Mutual respect between Military and civilian CQC proponents.
Todd Group exported courses are about providing the opportunity for interested individuals to undergo Todd Systems European military close quarters combat (CQC) and military self-defence (MSD) training on a week-long course of instruction.
Interested new entry exponents combined with seasoned proponents and instructors live CQC day and night over a week long intensive course of instruction the military CQC way.
What attracts new entry level basic exponents is the knowledge of being trained by the oldest private specialist training providers of European operational military CQC/MSD that are current military training providers and developers of the doctrine and training packages.
There are many fighting arts and martial arts styles of self-defence they could sign up for like the masses training in such civilian styles, but they want to learn the most current military CQC/MSD instructed skills of the Todd Group.
Basic through Specialist skills training was conducted in three groups simultaneously over the week-long course of instruction.
From primary and backup weapon disarming to crowd combat CQC, detainee handling, land-based CQC/MSD, Amphib foreshore and ocean CQC/MSD, as well as an introduction to the Brain to Boot MSD/CQC mental toughness package. The previous tradecraft subjects along with many more military tradecraft CQC/MSD tactical skillsets were included in the extensive programs of instruction.
European military drill (skills to command)
Some on our CQC/MSD courses will prove themselves by not only volunteering for training but also testing and others will apply to learn skills and tactics only with no intention of testing.
Then there are those that fall short of the requirements to test or pass testing phases.
By applying turning up and giving the training their best they show they have practical smarts and a will to self-improve.
The quietly confident practical realist types that commit to the training without complaint or excuses and who are committed to being the CQC best they can be will achieve, while those that doubt themselves or look for excuses will struggle and their fate will be decided by their own weaknesses and shortcomings.
The reality is those that want to achieve advancement but don’t achieve their objectives or quit, haven’t got what it takes, or don’t want it enough.
This being the case ensures the training and testing regime for qualifying individuals is strict and to the point with all candidates having to surpass the objectives and required levels of competency and confidence.
The practical realists committed to self-improvement will achieve in competency and have the best chance of achieving their objectives and earn rank the only and best way the military CQC way.
Respect of one’s peers is earned and cannot be brought and there are no easy advancement options or political passes.
This is another fact that attracts the strong willed that thrive on tough challenges. They won’t settle for less than the most current and proven when it comes to their self-protection.
Only some one that does not take their combative and self-protection capability seriously would settle for anything less than the best means of self-protection if that is their training objective.
Some practitioners of civilian self-defence styles turn up and think they know what they are getting themselves in for by their previous training only to find out their previous techniques and training methods are nothing like military CQC/MSD.
The Todd Group through our long military CQC training provision status provide on some of our week long intensive courses of instruction the unique opportunity for civilian enthusiasts to train alongside groups of military pers.
This special experience may not be continued to be offered to new entry level exponents on some courses in the future as the outcomes have not been favourable over the past decade as a result of exponents possessing less than what is desired in demeanour attitude and commitment to achieving.
Non mil pers applying for courses may have to prove they are made of the required stuff by prior training on civilian courses at Todd Group HQ or Todd Group depots.
This would make exported intensive combined mil pers/civi exponent courses of instruction to be made up of Todd Group advanced phase 2 exponents and phase 3 specialist proponents and instructors with phase 1 basic exponents being military pers or Todd Group HQ or depot phase 1 continuation training exponents.
Some courses will be for phase 3 specialist proponents only, so a major focus can be on armed combat.
The makeup of future exported courses was briefly discussed on the December Thailand course and will be given further discussion and consideration by the training team between now and mid next year.
The extent of training military groups is going to be expanded from 2018 and this most recent exported course had military pers from two bases on course.
The course was set up and coordinated well by our in-country Thai coordinator and facilitators.
The Thai military catering provided the visiting exponents and instructors with a menu of fine Thai cuisine.
My 2IC Kowley “Cowboy” Mitchell assisted me with the phase 1 and 2 training assisted by four phase 3 specialist proponents acting as assistant instructors.
Phase 3 lethal CQC training was conducted for the mil pers on course.
Tank and 2IC Cowboy Mitchell presenting mil pers course completion certificates
The mil pers on course were introduced to the Todd Systems amphib CQC/MSD phases foreshore and treading water CQC/MSD.
The phase 2 exponents worked diligently away covering all phase 2 advanced modules with commitment to achieving increased competency and getting their mandatory 400 hours up required for phase 2 testing.
The phase 3 specialist course training included armed combat and specialist roles enemy incapacitation and elimination.
For attending assistant instructors and depot and HQ instructors the course ensured they remain current.
The requirement for Todd Group proponents to be able to attend exported combined mil/civi courses is that they must conduct themselves at all times responsibly or the privilege of attending such courses will be withdrawn.
It is very important that our instructing cadre are up with the most current adopted tactics and skills to ensure their understudies receive the most current training and attending regular intensive courses of instruction enables this.
Respect is essential with CQC training and instructing as training in and delivering training in a current elite military CQC/MSD instructed course of instruction requires respect for the chain of command, instructor’s fellow exponent’s course manager’s coordinators allied mil pers and all base staff.
Training in the most current mil CQC/MSD is a privilege not a right for civi exponents and the right can be withdrawn in an instant if they do not conduct themselves in a proper and fitting manner.
Some civi exponents simply are more selfish than selfless and have difficulty in conducting themselves as a team member.
Some have difficulties with understanding and undertaking instructions or reading course joining instructions and complying.
Some have their own agendas or integrity issues and as such self-eliminate.
As they are told on course if they’re on time they are already late and time management is essential on our combined mil pers/civi CQC/MSD courses.
Respected exponents prove themselves on courses and earn the respect of their fellow exponents and instructors by their attitude and actions.
Military CQC/MSD is not for everyone as it is a military trade craft not a traditional martial art or combat sport and as such is very different and requires a different mind-set.
While this recent course did not see any candidates ready to volunteer for testing some exponents made good progress working towards undertaking testing in the future.
The Todd Group receives inquiries and requests for training by referral and request with most exported courses conducted from organisations services and services personnel and this course was no exception on the Thailand December course.
While there are many martial arts fighting arts and combat sports self-defence styles there is only one European military CQC/MSD training provider with the lineage and instructors with the qualifications of the Todd Group.
These qualifications date back to some of the leading allied military chief instructors from WWII and the next generation of military elite military expert instructors.
The Todd Group being current military elite CQC/MSD training providers that develop the skills are caretakers of the doctrine and write the training programs and packages meaning that those undertaking courses are getting training from the source and this attracts the serious enthusiast.
Like military CQC being an evolving tradecraft so are our recruiting course joining and course conducting practices and with every post course debrief positives and negatives identified on courses are given serious attention.
Everything is first and foremost about the setting and maintaining of the highest military CQC and MSD standards this is before any commercial concerns.
This last course for 2017 conducted in Thailand our international hub country was conducted with every attention to detail and every opportunity for the attendees to excel was provided in relation to their capabilities.
There were some very positive outcomes achieved especially by our phase 2 and 3 pers on course as well as new military CQC connections made.
From the training field to the beach foreshore and sea attendees were offered a unique military CQC experience.
Daylight Amphib MSD training.
One thing that has become apparent over the last decade is that many entry level exponents are not committed or well enough prepared for the experience of a weeklong intensive CQC course of instruction and others waste considerable valuable recruiting and administration time with no intention of going through with applications.
Many are practitioners of martial arts self-defence styles that think what they are doing is military CQC until they come on a course and find out just how wrong they are.
Those that do not have the mental toughness or practical combative smarts on a week-long course especially an exported course can self-destruct or disrupt the course with their actions or lack of them.
While the vetting process aspects of recruiting and course joining are working well the unknown mental and physical make up of applicants that are not already undergoing Todd Group HQ or depots training is not and this needs to be rectified and will be.
One of the Todd acronyms in HIT (Honour Integrity Tenacity) is a great description of what it takes to succeed in military CQC and the Todd Group military CQC/MSD testing ethos of being Hard Heavy Hostile proves those that have what it takes and want it enough over those that are less than Willing Able Ready.
Exponents with no prior training that are committed practical realists can pass test phases while others with considerable prior training including instructors of self-defence styles cannot.
It’s more about the individuals mental make-up and attitude than prior training.
The conducting of CQC/MSD tactics and skills extensive and training intensive courses of instruction at Todd Group HQ and training at Todd Group depots identifies those that meet all the requirements from the rest and every individual candidate that achieves rank is worth all the rest combined that don’t have what it takes.
The Todd Group have conducted test phases where not a single candidate has completed or passed testing, and this is the correct outcome.
The 2017 final intensive course of instruction in Thailand brings the course conducting year to an end and already the 2018 calendar of courses is close to capacity.
2018 general public application courses https://www.toddgroup.com/
