Shane Gordon the Todd group Australian chief instructor again proved his course manager capabilities organising the annual Australian course.

The course kicked off with the restricted closed-door attendance phase 3 training that provided phase 3 members the opportunity to not only undergo specialist phase 3 training but also the ability to become current with principles skills and tactics updates for advanced phase 2 and basic phase 1 packages.

This is an important opportunity for Australian and visiting phase 3 proponents to also be actively involved with decision making in relation to administration, joining instructions, rules and regulations and the setting of future training course dates.

Post the phase 3 component the week-long phase 1 and 2 courses of instruction commenced in a good location that made accommodation and local amenities very accessible to attendees.

The phase 1 and 2 course of instruction trained in separate areas of the training venue but did combine for specific drills as well as toughener and sickener phases of training.

The drills included technique to command and the brain to boot psychological preparation training exercises.

The phase 2 course of instruction continued in the same high standard levels of the annual Todd group headquarters annual course conducted earlier this year.

The phase 2 exponents received instruction in the employment of phase 2 advanced skills combined with phase 1 practices enabling them to counter or combat wide ranging threats and situations.

The objective is for phase 2 exponents to know all the phase 2 skills by name and application and be at a combative level able to employ their primary selected skills from specific skill sets under wide ranging threat situations.

This is a requirement combined with the 400 mandatory phase 2 training hours required before volunteering for the phase 2 test.

The phase 1 course of instruction included new entry-level exponents that found the days long and tiresome as well as finding some muscles they did not know they had.

The phase 1 course of instruction is the foundation for all phase 2 advanced and phase 3 specialist skills applications.

Over the week-long course exponents must learn all the offensive, counteroffensive and self-protection individual skills by name and be able to employ them at a combative level far exceeding the initial enabling level of training involved with learning the individual skills.

It was apparent by day four that exponents had achieved or were close to achieving an enabling level but were considerably under the required combative level required for successful phase 1 testing. These European military CQC skills are different from the general traditional and sporting martial arts and even those that train in martial arts based self-defence styles soon realised they had to learn a complete new skill set and accept the very different training regime of military CQC.

The week-long course provides plenty of opportunity for attendees to ask questions on the system and have them answered in detail.

Common comments were that the various applications of the Todd systems military stamp kicks were very different to that of the martial arts kicks of martial arts based self defence systems they had previously trained in and they could see how they were better for military CQC.

They also agreed that the Todd system having commonality with all the skills being from the same European military system provides application cohesion and transition advantages over styles that include techniques from various stand up and grappling styles.

Such advantages reduce entry employment timing prevent stalling or hesitation in relation to combining techniques that simply derive from different practices and inherently interrupt employment speed commitment and velocity generation from losing employment momentum.

The introduction to the toughener and sickener phases of training identified the considerable difference between general physical fitness and combative fitness where the realities of one’s personal safety in relation to contact without protectiveequipment while executing objective achievement skills up the anti by considerable psychologically.

The combined effects of point blank range contact instant assessment and decision-making and not only personal safety considerations but also enemy party safety considerations lead to some anxious moments and increased heart rates if the individual proponents do not combine in unison the required psychological and physical components.

Having a sound cover guard system is paramount and the confidence to close into point blank range over the untrained human response to break from point blank bodily contact range to close range where you are providing the enemy party with the required distance to cock and execute increased velocity offensive or counteroffensive actions.

This is an ideal opportunity for proponents to true up their cover guard and deflection capabilities as well as endure unarmed contact and employ skills to neutralise the immediate threat by seizing and securing and containing the enemy party.

Day five the phase 1 exponents underwent a phase 1 CQC (TOETS) test of elementary training component to identify if they were capable of passing a phase 1 test.

The reality was apparent from the outset of the phase 1 TOET that the candidates simply did not have the required skill level to successfully pass a phase 1 test and some were conducting themselves at an enabling level considerably less than the required combative level for testing.

Day six and it was back to phase 3 specialist training in close protection related CQC providing the opportunity to photograph the individual skills for a military aide memoir I was tasked with compiling.

The Australian annual course also provided the opportunity for the Todd group combative medical chief Dr Steffan Eriksson and I to work on projects including the medical aspects of the D-WAR declare war against rape manual.

The Todd systems being a living military package to remain current and be the best means of defeating enemy fighting capabilities, we must constantly evaluate operational employment findings considerations and requirements and as such through research development and extensive tactics and individual skills testing identify such required primary means of objective achievement and eventually adopt these primary practices.

The annual Australian course of instruction provided the opportunity for me to deliver these most current proven CQC skills on course and in turn ensure proponents were current in Todd systems of CQB/CQC.

The 2013 annual Australian courses sit down for July 13 through July 20.