Tank Todd

Special Operations CQB Master Chief Instructor. Over 30 years experience. The only instructor qualified descendent of Baldock, Nelson, and Applegate. Former instructors include Harry Baldock (unarmed combat instructor NZ Army WWII), Colonel Rex Applegate OSS WWII and Charles Nelson, US Marine Corps. Tank has passed his Special Forces combative instructor qualification course in Southeast Asia and is certified to instruct the Applegate, Baldock and Nelson systems. His school has been operating for over eighty years and he is currently an Army Special Operations Group CQB Master Chief Instructor. His lineage and qualifications from the evolutionary pioneers are equalled by no other military close combat instructor. His operation includes his New Zealand headquarters, and 30 depots worldwide as well as contracts to train the military elite, security forces, and close protection specialists. Annually he trains thousands of exponents and serious operators that travel down-under to learn from the direct descendant of the experts and pioneers of military close combat. Following in the footsteps of his former seniors, he has developed weapons, and training equipment exclusive to close combat and tactical applications. He has published military manuals and several civilian manuals and produced DVDs on urban self protection, tactical control and restraint, and close combat. He has racked up an impressive 100,000+ hours in close combat.

The Applegate-Todd Connection

From a very young age I had known of the legendry Col Rex Applegate. He had been described to me as the expert of special operations cloak and dagger close combat, the type of subjects never found in the civilian publications. I had met individuals that had corresponded with Col Applegate or who had met […]

Damage Reduction – Part 2 — Part 36 of the Close Combat Files

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. This is the second part of the two part series on damage reduction in what is known in military close combat as […]

The "Dirty Dozen" Down Under

History Lawrence Jordan or Larry to his close friends is a twenty-four year veteran of the U.S. Army most of which was spent with U.S. Army Rangers and U.S. Army Special Forces. He was trained in the hand-to-hand combat systems in his early military service days of former elite forces respected instructors such as the […]

Vodafone Warriors — Combat Football

Sitting in a restaurant while visiting NZ, US Army Special Forces Chief Hand To Hand Combat Chief Instructor Sergeant Major Lawrence Jordan (retired) was annoyed by the TV blaring in the background as he enjoyed the company and cuisine. Everyone else seemed to be taking in the game on the TV. There were cheers from […]

AL 'The Bruiser' Harlow

AL was born in Lynnwood California and as he put it, spent most of his childhood on the streets doing what he had to do to survive. Whereas many U.S. tough guys that later fought in NHB wrestled in high school or college, AL did not. He got his early experience in street fights. AL […]

Eulogy: Charles Nelson

Charles Nelson's monument. Photo courtesy of his daughter Carol Randall. Mrs Nelson Carol, Brian and family members and friends of Charlie, I opened my email on Friday here in New Zealand to the saddest news, something I never planned would happen not to my hero and mentor. In 1979 the late Harry Baldock my unarmed […]

Damage Reduction — Part 35 of the Close Combat Files

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. In a perfect CQB execution the rule of takeout and not take on would apply. However we all know that 'O Shit' […]

CQB Q&A

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. Can security people go to Iraq to work close protection without previous military or close protection experience. I guess so if they […]

Joint UK US WWII Combative Pioneers

The following is a brief outline of the life and times of three of the most important pioneers in modern military close combat. While there have been and will continue to be historic writings on these individuals from historians, there is only one living post-World War II instructor qualified descendent of the late and great […]

CQB Q&A

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. This section will service questions received from readers in relation to military close combat, self defence and related training. Having being trained […]