CQC Australia — Todd Group Combative Course on the Gold Coast, Australia, August 2009

Tank, the chief instructor for the Todd Group, made his first visit to Australia in the late 70s. Since then he has returned many times and in the past 20 years has conducted a lot of courses and established Todd Group depots across Australia.

The Todd Group having an over 80 year history Down Under in military close combat and police tactical control restraint and defensive tactics training makes them the sought after training provider by service and security personnel looking for more than their academy provider training and wanting to take on close combat as a hobby.

There are no other organizations Down Under that are full time military and law enforcement training providers and operate global civilian training with an over 80 year history.

The Todd Groups chief instructor is the only instructor in NZ or Australia that has been trained and instructor qualified by the following former legends of military close combat: Sgt Major Harry Baldock, Platoon Sergeant Charles Nelson, and Col Rex Applegate.

Tank is also the only civilian to volunteer and pass his Special Forces combative instructor qualification course and be master instructor qualified in military elite forces close combat and this is something that simply would not be possible in this current era.

It is with such a history and lineage as well as a proven record of instructor service and service personnel are attracted to Todd Group courses. Applicants do their homework and expect in their instructor transparent qualifications and a proven system that has been adopted by the military and is current.

The Todd Group does no external advertising outside its own websites where it calls for nominations for upcoming courses and all courses attract full musters and most have wait lists for positions which is testament to the system and the group as well as the power of referrals in this specialist industry.

These are people that know what they are looking for in skills the system and instructor which creates an environment that is as close to military CQC as it gets outside a military courses. This environment and the quiet, committed exponents and instructors attracted are the norm on Todd Group courses.

Tank has been instructing CQC Down Under since before many of the modern hybrid styles instructors that promote themselves under the CQC or unarmed combat banner were born.

The Todd Systems now have instructors in New South Wales, Queensland, West Australia, and Victoria and in many cases multiple depots in each state. Unfortunately over the past decade Tank the chief instructor and the instructing team had been fully committed with military police closed action and security forces training globally and have had to defer much of the civilian national and international training courses of instruction.

It has been several years since Tank has conducted a course of instruction in Australia and we receive Australian-based inquiries on a daily basis and had to request that many applicants requiring immediate training travel Down Under to the Dunedin HQ.

The current course conducted on the Gold Coast was managed by Shane Gordon and Tank conducted the training assisted by phase 2 and 3 Todd Group members. There were exponents from a wide range of walks of life and professions including the usual military police and security personnel. They travelled from all over Australia and many had been on a wait list to attend for several years.

The course is without ceremony or fanfare and promotes only the battle proven and never wastes time on practices that are not primary, secondary or emergency. There is no negative use of available time kitting up in protective gear or practicing physical fitness that is not combative or combat conditioning essential.

The environment ranges from regular to irregular in practice and exponents are encouraged to test themselves and develop combat smarts by asking relevant questions in relation to skills principles and tactics.

Exponents find the state, explain, demonstrate, question and answer, practice, critique regime of the Todd Group most beneficial. The phase 1 course of instruction realistically requires approximately 100 hours of training prior to the test phase.

Many exponents that have trained in other systems or styles quickly realize just how difficult it can be to virtually need to forget everything they have previously practiced in order to have the best chance at achieving the phase testing objective.

Comments such as I have never seen anything so effective, simple and practical and that they doubt some of their instructors have ever trained in or been tested in such a manner were common.

The phase 1 course of instruction and phase test was a real eye-opener and reality check for many, if not most, of the new candidates. The five days of phase 1 training although it went quickly made its effect on the exponents bodies producing some sore and tired legs and feet.

Military close combat is low in required resources and is best practiced outdoors but does require exponents to apply themselves constantly and correctly if they hope to self improve to a standard required to test.

Once the basic skills had been instructed and exponents had chosen their desired offensive and counteroffensive assault options and squared away their self protection skills a whole new level of difficulty and commitment was required. Now the toughener and sickener phases began where the increased risk of injury become apparent and the skills practice intensity increased which required more concentration and inner resolve.

The reality of candidates countering each other out and combating each other's employed options through employing the same system against itself made quick endings to encounters that much more difficult but does improve safety and in turn increase confidence.

While initial training went well by the end of the week under phase 1 test preparation it was apparent that a majority of the candidates were not confident or competent to the required level to ensure their best chance of phase testing success. From a full muster only around one third volunteered for the test phase conducted late on day five. Many were carrying injuries from the week's training that really reduce their ability to perform but they did show high levels of courage to attempt such an undertaking under the circumstances. The end result was that no one passed the phase test on this occasion but it did identify several candidates with considerable potential.

For both the candidates that did not achieve their objective in their instructors disappointment is a reality. The real test of a candidate that did not achieve their objective is how they deal with the disappointment and evaluate their performance and if they decide to commit to self-improvement and retesting. Those that give up obviously never had the required commitment in the beginning and as such the process has worked and those that prepare, return and retest obviously are committed to being the best they can be and hopefully will achieve their objective.

It was most pleasing to see on day six that many of the exponents that fail to achieve their objective returned to participate in the tactical control and restraint training and were in good spirits planning for continuation training and retesting. The control and restraint training is a specialist phase 2 module approved to be trained to exponents of all ranks and is a Todd Group specialist subject.

Phase 2 and 3 training is provided to those that have passed the required testing phases achieve the required rank and being invited only and the training packages are not available in any format other than hands-on training to those with the required rank. This is important to ensure advanced and specialist training is earned and not brought. The afternoon and evening of day six and day seven was restricted training for phase two and three practitioners and instructors only.

This was a great opportunity for Todd Group depot instructors from across Australia to become current in the latest operational skills to combat the most current threats. The camaraderie and humour throughout the course of instruction was fitting and at times ripe and nothing was sacred as it should be on a course of dirty and deadly tricks.

The Annual International course at the Todd Group headquarters and Camp in March 2010 has received a stream of Australian applications since the Gold Coast course and is looking to have a full muster very soon. We are in the process of expanding the course depending on availability of our instructor cadre. We can cater for a maximum of 100 exponents at the camp and at this rate will achieve this number in the next several weeks.

Hopefully we can conduct another course in Australia in the next two years available slots permitting.

One of the great things about the Todd Group courses is the exponents you meet there from all services, styles and systems. It was good to see a former phase one exponent from the Todd Group HQ attend the course along with his wife, Anna. Ashley and Anna instruct Krav Maga on the Gold Coast, and in Brisbane and this is their website for anyone wanting to learn Krav Maga – www.kravmaga.com.au