Ron Donvito hosted the convention and seminars at his training facility, which provided the ideal outdoors training environment for close combat training.
Ron Donvito instructs group basic CQC
The Association has stringent joining conditions and as such only two members were accepted at the convention board meeting and one membership application decision reserved pending the submission of prior service records.
The two accepted new members, one from the US and one from the UK, are of the highest calibre and have both had extensive service and instructing careers and are well respected by their peers.
To have an organization made up of military close combat instructors only and from around the world makes the Association very unique and specialist.
The exponents on the training seminars had a diverse collection of backgrounds and were really good people. There were many police officers and soldiers, a karate seventh dan, boxers, a doctor, and security contractors on leave from hot spots.
Tank instructs phase basic detainee handling
Larry Jordan instructs Phase Basic CQC
Those attending came from the US, UK, Germany and New Zealand and the chance to associate with others globally made for an interesting experience.
The US contingent came from far and wide including one exponent that drove all the way from Boston to North Carolina for a single day’s training.
The seminars conducted consisted of self protection, armed and unarmed combat and law enforcement modules.
International Close Combat Instructors Association members / instructors
The instructors on the seminar aspect of the convention were Tank Todd, Larry Jordan, Ron Donvito and McEzelvias Corbin.
Mac the Knife, instructing Phase basic CQC
Ron Donvito’s son Michael took a session on grappling as a familiarisation with combat sports component.
The type and calibre of exponent the Association convention seminars attract is most obvious, they are all walking the walk and know the difference between what might get them killed and what might save their life and ensure they are the victor and not the victim.
The seminar exponents made some very positive comments as to the instructors and the skills they learnt.
We had several visits to Fort Bragg to catch up on Larry Jordan’s fellow Green Beret friends and very much enjoyed their company and hospitality.
Larry Jordan, Joe Lupyak, Tank Todd pictured after Joe had delivered his lecture
One very interesting aspects of the week was a visit to our training by Sgt Major Joe Lupyak who was a member of the Son Tay Raiders back in the Vietnam War. He presented us with a detailed account of the Son Tay Raid that all present were amazed at.
His detailed account is testament to the professional specialist he is and we were all very proud to be in his company and privy to his briefing.
8 years after Cleo first contacted Tank they get hands-on.
The three days of training went all to quickly and so did the association with like-minded people and before we knew it we were undertaking the training certification and attending the convention closing dinner.
Several of the exponents have committed to attending the Todd Group 80th Celebrations in New Zealand March 2007 along with Larry Jordan and Ron and Michael Donvito that will attend as guest instructors.
The next association convention will be in New Zealand November 2008 hosted by Tank and the Todd Group and already we have started the planning.
Ultimate Combative Challenge 2007
Read about the 2006 Ultimate Combative Challenge in Fight Times:
Capital of Close Combat
Read about the 2005 Ultimate Combative Challenge in Fight Times:
Todd Group International Close Combat Training Course
If the answer is yes to the previous, apply now for the Todd Group annual intensive extensive European Military skills Close Combat Course. This is a course where rules, gender, or physical size matter less than in any form of fighting but where a ruthless commitment to winning by means of battle proven dirty tricks is everything. This course has been described by allied Elite Special Operations Master Chief Instructors as the best in the world and exponents and instructors return annually from through out New Zealand and the world to be part of as close as it gets for most to military close combat. This is a volunteers course and testing is also voluntary. Learn a military science designed to combat enemy fighting arts in kill or get killed close combat and urban self defence extreme violence situations. Be the best combatant you can be, trained in the most current and specialist combative skills of European Military close combat.
Complete the application form below and return with your deposit.
Select application for type:
- Ultimate Combative Challenge Application (PDF)
- Ultimate Combative Challenge Application (printable text document)
Close Personal Protection
Specialist Training Course
12th – 23rd March 2007
Successful applicants will be entitled, if they choose, to stay on for the Annual International Close Combat Course that will commence immediately after the CPP course. There will be no additional charge for CPP exponents that choose to undertake the close combat course as well.
The Close Protection School – a department of the Todd Group will conduct a Specialist Intensive Close Protection (Bodyguard) course (12 Days duration) at its Dunedin Headquarters in March 2007.
The Course and Chief Instructor
The course will be the most current and specialist practices and will appeal to motivated realists with a commitment to personal improvement.
Tank Todd the course chief instructor has over twenty years experience as a close protection instructor and operator.
Assistant instructors on course are highly experienced CPP operators and former military elite forces personnel.
The Training
This course will include all the required basic specialist close personal protection modules, as well as extensive training in work in close protection in hostile environments (war zones).
The training will include every necessary aspect to be a confident basic level operator and team member, worldwide on land, air, rail or sea, armed or unarmed. You will learn how to plan, prepare and operate under extremes, prevent, detect, avoid, and as a last resort, counter or combat all threats to your principle.
These threats will include ballistic, edged weapon, unarmed, explosive or breach of privacy or security. The training will comprise of extensive theory and practical including a practical exercise phase.
Course applicants must be a minimum of 21 years of age, male or female of sound health, physically capable, responsible, self-motivated and meet our background requirements criteria available on initial application.
This is a limited position course and the only one such course we will be conduct in 2007.
The Todd Group has a headquarters facility at Dunedin, New Zealand, as well as a hundred man camp and training facility and satellite training facilities.
Only serious applicants need apply.
This is a training course and does not provide post course employment. We are specialist training providers, not recruiters.
To avoid missing out and for further information in regards to costs etc send your details to:
Todd Group
[email protected]
Phone/Fax: +64-3-477 8902
PO Box 5579
Dunedin 9058
New Zealand
Course Subjects
- Etiquette and protocol
- Duties, roles, and responsibilities of a close protection specialist
- Operational planning
- Constructing a close protection command centre
- Clothing equipment and health considerations
- Surveillance, counter and anti surveillance
- Intelligence gathering, assessment and utilization
- Immediate action drills
- Chain of command
- Threat recognition and assessment,
- Vehicle selection – accessories and security
- Vehicle searches
- Evasive, offensive, and 4WD driving
- CPP in a hostile environment (war zone)
- Electronic aids
- Human aspects
- Hard target training
- Layers of security
- Land-sea-rail-air related close protection
- Contract negotiation
- Weapon recognition and familiarization
- Explosive device searches, identification and safety procedures
- Specialist close protection related close combat
- Pedestrian escort detail training
- Tactical embus/debus, motorcade training
- Firearms training
- Ammunition and weapon accessories considerations
- Impact weapons
- Ambush drills
- Planning preparation practice and performing a wide range of close protection duties under the conditions of a training exercise.
- …And more
