The Todd Group African CQC association dates back to my first meeting with Cpt Ben Mangels formerly a South African military and police combative and defensive tactics instructor.
This was back in the mid-1980s when Ben came to the Dallas Texas airport to briefly meet up with me while I was in transit through Dallas on my way to New York to train with Charlie Nelson.
This was the start of our friendship that was established through military CQC.
Ben then hosted an International close combat association convention in Dallas that I attended and I later stayed and trained with Ben in Texas assisting him with a police training day.
When I organized the next association convention with Col Applegate to piggy back on the SOF convention in Las Vegas Ben attended and this was the last time we met up although we have kept in contact and Ben endorsed the recent combative training I conducted in South Africa.
Over 20 years ago I wrote a program on request from one of Ben’s senior assistants that continued with the unarmed combat training after Ben moved to the US and he graciously sent me a very nice leather pistol satchel embossed with an elephant.
Then Kobus Huisamen a former South African paratrooper and South African heavy weight kick boxing champion travelled down under to the old Todd Group HQ and underwent training and successfully phase tested.
I do not like to provide an intensive course of instruction in any country unless I have assistant instructors living in country to provide continuation training.
The reality is I require individuals with the combative smarts and commitment to operate Todd Group depots and they must first pass the phase 1 test.
Two such individuals in Keith Roberts and Andre Badenhorst have made the establishment of the Todd Systems in Africa possible after passing their phase 1 test in Thailand in 2011 and attending an intensive phase 2 course of instruction in 2012.
The primary aim of this first African course was to attract combative committed current or former military police and anti-poaching personnel and expose them to the Todd Systems of close quarters combat.
We invited some civilian clubs and individuals interested in military close quarters combat but the objective was to attract service personnel proponents and instructors to ensure those with the experience and qualification were privy to this inaugural exported training.
This proved to be the correct introductory plan and has led to courses being scheduled already for 2014.
I have also received communications from African citizen’s that have become aware of the training post this recent visit and have committed to attending the next courses of instruction.
The visit went like this.
The day following my arrival I went to meet with Leo a respected former servicemen and proprietor of a tactical shooting range.
THE EDGE SHOOTING ACADEMY.
Survival, tactical and defensive shooting training.
Address for PTA: SWAT Shooting Range – Opposite Zwartkop Racetrack, on R55, Centurion
Address for JHB: Knights Shooting Range – 90 Piet and Shaft St
This was a good opportunity to meet with him and tactical operators that utilise his practical training facility ranges combat shooting houses and confidence course.
I was introduced to the South African braai (BBQ) and had the opportunity to socialise with South African operators and instructors all interested in armed and unarmed combat.
The next day, Keith, Andre and I headed for the Mabula Game reserve and the Shekinah camp over 2 hours from JHB where we would conduct an intensive week-long CQ C course and test phase.
I had many objectives to achieve while in South Africa including researching hate related criminal violence including hate related sexual violence crimes for a manual I am writing. This manual is a continuation publication to my D-WAR, declare war against rape manual and training program.
The real-life accounts and information provided to me were very revealing and very helpful to my research.
The camp was set on a game reserve and the accommodation and meals were excellent and very fitting to the environment.
It was very different from New Zealand training in the dry heat while being watched by two rhinos and to have several elephants run along the camp fence line was a very special and different experience. While myself and several of the attendees are keen hunters we are also very respectful of protecting endangered wildlife.
I had the experience of getting within arm’s reach of elephants and within metres of lions and rhinoceros.
I also seen a giraffe running free warthogs and many other species of African animals.
Spending time with anti-poaching personnel on course was a revealing an interesting experience and I learnt plenty from them.
Living in camp on the game reserve was most beneficial to utilising every available hour for training and related short course training and lectures.
I conducted a full phase 1 course as well as phase 2 training for Keith and Andre as well as phase 1 assistant instructor training and service for Keith and Andre.
There is nothing better than training in the outdoors away from a gymnasium training environment for military close quarters combat.
We moved the course around the camp, avoiding the heat of the day and finding the best shade possible.
A group of warthogs daily made their way in to the training area and were constant observers.
I was privileged to be taken by game reserve rangers to get right up close to the elephants rhinos and lions and this is an experience I will remember always.
The attendees on course came from current and prior Special Forces, tactical units and anti-poaching professions with long service records as operators and instructors.
The police military and anti-poaching personnel on course understood the importance of primary methods of threat neutralisation and participated with professionalism commitment and resolve.
I also conducted a D-WAR (declare war against rape) anti and counter rape introductory evening for the camp management course attendees and guests.
The D-WAR package was well received and we have been invited to conduct group courses in the near future.
After five days and nights of phase 1 CQC and self-defence training two candidates both very experienced operators and instructors stepped forward and volunteered to undertake the phase 1 test.
Interestingly, these two fine proponents were the most senior in years exponents on course and it was testament to their commitment to learning the system and self-improvement that they both passed the practical phase 1 test.
This was a fine way to end an excellent week’s training and will ensure the Todd Systems are not only provided in South Africa but also throughout Africa by means of Leo and Trevor the new and very worthy phase 1 graduates combined with Keith and Andre.
I look forward to our second course scheduled for September 2014.
I left the game reserve and headed back to Pretoria where I returned to the SWAT range and instructed a half day on specialist CPO related CQB for CPO operators including former recce and special tactical units Pers.
This was a great way to end a fantastic time in South Africa and further provide an introduction to the Todd Systems of military CQB, CQC and CPP.
I have waited close to 30 years to introduce the Todd Systems to Africa and now convinced waiting until I had the qualified instructor cadre on the ground was the right thing to do.
I met some very good people in South Africa including some very experienced law enforcement and military pers that were most hospitable including inviting us to a braai at a fishing competition they were competing in. This provided a late not opportunity to stand around the fire and chat about defensive tactics and close combat.
I had some opportunity to observe the less savoury aspects of South Africa and my personal observation was it is a very dangerous place to live compared to where I come from and the means to neutralise the hate type violence is very different to the self-defence skills required in many other civilised countries.
This reality although dire and very unfortunate, for me with my combative expertise is the ideal environment to deliver serious threat neutralisation training.
I received from seasoned operators and instructors their endorsement of the Todd Systems and how pleased they were that we have at last introduced our systems to the continent.
Word has spread quickly and already we are getting enquiries of interest from individuals to attend upcoming planned courses of instruction.
The reality was none of this would be impossible without the support and assistance from Keith and Andre and they must be commended for their dedication.
I would also like to pay thanks to Andre’s parents and his brother and sister-in-law for the hospitality generosity and assistance they provided us that made our stay so comfortable and special.
The Todd Group have established their footprint in Africa and the continuation training that the now four phase 1 qualified proponents will provide up until the 2014 next intensive course of instruction will only aid in the growth and future proofing of the Todd Systems in Africa.
The final exported course to Thailand for 2013 is November 25 to 30 and is an intensive week long course of European military CQC (close quarters combat and self-defence instruction)This course will include amphibious self-protection and combative training. The course will be conducted at Chonburi near Pattaya Thailand. Inquiries email [email protected]
