The Todd Group’s Master – Chief instructor and director of training Geoff “Tank” Todd is well versed in delivering training briefs on European military armed and unarmed combat.

He speaks of a very different subject matter than the norm when it comes to his lifetime’s commitment to his specialist military Close Quarters Combat trade-craft proving himself as a civilian by volunteering making considerable sacrifices and never giving up in his pursuit of battle proven knowledge.

His background and professional life has not been one of fair play competition rules judges and referees where scores or points mattered or meant anything.

He is quick to point out his education that led to his career in military close combat was more rock college than any academic institute.

He has been an instructor of military CQC (close quarters combat) and MSD (military self- defence) for over 40 years and is the only such instructor to have received all the qualifications he holds from some of the leading military Master-Instructors of yesteryear. Her has earned this highest of military CQC recognition by dogged determination.

Tank is a leading instructor not only in European military armed and unarmed combat and military self- defence, but also specialises in close personal protection and police defensive tactics training provision along with instructing urban self-defence.

He has continued with the work of his former instructors including the late SGM Harry Baldock, Col Rex Applegate and platoon Sgt Charles Nelson.

Tank as a civilian has achieved military elite forces instructor and master instructor qualifications of no other civilian.

He has been a military special operations and regular force instructor for over 25 years and has also instructed police specialist units and diplomatic protection courses.

He has logged up more hours in his specialist tradecraft than anyone else he knows in his field.

He not only provides the instruction to specialist services but also is the holder of the doctrine and developer of the tactics and skills included in the training packages.

The Todd Group formerly the Baldock institute has been instructing military CQC and mil self-defence since 1927.

He is the mil CQC/MSD program writer and as such his military, police and civilian understudies get their training directly from the HQ source.

While the masses in the 70s and 80s were looking to the traditional or competitive martial arts, Tank was fully committed to being trained by the very best in military close combat and military self- defence.

Between the mid-1980s and the late 1990s he spent considerable time overseas training and qualifying.

His background and upbringing combined with his tenacity in achieving the highest possible qualifications as a civilian in the world of military close combat is very different to the usual public speakers backgrounds in sports and business.

The combination of unequalled military combative achievements qualifications and master –instructor rank in military close quarters combat and military self- defence along with being a bouncer in some of the rougher Dunedin establishments from the late 70s through early 90s has provided gatherings with some very interesting diverse and colourful recollections of tough and good times where skills were tested and proven.

His days as a bouncer were very much like the wild west and nothing like the industry today.

If you lost you would find yourself the target of many a likely lad wanting to make a reputation on the strength of beating you.

From growing up facing older and bigger bullies and dealing with grown men in street fights through to being hired as a bouncer and minder and his early years of training at the Baldock Institute now the Todd Group combined with his experiences, proving himself as a military CQC instructor make for very different and interesting listening.

His public speaking combines interesting subject matter in regards to practical mental toughness requirements for self-defence and how to overcome the effects of fear in the face of violence.

Simple effective hard targeting anti-threat tactics to reduce the chances of being a victim of violence and if compromised and under threat, the most effective simple dirty tricks brigade means of putting a stop to formidable foes are all part of the gems of wisdom and real life proven experience and advice included in his public speaking.

This is from real life encounters where there are no weight division’s age groups or gender categories.

From rough house experiences on the street and in pubs and clubs combined with proving himself in the hard heavy and hostile military world of close quarter’s combat, those in attendance can look forward to some very different and unique subject matter.

This is public speaking with a purpose and that it is not just entertainment as it will provide knowledge in risk reduction and the best of battle proven self-protection tips.

It’s certainly not run of the mill and is captivating hearing of hard lessons learnt and means and methods proven in the face of real-life violence.

Advice includes information on undertaking a personal real-life threat assessment and plugging weaknesses in one’s personal security, hard targeting yourself against threat.

Whether those in attendance are interested in the ways of yesteryear when it came to settling scores in pubs on and the street or if they are military combative enthusiasts interested in real-life accounts of some of the leading expert master instructors of yesteryear, Tank has a wealth of knowledge and real life experience to share.

European military unarmed combat instructed by those highly qualified in the military tradecraft of CQC/MSD is very different to your everyday civi self-defence. It is a mil tradecraft based on a mil science not an exact science. It includes the best of battle proven dirty and deadly tricks.

New Zealand has a long history in irregular forces unarmed combat dating back to the forest and bushrangers and later to the independent company and Tank has logged up more instructing hours than any of his fellow military combative instructor mates and has a lineage of no other living European military CQC instructor.

You will hear of his former instructors WW11 troops training and of their working at the highest levels in their tradecraft including protecting world leaders during wartime.

You will hear of Tank training and being tested and instructing globally including to protectors of Royalty as well as to specialist law-enforcement and the elite of elite.

The humour camaraderie and best of battle proven personal safety security and military self-defence tactics and skills make for a most interesting revealing informative and entertaining time.

If Tank had not made the considerable personal and financial sacrifices traveling globally training from leading WW11 and next generations of military Master-Instructors much of the tradecraft knowledge and expertise would have been lost.

He is the last and only instructor qualified decedent of some of the unsung legends of allied military unarmed combat and military self-defence.

Tank will expose uncommon truths exposing fact from fiction about dealing with adversity under assault where it’s anything goes.

He has published books and manuals on the subject and produced video’s combined with providing training globally.

He thrives on challenging skills development for not only military CQC but also everyday people including arming underdogs with his primary military self-defence capabilities to effectively defend themselves.

His manuals include D-WAR Declare War Against Rape and Wheelchair Self-defence.

The depth of knowledge and experience as well as his recollections and real life accounts make for a not to be missed listening and learning experience.

Organisations interested in securing Tank as a public speaker email [email protected] or Phone 03 4778902.