Caution:The contents of this article are for education purposes only. The principles described are extremely dangerous and are for military close combat training and operations only. Their application applies solely to the military.
What are the reasons behind the CQB stances in your Todd Systems phase one manual?
The reason behind any stance and guard position that gives away your element of surprise is simply because you have been compromised i.e. you are expected to be a formidable and trained combatant because of your uniform etc or you are known to your enemy.
To use a stance and guard position to intimidate your enemy is tactically flawed.
The neutral stance, where you maintain the element of surprise and can attack from more relaxed and ready covert arms at your sides position, should always be employed if practical and possible.
However at close quarters hand to hand compromised and ready or under assault you need to reduce the risk to the lowest possible level and one aspect of that is having a sound stance and guard.
A sound stance for mobility and stability as well as the generation of power from the ground up behind offensive actions and for swift evasive counter offensive manoeuvres or stable stationary counter offensive applications.
The guard is to provide a shield between your vitals of the upper quadrants and your enemy. This will ensure your enemy must pass your hand guard position to target your upper quadrant vitals.
I have seen many stances and guards from different instructors of military close combat, most based on eastern styles or hybrids of such styles. I personally use the European stance and guards for the following reasons.
The front guard and stance offers a combination of stability with out losing mobility and the arms being at 45% in relation to your body offers enough distance to prevent your own hands being forced into your face and makes the chance of strikes getting through or around your guard less likely.
Having your elbows inline with your sides protects your ribs and your hands being the width of your eyes or throat apart offers maximum levels of protection without compromising vision. This guard does not offer your hands to your enemy by over extending them and also provides time and distance to move your guard back to cover or deflect against strikes.
It also is a strong position to be in to prevent or by using leverage escape wrist grabs.
The front guard is a common launching position for long range kicking assaults or for counter offensive assaults where you offer you enemy a supposed large target and then when they are fully committed to their entry attack evade to where you can assess and identify their exposed targets and exploit their weaknesses.
The side guard is most commonly employed in fast entry close range assault combinations with your hands comprising of set up strikes to injure off balance distract or incapacitate followed your finishing power take out swivel strike.
In a side guard position you maintain mobility for fast short step entry and by being side on in relation to your enemy your major vitals are turned away from your enemy.
Having both of your feet shoulder width apart and inline offers more groin protection.
Your lead or less dominant arm being at 90% with both your eyes positioned on the inside of your forearm offers your enemy one line only to target the vitals of the front of your upper quadrants.
Your arm in this position also offers sound protection of your rare upper quadrants by covering or deflecting strikes. Your arm is also far enough away from your face to reduce the risk of your own hand being driven under impact into your own face.
Your dominant backhand is in a backup counter offensive cover and deflection position and is also in the ready position to deliver powerful finishing strikes.
The key to all my guard positions and stances is reducing risk and having an affinity with the ground for mobility and stability. Many of the stances I have seen increase risk by dropping one hand and raising the other and leaving exposed holes or reduce the ability to execute instant attacks by having hands out of a position that is attack compatible.
I believe everything in close combat can be explained in relation to risk reduction and execution and objective achievement effectiveness and that many guard positions and stances would fall well short of the levels of these essential elements to be regarded as primary positions. Some look as if they have been employed more for aesthetics or they are dead traditional copies or bastardised variations of Eastern positions.
In the words of the late great Col Rex Applegate, "if it ain't broke don't fix or replace it."
The guard position for military applications must offer more than just defence against unarmed attack. It must also be easily employed to meet a wide range of applications for different roles and must be easily immediately changed to combat situational changes.
I have problems with palm strikes as my wrist joints are stiff and painful but know that palm strikes are more for combat than knuckles, what should I do?
Yes palm strikes are safer than knuckle strikes if you are not employing brass knuckles, sapp gloves or other hand held hardened objects. Combative kicking in the clinch would be the best option and is the one method that is always applicable, as your enemy can't hide his lower legs. That is stamping close quarter kicks.
However if you need to use your hands for whatever reason the following will reduce the likelihood of risk of wrist injuries. For right-handed palm strikes ensure your fingers are pointing to 10 o'clock and for left hand palm strikes ensure your fingers are pointing to 2 o'clock.
I also personally adopt the flat hand position or leopards paw as it is referred to in the Eastern arts over the straight extended fingers to further reduce the likelihood of injury.
Only strike with the heel of the palm so as the heel of the palm contact surface is directly inline with the forearm. Employing compound palm heel strikes is an additional means of increasing impact contact force and striking impact coverage as well as offering increased cover protection for the head and neck during execution.
For those with limited experience or training and practise time or who do not have great power two hands will certainly increase power and usually commitment.
How can I get manuals on the advanced phases of the Todd Systems?
The Todd Group produces only basic manuals, videos and DVDs. All advanced and specialist skills must be learnt from a current Todd Group qualified instructor.
Advanced Phase Two and Phase Three specialist training is only available to exponents who have passed the required testing and promotion to be eligible for invitation for advanced specialist training.
The Todd Group policy on the publication or production of advanced or specialist matieral is due to the fact that such material is restricted and non-public.
The Todd Group has a responsibility to ensure that all exponents are vetted and that the wrong people do not have access to information or training that could be abused or used for unlawful purposes.
The Todd Group supports the military and police and makes every effort to ensure individuals or organisations that are not law abiding never receive training that could be used against the police or military.
Interested in Close Combat Training? Todd Group Depots are located throughout New Zealand and at various overseas locations.
For more information on Todd System of Close Combat see the following books, dvds and cds:
- Close Combat Books
The Do's and Don'ts of Close Combat – Tactical C&R – Control and Restraint – No Nonsense Self Defence – Military Close Combat Systems Phase One – Combative Masters Of The 20th Century - Close Combat DVDs
Self Defence of the Elite – 80 Years of Combative Excellence – Primary Option Control & Restraint – Military Unarmed Combat – Phase 1 - Close Combat CDs
Technique To Command – Combative Code of Conduct
