Conducting small group specialist tactical subject courses globally is common practice for the Todd Group and the recent Thailand CPP course was one such course. This recent circuit of training provision in Africa and South East Asia also included meetings to formalize future courses in several countries including a major training provision contract that will run indefinitely and year round.

Such referrals come about simply as a result of being long-term respected military combative training providers and having a training team of high level military CQC instructors headed by a CQC Master-Chief instructor that has been responsible for the provision of long term military combative training.

We are seeing more and more individuals taking courses not to work close protection but to enable them to protect themselves their families and staff especially when traveling abroad.

The Todd CPP package origins date back to WWII and Harry Baldock training service pers whose roles included protecting officers and other dignitaries during war time.

Col Rex Applegate was a major influence on the Todd CPP package with his extensive personal protection expertise gained through his training in the Army including in the military police and OSS.

He was responsible at times for the protection of President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill during high powered war time meetings as well as the protection of other dignitaries.

Sgt Major Lawrence Jordan retired also had a major influence on the CPP training program. In fact soon after his retirement we jointly conducted a major CPP course in New Zealand.

So with the longest history of CPP training provision in NZ the Todd Group now exports our CPP courses off shore. Many of the exponents we attract are seasoned operators in close protection already. Military and police personnel as well as Todd Group CQB and CQC proponents wanting to get their phase 3 training requirements squared away are but some of the exponents found on courses.

The Todd Group CPP package is a living package and as such is constantly being updated to ensure it provides the most current tactics and skills.

The CPP-related CQB and CQC packages developed by the Todd Group have cohesive commonality against wide ranging threats and exponents on our courses with prior training regularly state just how good they consider these methods to be.

They find single system commonality very important for high pressure actions on decision making.

CPP CQC Training.

Usually they comment they are very different to the traditional martial arts or milling they have been previously exposed to under for close protection close combat.

The Todd Group CPP courses have nothing to do with industry licensing student loans or adult beginners learning courses.

They are about serious mature individuals seeking specialist CPP training.

Those that know what they need and want and are committed with the required smarts are the types we want and get on courses by majority.

The courses being conducted in our hub country of Thailand provide for the common reality of casual attire and discreet close protection training exercises that by majority those we train and are working in the civilian sector operate under.

This is far removed from working as a CPO in a war zone.

The course does however cover introductory training information in regards to required skills, equipment and weapons handling expertise and importantly self-honesty in regards to personal integrity and personal capabilities for war zone protective duties.

After the first several days of the lecture room learning of protocol etiquette contracts retainers threat assessments security surveys operation orders required equipment and considerably more it was time to get out and conduct a maritime and rail operations threat assessment and complete security surveys.

Conducting a security survey.

In between CPP CQC and CQB training the gathered intelligence would be used along with other resources to compile operation orders for the upcoming practical training exercises.

The exponents had a good days shooting and driving as well as an introduction to the medical aspects of CPP from Dr Steffan Eriksson.

CQ Shooting coaching

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 assessment and decision making.
• Vehicle selection – accessories and security.
• Vehicle searches.
• Evasive, offensive, and 4WD driving.
• CPP in a hostile environment (war zone) Realities of working in a war zone.
• Electronic aids.
• Human aspects.
• Hard target training.
• Layers of security.
• Land-sea-rail-air related close protection operations.
• Contract negotiation
• Weapon recognition and familiarization.
• Explosive device searches, IED 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 as part of practical training exercises.
• …And more.

Room searching practical.

Vehicle transfer training on tactical driving phase.

Most days ended with CPP related CQB/CQC training.

CPP CQC training.

Time goes fast on a CPP course with long days and nights of training as well as required training exercises planning and preparation and so it was on this course with the week two exercises being quickly upon us.

The maritime exercise was well planned and executed and provided the added pressure of the protectee’s including an experienced CQB/CQC proponent/instructor who instructs on CPP courses and his partner.

I personally assessed the exponents from a close distance so as to be able to hard critique them at the post exercise brief to ensure they were made well aware of positives as well as strengths weakness faults and errors.

On short duration specialist intensive extensive courses of instruction prompt critiquing and correction is essential.

The final exercise was land-based travel wise between ChonBuri and Bangkok and included considerable pedestrian escort detail work and accompanying me to a business meeting I had to attend.

Embus/Debus street markets shopping malls food courts with the hussle bussle and traffic of Bangkok kept them alert but prepared to be flexible.

They soon learnt the value of utilising trusted indigenous assets over guess work including a translator and driver.

Practical training exercises.

Often courses by their very nature identify risks, dangers, difficulties, and some unusual experiences and these are all competency building.

The Todd Group have been involved with CPP training and working close protection for Royalty and the very wealthy as well as professional sports persons but a considerable amount of work today is more irregular type work where operators must be very flexible and innovative and prepared to move with the client at a moment’s notice.

Within a month we will be back in Thailand conducting another CQC course of instruction, this being an intensive combined military pers and civilian enthusiasts CQC course of instruction.

Upcoming courses toddgroup.com inquiries [email protected]

Source: CQC Times