Instructors & Organization
The Todd Group, formerly the Baldock Institute, has only had two chief instructors since 1927. The founder, the late Harry Baldock, and the current chief instructor, Tank Todd. Harry Baldock was a Brit. unarmed combat trained pioneer and World War 2 New Zealand Army unarmed combat chief instructor. Tank has achieved the same status as an army CQB chief instructor. For information on Harry Baldock, see the article 80 Years of Combative Excellence on Fight Times.
Tank Todd became the second instructor of the facility in 1986, on Harry's retirement, and is also an Army chief instructor of CQB.
The general rule with European military close combat with the changing of the guard is that the organization be named after the new and current chief instructor, hence the Baldock Institute becoming the Todd Group.
For information on the Todd Group structure and ranking system see the Organization and Structure page.
Todd Group Master-Chief Instructor:
Geoff 'Tank' Todd
Trained and instructor qualified by Harry Baldock at the Baldock Institute from 1973 until Harry made Tank the Chief Instructor on his retirement in 1986. Continuation training and qualifying Charles Nelson, School of Self Defense 1985 until 1998. Instructor qualified Charles Nelson 1987. 1990 Master Instructor certified in Special Operations hand-to-hand combat Lawrence Jordan, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 1991 completed and passed 1-week instructor qualification course, James Webb, Thailand. Working association with Col. Rex Applegate, from 1988 until his passing in 1998. Instructor certified 1996.
Tank is a civilian and holds a unique status having not only been trained and instructor qualified by some of our pioneer and current military combative experts but also has a 20 year record of service as a chief instructor to the Military Elite.
Harry Baldock’s advice in the 70s was right on the button when he advised Tank that there was no slot for an unarmed combat instructor in the Armed forces post World War II and that if he joined up he would not get to do what he so dearly desired and was training for.
He advised Tank to train from the best military master instructors around the world and volunteer for every course and test he could to gain qualifications in military unarmed combat and then make a career as a contractor.
Harry provided information on the instructors Tank should train from and provided letters of introduction.
Being both a permanent military chief instructor and a civilian sector instructor is a unique status and a grey area of operation in many ways but Tank has committed his life to his profession and has been responsible for the reintroduction of European military armed and unarmed combat for some armies and specialist groups.
He works in every facet of his trade from research and development to the writing of the doctrine training packages and manuals as well as being actively involved with weapons design and manufacture.
Like in any private business you have to promote the business and the people behind it and your services to succeed in the private sector and this is a grey area again when you work in both the military and civilian fields but a must and the Todd Group honours all security and confidentiality agreements.
His training and working relationship with Col Applegate included introducing Col Applegate’s armed and unarmed systems to the military elite.
Col Applegate assisted Tank with his military instructing career by recommending him for military chief instructor positions and instructor certifying him.
Col Applegate was a founder and the patriarch of the International Close Combat Instructors Association along with Tank and Larry Jordan to ensure the association was made up of members that were qualified in military armed and unarmed combat and had long military instructing records of service regardless of if they were civilian contractors like Tank or military serving instructors.
In the words of Larry Jordan Tank is the only individual he knows of that has achieved such a high status as an instructor in military close combat and who has been trained and qualified by some of our leading combative forefathers and current experts.
Tank is chief instructor of a facility that is very special has a long history in military close combat and over the past eighty four years has achieved a reputation in military close combat of providing excellence in specialist training.
The scope and capabilities of the Todd group are extensive and the demand for their services is constant testament to the people that make up the rank and file and the teachings.
Tank has committed his all over the past 35 years to training and qualifying in military close combat.
He has volunteered for training and testing and has travelled the world training from some of the very best in military close combat with commitment and at huge personal sacrifice and financial cost to be the very best proponent and instructor he can be.
He was committed when very few were even interested in military close combat and unlike most was smart enough to seek out instruction from our allied pioneer experts at his own expense.
The military close combat training he got from past and current master instructors will never be repeated with the passing of such experts and with changes in times and especially for a civilian.
While his military instructor colleagues were committed as operators as their priority duties Tank has worked full time in instructing military close combat.
Tank has faced detractors in relation to being a civilian chief instructor to the military.
The reality is he has accepted the challenges achieved the qualifications and has a working life’s service record instructing military close combat that exceeds his military colleagues.
He is clear on outsiders making judgement or comment first they need to front up with their record of training instructing service and qualifications to be considered seriously.
Tank never took kindly to fools until Col Applegate pulled him up on it and told him to simply not give them the time of day.
He is open to comment inquiry and even criticism from anyone that has the rank qualification and an extensive record of military combative instructing service, without this how can anyone be considered confident and competent or qualified to cast unsubstantiated comment.
He is contactable and clear that anyone who wants to know the facts from the source can contact him directly and only cowards would avoid the source and opt for public comment without contacting him directly.
Such acts clearly identify individuals with alternate agendas insecurity and a lack of credibility from the outset.
The Todd Group currently has a headquarters and training camp in Dunedin, New Zealand and 35 national and international Todd Group depots conducting training in Todd Systems phases 1, 2, & 3.
Phase 1 Basic
Phase 2 Advanced
Phase 3 Specialist
The Todd Group have a long history since the establishment of the Baldock Institute, now the Todd Group, in being specialist private contract training providers to the military, police, and civilian sectors.
Current HQ Hierarchy
Master-Chief Instructor: Geoff 'Tank' Todd
1 x Master Instructor
1 x Senior Instructor & 2IC
Phase 3 Specialists - 66
Phase 2 Advanced exponents -179
Phase 1 Basic exponents number in the thousands, but only a small percentage the top one-percenters successfully phase test.
The above rank and file do not include our contract client exponents and instructors that are considerable in number annually. The Todd Group depot instructors have all completed Todd Systems training courses of instruction and passed the phase tests. We have instructors working globally that establish depots or courses of instruction while they are working in various countries. The Todd Group are not only long term training providers to the military, but also are heavily involved with research and development and consultancy.
Tank has been an army special operations group chief CQB instructor for 20 years and has also been an army regular force chief instructor and instructor to police specialist units and close personal protection providers. The Todd Group has an 84 year history, a major headquarters facility, and 100 man camp set in 300 acres, as well as its 35 national and international depots and a satellite training facility in Thailand. Todd Group courses are all full musters, attracting exponents and instructors from around the world from a wide range of military and police services and the serious civilian combatant.
