Some of the Phase Two and Three attendees Pattaya post course

The Todd group’s involvement with hand-to-hand combat or CQC as it’s also known in Thailand began in 1991 when I first trained there.

Since then in the last 21 years I have returned many times instructing on courses on jobs and on business.

In the past three years I have conducted four courses at Royal Thai military Special Forces camps that have attracted exponents and instructors from around the world as well as some Thai Special Forces and Thai police pers put on course by their superiors.

The Todd group establishes depot’s nationally and internationally usually only when HQ trained tested and qualified personnel are in residence to ensure continuation training is available especially post any headquarters exported courses to the location.

In 2013 the Todd group will establish not only a training depot in Thailand that will be under the charge of Ekachai Songkeaw but also Thailand will be the Todd group Southeast Asian headquarters for exported courses.

These exported courses will include CQC [close quarters combat] tactical control and restraint, close personal protection, self-defence and our specialist anti and counter rape D-WAR [declare war against rape] short courses of instruction.

This expansion is supported by a new free online e-mag titled CQC Times cqctimes.com that has already been launched in English and will soon be available in the Thai language followed by other Southeast Asian languages.

The Todd group Thailand will soon establish a Todd group website with information including upcoming courses all written in Thai.

I have had to make several trips to Thailand in 2012 as part of this development and expansion of Todd group training for Thailand.

The latest visit of over three weeks included a weeklong phase 1, 2 and 3 Todd Systems military CQC course that I will outline later in this article.

One technique to command drill

Phase One instructor Gus oversees exponents practice

 

Gus shows how it should be done

Pre-course was involved with individual tuition training of private clients by prior arrangement as well as checking out potential properties to establish the Todd group Southeast Asia headquarters and training facility.

There were meetings with interested parties and supporters of the establishment of a Todd group satellite training facility in Thailand to service South East Asian combative enthusiasts and service personnel as well as international exponents and instructors.

The Todd group has a commitment to providing our combative training to the Thai people and the Todd group establishing a standalone operation will achieve this.

We will be able to provide training that Thai nationals can afford and provide leading Todd group instructors to deliver the training.

We will also be able to continue to provide instructors on Ranger training group Ltd courses if CQC instruction is required.

The Todd group has a considerable exponent and instructor membership globally which provides the numbers required to conduct courses year round. We have committed to advertising and marketing our services and courses this year and it has paid off.

If we are going to put resources into marketing then we need to ensure the returns warrant it and that we are in full control of our training provision.

I now have the administration requirements taken care of with bringing on board a course manager and personal assistant in Thailand.

Post the weeklong CQC course there was five days in Pattaya for a group of Todd group exponents and instructors.

This post course visit included important discussions in relation to not only the establishment of the Thailand satellite facility but also discussions with proponents from other countries in regards to the establishment of Todd group training commencing in their countries in 2013.

Africa is one such country where exported Todd Systems training conducted by the HQ will commence in 2013.

Keith Roberts will be the chief instructor for the Todd group in Africa.

The course manager will have a Bangkok office and a personal executive to ensure all promotional logistical and administration duties are tended to.

This is a major development for European military combative training and related protective and tactical training in Southeast Asia.

Now to the courses of combative instruction conducted at the Royal Thai Special Forces camp A-03 at Lopburi.

This course was conducted over six days and included phase 1, 2 and 3 courses of instruction conducted simultaneously in separate training areas.

 

Phase One Training

Phase One disarming stand

All phases came together for the technique command drills, CQC stands, battle handling exercises and the brain to boot psychological enhancement exercises.

Phase One Battle handling exercise

This year there was no phase 1 test on day six as the phase 1 attendees did not consider they were ready to test.

The Todd group training is very self revealing and it is blatantly apparent to both the exponent and instructing team if exponents are ready to test or not.

 

There were six phase 3 proponents and I that instructed on course.

Phase Three pers hone their bayonet skills

The phase 2 advanced and phase 3 specialist courses of instruction included plenty of practical employments of skills under the jungle canopy and out in the mud.

This is the ideal environment and conditions for such training.

Phase Two pers after some good training

No protective equipment no matted inside training facilities and always maximum realism without the studio type training restraints and considerations.

Combative realist exponents and instructors alike thrive in this environment and undergoing a week of intensive training without the distractions of urban courses really makes a huge difference.

The phase 1 attendees were privy to a video presentation of past phase 1 tests dating back from the early 80s and up until present.

This was a definite reality check and possibly led to no volunteers for phase 1 testing.

Evening training included the D-WAR [declare war against rape] anti-and counter rape package training.

All ranks combined for tactical control restraint training in the latest Todd Systems developments for security and law enforcement requirements.

Taking in the culture of Thailand adds to the unique experience and on this course attendees were treated to the Loi Krathong celebration.

They lit and launched lanterns into the night sky as well as floating decorations on the lake and lighting fireworks.

The group also attended the military winter festival and had a great time sampling the Thai food taking in the entertainment including the Thai boxing and shopping for souvenirs at the many stalls.

There was no survival component post the CQC course this time due to a lack of signups but some of the attendees opted to jump off the parachute jump tower.

Exiting the jump tower

The late Captain Ammo who previously was our POC was really missed on this course with all the little things he done to make everyone's time easier and special.

Attendees on this course came from New Zealand, Australia Germany Japan the United Kingdom and Thailand.

They included a former female Thai army soldier known as Rambo 9 that was strong and committed to doing her very best even without being able to speak English.

She showed generosity and wonderful hospitality to all the exponents that included everyone being given Thai handcrafted gifts.

Attendees included a medical doctor, anti-poaching rangers, a military base security guard, gold miner, anti-piracy security operator, casino security manager, body guard, students, retired chef, and waitress as well as a company director.

The Todd Systems packages are unique to the Todd group and have been developed over the past 85 years.

 

They are in demand from current operator’s former service personnel and realist civilians as well as military units and police depts.

Until exponents volunteer and pass the practical and revealing phase 1 test they are very much grey subjects if they know what is good for them and they are expected to prove themselves before being eligible for advanced training.

Two eyes two ears and one mouth so they should look and listen twice as much as they talk.

Any individual or organization unauthorized and unqualified to instruct Todd Systems packages or developed skills will be disclaimed quickly and in a referral industry such as ours will find as a result adverse outcomes. Attendees relish the nature the training and the strict to the point means of progression.

It is most important the delivery of the skills to exponents is correctly and safely instructed by qualified instructors in the Todd Systems.

The integrity of the group and teachings is paramount hence the stringent course joining requirements and binding official forms. Combative smart committed realists want to be trained by experts and do it the proper way with no political passes or slack being given to them.

This is important to ensure the skills are correctly instructed by instructors that have been trained and have qualified in all the tactics and the execution of every component of every individual skill as well as every contingency option.

This is why we phase 1 test exponents after a weeklong intensive course of instruction or a minimum of 100 hours of weekly casual attendance training as it is important to bin those that simply do not have the intestinal fortitude to test or the skills competency or right attitude to pass.

It was time for a little R&R post course including a few hours on an Island off of Pattaya.

Ekachai was a generous host taking all of us out to dine on some excellent traditional cuisine.

Several of the attendees have already committed to the May CQC course as well as the close personal protection course in September and October both being conducted in Thailand by the Todd group headquarters and Southeast Asian satellite facility Thailand.

There have been considerable inquiries for these two courses from the course promotions on the Todd group website and from the tactical and fighting arts magazines advertising.

The Todd group Thailand website will be up and running by January and combine this with the free online e-mag CQC Times when it goes live in the Thai language and this should attract considerably more Thai nationals to join our Todd group members and new exponents from other countries.

2013 is close to capacity for the Todd group training team with the headquarters annual international course and the exported courses set down for the United Kingdom, Australia, Thailand and South Africa as well as my contract instructing work and fulltime HQ training facility.

We have D-WAR anti and counter rape courses to be conducted across Thailand in early 2013 as well as conducted out of our global depot’s.

Attending such intensive CQC courses as the recent Thailand course for Todd group exponents and instructors in relation to remaining current and up to date with new skills and tactics developed tested approved and added to existing packages at the HQ is most important.

For instructors getting up instructing hours attending intensive courses is very important and identifies those that are ready willing and able to commit to self-improvement and advancement.

All such service is included in the individuals CQC logbook and it is on such courses individuals identify themselves for promotion instructing contracts and annual awards.

This is a link to the 2013 Todd group headquarters national and exported courses of instruction including Thailand courses. https://toddgroup.com/ early applications are essential as we have considerable applications already and with the addition of CQC times e-mag and other marketing and promotional strategies being employed full musters are expected early.