Organization and Structure
The Todd Group headquarters was established in 1927 by the late Harry Baldock. Harry was an Army Unarmed Combat Chief Instructor as well as a Master Instructor of combat sports and physical culture.
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.
Rank
The Todd Group is made up of the chief instructor, who must be the rank of Master Instructor in the Todd Military Close Combat Systems and on taking charge and command will become the Master Chief Instructor.
The rank-and-file will be made up of Master Instructors, Senior Instructors, Specialist Instructors (Phase 3), Advanced Instructors (Phase 2), Basic Instructors (Phase 1), and Exponents of Phases 1, 2, and 3.
All Todd Group advanced and specialist ranked exponents and instructors must have completed a Phase 1 basic course of instruction of 100 hours and passed the Phase 1 test.
All Phase 2 advanced exponents must have completed the required 400 hours of training and passed the Phase 2 test and be invited and accepted for Phase 3 specialist training.
All Phase 3 exponents must complete 500 hours of specialist training to become Phase 3 qualified.
Basic level Phase 1 instructors are eligible to be approved to instruct the basic Phase 1 package on passing their Phase 1 test and receiving basic level Phase 1 instructor preparation training.
No exponent or instructor ever pays to be tested or for qualification certification our course reports at the Todd Group it must be earned with no financial considerations period.
There is no easy way or back door entry at the Todd Group all exponents must volunteer for training and testing and rise above the required levels as the standards or levels will never be dropped to accommodate any candidate.
Phases of Training
The Todd Systems of European Military Close Combat comprise of three phases as outlined below.
Phase One
- Offensive and counter offensive unarmed assault
- Edged and bludgeon weapon disarming at all ranges including being held at weapon point (Phase Ambush)
- Preventing and escaping all holds and grabs
- Psychological preparation for close combat
- Medical aspects of close combat
- Combat Conditioning (Toughener and Sickner phases)
Phase Two
- Combative clinching
- Ground combat
- Control and restraint.
- Strangles and chokes
- Military takedowns
- Combating multiple armed and unarmed enemy pers (assailants)
- Coming to the aid of a victim
- Breaking up a confrontation
- Flail (flexible) and thrown weapons (missile) disarming
- Advanced urban self-protection
- Combating enemy fighting arts
Phase Three
- Armed Combat – subject matter restricted
- Close Personal Protection
- Special Operations – Close combat restricted
- Canine neutralization
- Knife Combat
- Baton and riot stick for combat
- Riot Control
- Combat Shooting (Instinctive Point and Close Quarter aimed)
- Weapon Retention
- Prisoner Taking
- Improvised Weaponry
- Green and Black Role Specific Close Combat
- Bayonet combat
Todd Group Depot Instructors
The Todd Group is not a franchise and depot instructors on qualifying and establishing group or individual tuition training in their location keep any and all proceeds from their instructing. The only time exponents or instructors pay is if they attend training courses of instruction or for training related personal purchases.
The Todd Group’s model that the depot instructors operate under is not a business model in the sense of the headquarters profiting from their labours. The model is completely about the headquarters setting and maintaining standards for all depot instructors to aspire to.
Told Group Depot instructors are encouraged to be self-motivated flexible and innovative quietly confident leaders that lead by example and set high standards of professionalism.
The conditions they must operate under are clear and to the point and include maintaining security in relation to public relations and any and all publicity and press releases including all forms of advertising and promotional material as well as media interviews, publications and productions.
This is simply to protect the identities of individuals and organizations that we train and to maintain the integrity and expected security by our clients. It's just a matter of the depot instructor having all such material checked and cleared by the headquarters. Depot instructors must vet all exponent applicants prior to any training commencing and have them complete all the application declaration and questionnaire forms as well as read the code of ethics and agree to abide by it. Exponent applicants may be requested to provide criminal history information.
All accepted exponents must purchase a copy of the code of conduct CD and ensure they have listened to it in its entirety.
Depot instructors must agree to provide training according to the Todd Systems Phases of instruction and ensure the exponent must be qualified and approved to receive the provided Phase of training.
This includes being responsible for the security when conducting such training in Phase 2 advanced and Phase 3 specialist packages by assuring anti-surveillance measures and restricting attendance to only those that are qualified or approved to be in attendance and no observers.
It is a requirement of the depot instructor to ensure only the Todd Systems skills, principles and tactics of each Phase of training are instructed to avoid confusion and the likelihood of interfering with the exponents’ opportunity of successful Phase testing.
Told Group exponents and instructors are in no way discouraged in training in other systems, styles or codes but are required to keep other practices separate and independent of their Todd Systems training.
We encourage our exponents and instructors to never cease in the pursuit of knowledge and excellence.
All Todd Group exponents and instructors are expected to remain current by training at the headquarters year-round or be country members and return at least every two years and attend the annual international close combat course for entry-level exponents as well as continuation training for exponents and instructors. They are also encouraged to train at the national and international Todd Group depots.
Phase testing can only be conducted by the headquarters under the orders of the Master Chief Instructor.
Phase tests, although normally conducted at the headquarters, can be exported and conducted at national or international locations by the headquarters.
The Todd Group rank-and-file are expected to be responsible respectful quiet and confidence in their demeanour.
The Instructing Cadre
The Todd Group’s mission statement is that the Group's role is to stay at the forefront of military close combat and to protect and ensure the doctrine is the most current and best a battle proven.
Our ethos is that we are responsible for providing training at the most specialist and highest level to the military in armed and unarmed combat.
This is our commitment and not just an occupation and our pursuit of excellence in our field is uncompromising.
Our instructing cadre self select through commitment inner-resolve dedication and qualification.
To join the instructing cadre, or instructing team as it's often referred to, requires the exponent to train hard, test well, qualify and demonstrate the attributes required to be selected for instructor training and a place on the instructing team.
The Todd Group as a business model may not rate that well commercially however as far as setting and maintaining standards go in close combat it has stood the test of time and is renowned and respected for achieving its objectives and being uncompromising in its striving for and maintaining of excellence.
The Todd Group is the oldest contract provider of European military armed and unarmed combat to the military globally and has never had its integrity compromised by any of its rank-and-file simply. This is because they want to be the best combatant they can be, trained by the best and are very aware that to not be part of the official and oldest such organization would mean to settle for less and miss out on all that the Todd Group offers to the loyal and committed.
The Todd Group being a training provider of over 80 years to the military, police, corrections, security, close personal protection, as well as the civilian sector make it a very specialist rare and unique organization. Having the responsibility to train combatants from recruit through to special operations is a duty and commitment taken very seriously by the Todd Group.
48 weeks of the year the headquarters is involved with combative instructing, research and development as well as advising and consultancy. We never stop learning and our organisation is based on respect and integrity and the chain of command.
Our civilian qualified instructors are important assets to military close combat training as they are highly trained and qualified specialists.
Membership status includes life members, headquarters members and country members as well as honorary members that have been nominated and approved because of their prior training, qualification and rank and as a result of them being of Allied origins.
Exponents
The Todd Group seeks quiet professionals and the exponents that make it through the ranks of the Todd Group because they want to be the very best combatant or instructor they can be and trained by the best in the best of current and endorsed close combat. These exponents are prepared to put themselves forward for the rigors of the testing Phases in order to separate themselves from the rest.
If it was easy or able to be influenced or bought then everyone would be doing it and it would not be the challenge and provide the confidence, competence and self satisfaction that it does.
Applicants and exponents that are trained by Todd Group instructors know that the instructor has passed the Phase test conducted by the Todd Group HQ and have proved his or her worth with blood, sweat and skill.
