was driven by an uncompromising decision to neutralise the threat they presented and achieve his objectives. He knew his capabilities and his kit as well as having trust in his equipment, which was highlighted by looking towards the enemy as they fired on his driver-side window while taking deliberate evasive and ramming action against them.

Under threat through prior training and an uncompromising commitment to be the best operator he could be Leo never doubted that he would overcome the threat and defeat them protecting his cargo himself and his partner.

Those with the smarts and realistic mentalities will identify the facts of the matter in regards to what training and mind-set is needed to defeat urban warfare threats thanks to Leo.

I would like to thank Leo for this very honest and to the point insight into the major and minor aspects of the strategies that saw him put a stop to hostilities by his intestinal fortitude and affirmative actions. Although he is not accustomed to or seeks unwanted notoriety, the events of that day have provided an insight into the realities of real life actions on and the skillsets and mind-set required to neutralise formidable foes.

Well done brother (HIT) Honour Integrity Tenacity from your fellow Todd Group proponents and instructors.