Ok here’s my end of year address – a bit like the Queen’s speech – but a bit more “fighty.”

Well for me 2012 was a fantastic year training/combatives-wise, more so because a lot of it was unplanned and completely unexpected.

The year started well with a series of private lessons for a wide ranging group of people from Door guys, to airline pilots, to IT engineers.  Each had their own unique specifications for training (personal security, striking work, weapons, etc, etc) and I always get a lot personally from these private training sessions.

In January I was invited up to run the basic combatives session at Defensive Tactics Systems at Chester University, which was a great night with a great bunch of folks.

One of the BIG highlights for this year was the MCG training weekend – I know a whole WEEKEND and grub and booze afterwards– in which we covered the specialist skills of close protection and some close quarter firearms work.  I think the only thing we can say about this (that hasn’t already been said) is WOW!!!  It was fantastic – a great weekend, with great people doing a great job – AND getting great suntans into the bargain.  Just wished we could have had a bit more time to get even more material in.

I have read the reviews of other big combatives groups/schools training days over the past few months that claimed to be the “ultimate” or “the best combatives” or “international” and I have to say, without being totally biased, I think OUR MCG training weekend pissed over all of them!  But that’s just my opinion……

During the Summer we lost Monty Hughes former airborne forces soldier who very sadly passed away, however I think he would have of approved of the MCG training weekend and we’re ever he was I’m sure he was smiling down on us.

I also began recruiting for the MCG CQB syllabus, and while the interest was there, unfortunately the necessary qualifications and mindset was lacking in some applicants.  So they were binned straight away.

However I was lucky enough to find some suitable people on recommendation from a former Special Forces contact that has a commercial interest in a specialist security corporation. 

The CQB program is now up and running and hopefully if the candidates survive they will complete the full course.  We’ll see.
At the end of the summer I was invited to run a couple of refresher modules of the combative pistol program as part of a corporate gig, again through our SF contact, for one of their overseas team. 

Great fun and I got to do what I enjoy doing best.  Hopefully there will be more of these programs next year.

October saw the first of our STREET KNIFE programs for a local JKD training group which gave them the opportunity to test out their counter knife skills in a “real time” application.  This was followed in December when I was asked to travel up to Derbyshire and run the STREET KNIFE program for Andy G and Dan M’s training groups.  A fantastic day – again with great people – made more special because I was working alongside old friends in a beautiful location.

As for a 2013 training day? Now I know I said that there will be a break for next year due to a project that I’m working on, and that still may be the case, depending on how much I get through over the next few months. 

The original plan was for Dan W to set something up down his neck of the woods involving his “Boom-sticks,” which would be great for all of us.  However if it transpires that we can’t for whatever reason, I’ll put something together up here.  Nothing fancy, probably something back to basics but fun and tiring none the less.  And then some booze and grub after? How does that sound.  I’ll be in touch with everyone nearer the time to gauge interest.

And finally, I met a guy the other day that I hadn’t seen for donkey’s years.  He had been on one of very, very first self protection courses way back in the day.  He wasn’t anything special, not into martial arts or combatives or the “tactical lifestyle (joke – I laugh every time I hear that) or anything like that.

He was just a regular guy that wanted some training so that he could, in his own words, “protect his daughter and his family if he had too.”  He was a nice guy.

“I’ve been on other martial arts/self defence classes over the years, but I couldn’t tell you what half of them were about.  But that course I did with you and the others I remember all of it like it was yesterday!

That warmed my heart……

And so all that’s left for me to do is to wish you all the best of the seasons greeting – hopefully I’ll see you all in 2013 at some point – and thank you for your continued support of the Modern Combatives Group.

Happy Christmas and have a great New Year

David
MCG