by Tank Todd, Army Special Forces Close Combat Master Chief Instructor
21cm x 29.5cm - 54 pages - illustrated
INTRODUCTION
From a very young age and while still at school I become interested in European Military close combat and self defence. I had briefly trained in and assessed several martial arts and combat sports and found them not geared towards what I was looking for as most were traditional or sporting practices. I learnt to fight at a young age putting away much older and bigger bullies, which led to an over 20 year career as a bouncer that began at age 14 at teenage dances.
I began my unarmed combat and related subjects training including familiarization with fighting arts of the world under the late Harry Baldock at the Baldock Institute in Dunedin, New Zealand’s oldest self defence and unarmed combat facility being established in 1927.On Harry’s retirement I took over the institute and it is now named the Todd Group comprising of the following schools of instruction. School of Self Defence, Close Combat School, Close Protection School, Tactical Control and Restraint School, CQB School and Combat Sports School.
My interest and pursuit of knowledge was relentless and I spent the next twenty five years training and instructor qualifying under European military evolutionary pioneers such as Col Rex Applegate of World War Two Office of Strategic Services Fame and Charles Nelson a World War Two US Marine Corps Hand to Hand Combat expert Instructor.
From these World Leading Experts I learnt the systems of their seniors, Captain William Fairbairn, Captain Eric Anthony Sykes of Great Britan, Irishman Pat O’Neill and Frenchman Col Biddle.
Continuing with my search for knowledge I trained and qualified in the systems of the current military close combat experts Capt Ben Mangels of the South African military and police, and Lawrence Jordan of the US Army Special Forces.
I volunteered and successfully completed and passed my Special Forces Instructor Qualification Course in South East Asia and for the past ten years have been a special operations unit close combat master chief instructor.
I am also a director of the International close combat instructors association the worlds definitive association of allied military close combat instructors.
In 1996 I was named world close quarter combat instructor of the year.
I instruct over 50 subjects for civilian self-protection, military close combat, specialist close protection, riot control and security and police training.
Although I have rank and qualifications in martial arts and combat sports including a 7th degree black belt in jiu jitsu and a boxing trainers license as part of my familiarization with fighting arts of the world, my primary commitment is to the only true life and death practices where my expertise is truly needed, that being military close combat and urban self defence.
My entire life has been spent training qualifying assessing and researching combat systems and this has led to the development of the Todd Systems of Close Combat and Self-Protection.
I have had the opportunity to be personally trained and instructor qualified by the previous mentioned world leading experts, an honor no other individual has ever received and now it is my time to continue with the work of my former seniors in the development of the doctrine of the military science of close combat and self-protection.
The content for this manual is drawn from the basic urban self-protection modules of the close combat doctrine and is designed to be as safe, simple and effective as humanly possible.
Always remember in the reality of true close combat or urban violence where there is no second place, only a loser and where you will fight for the most important trophy of all, your life, there is no place for anything but the battle proven and it is all too late to find out that your methods just didn’t stand up on the day.
‘KISS’ keep it simple stupid and remember you must be fully confident in your skills and fully committed in your will to win not merely survive.
I have developed the following principles so as to provide tactically correct options that will provide the only chance you can hope for when no other option is possible, a fighting chance based on sound tactics proven principles and a winner’s mentality.
All the training in the world is worth nothing if you are not mentally prepared to overcome extreme threats of violence and committed to doing anything and everything, even the unthinkable to win and never quit no matter what.
I have had the honor and privilege of the battle proven knowledge and wisdom of some of the masters of military close combat individuals that have faced life and death situations time and time again and have defeated enemies bent on killing them. They have passed on their methods of victory to me and I in turn have continued with their work at this point in time, ensuring the continuation and development to ensure our people have the greatest chance of victory when their lives are threatened.
This manual is meant to provide the practical realist with the physical principles to overcome a wide range of threats in the quickest and safest manner.
Remember always when society breaks down or war is declared, it is the military and their combative methods that are enlisted as they possess the only means to win when all else has failed or is ineffective, why wait until its too late to learn the most effective means of self-protection.
High stress situations with little or no reaction time require no nonsense principles that are flexible enough to allow for human error and are not set in concrete individual techniques that will only work under favorable conditions or in a studio environment, where by the nature of the situation and the players the applications and outcomes are nothing like a real life violent encounter.
Never be fooled by flashy demonstration or movie fight scenes where the outcomes are decided before the action even starts and the participants are highly trained athletes. This is far removed from the unpredictable violence where anything goes in the no rules or respect encounters in todays world.
There is no match for personal hands on instruction and training. However this manual if fully read, understood and practiced is a most effective distance learning tool and source of reference for those already or previously involved in being trained in self defence or for the beginner looking for proven knowledge.
In conclusion the offensive actions of this manual can cause serious injury or death if executed inappropriately, so in practice always remember, train the way you intend to fight but remember you are only training and in self defence remember you are responsible for your own actions in relation to the laws of self defence where ever you may be at the time.
Self defence is a task to be continued not a project to be completed and could very well be the cheapest insurance you ever pay for. Make sure you get the best in training and instructors qualified in true self defence and close combat.
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