Our first event of 2024 will see us hosted by Full Spectrum Defence in Kitchener, Ontario.
In this joint 1-day class, we will be delivering an introduction to counter-custody and restraint escape while knife defence will be delivered by other instructors.
See the link below for more information and to sign up. See you there! #staycrafty
Click HERE for more info.
A new approach for 2024 to bring our skillsets to you in a more accessible format.
Starting in early-2024, We will begin offering 1-day Seminars, covering our legacy curriculum in a new format and making both the price point and time commitment more accessible to those with busy schedules. They will be on Sundays, during the day.
Of course, we will still plan to have our weekend-long immersive workshops, as well as Mixed-Skills classes with trusted partner instructors. We also continue to be available to be hosted to deliver these seminars to private groups.
***NOTE: We still offer RESTRICTED-LEVEL CLASSES in COVERT ENTRY and COUNTER-CUSTODY to LE/MIL/GOV organizations. Email us at info@truenorthtradecraft.ca for details.***
In the meantime, we will be offering Seminars on the following topics:
These Seminars can be taken individually as a stand-alone or together in series towards building a wide-spectrum of skill sets. Depending on the subject matter, there will be differing ratios of theory and practical learning.
Soon, we will be listing the classes individually on our web store, with dates and seminar outlines, to sign up to.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
#staycrafty
I made a video to test the theory if the nose bridge of a disposable mask can be used to shim a set of common (Smith & Wesson 100s) handcuffs.
Take a look and draw your own conclusions.
Very excited to have my work featured in Tactical Solutions Magazine, the official publication of the International Tactical Training Association (ITTA) based in Chicago, IL.
From the ITTA website:
The International Tactical Training Association (ITTA) is always on Mission to provide members with advanced tactical and technical programs of instruction formulated and directed by a core council who possess extensive Law Enforcement and Military experience. We seek to transform, keep you ahead of the curve, and one step ahead. Semper in Via ITTA retains a broad spectrum of instructors with Special Operations backgrounds and current post 9-11 operational and instructional experience. We are here to transform, keep you inside the loop and one step ahead with best practices, hard learned lessons, and disruptive technologies.
You can go directly to the issue and article here. Be sure to check out their entire website and read their other publications for fantastic content.
https://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?i=533077&ver=html5&p=17#{%22page%22:16,%22issue_id%22:533077}
Enjoy and stay crafty!
How often have you thought “hey, I wish I could learn that…but the training is only available in the US. So much for that.”? I have. Many times. So, in my quest to build my own skills, I saved up some money and travelled to the United States to attend training I had my eye for months.
In November 2016, I had the privilege of attending the Covert Entry Concepts (CEC) training course in Maryland. It was put on by The CORE Group in their Maryland facilities and wow, what a good time it was.
(*I lucked-out by taking two courses back-to-back at The CORE Groups’ Maryland facilities, the Covert Entry Concepts and Physical Security Analyst. This is a review for Covert Entry Concepts. I will post a review of the Physical Security Analyst soon.)
The purpose of the course, in broad strokes, is to be given an education in physical security, how to identify and exploit any weaknesses with the ultimate goal to test those weaknesses and close any found loopholes for a client to protect them from attack. As a security professional myself, I feel that expanding my skill sets is a responsibility to make me more effective in my job.
About The CORE Group (from their website):
“The CORE Group was initially formed by a trio of security auditors and researchers who had collaborated on numerous projects and conference events over the years. At present, their combined experience in the physical security sector represents decades of hard knowledge and applied work. The CORE Group finds innovative ways to augment typical security auditing and assessment. Most companies incorporate digital penetration testing and web application testing into their standard procedure of self-assessment. The CORE Group offers a variety of packages that can greatly assist in a company’s understanding of their security posture at a fraction of the cost of larger, more “conventional” testing.”
The CORE Group conducts training all over, training Law Enforcement & Military, Government Agencies, Physical Security specialists, Red Team and PenTesters, IT Security and Locksport enthusiasts. They attend many of the “cons” (such as Black Hat, DEF CON, SANS, etc.) throughout the US, many times running the “Lockpick Village” and providing intensive training to professionals all over.
The course was a 2-day, Monday/Tuesday set-up. A mixed bag of Law Enforcement, Military, physical security professionals and “other, government” types. A good group of people to get to know and learn with. Our Instructor, Rob, Chief of the Law Enforcement training division of The CORE Group, was welcoming and professional from the word “go”. After some quick ice-breakers, we moved right into an introduction to lockpicking.
Discussions, anecdotes, slides and practical demonstrations were all used to great effect in training to underline the principles and applications for what were were learning about in that moment. Everything was helped by Rob’s sense of humour, positive attitude, patience and obvious expertise in the subject matter. We worked on a vast array of topics. Lock-picking; bumping; bypasses; construction; safes; tamper-evident seals; elevators; impressioning; the Mace Face Challenge; casting keys; attack vectors; padlocks; restraint escapes and so much more. So much information was covered that, even weeks later, I found myself re-reading the detailed notes I had made in an effort to absorb it all. Not only was it an incredible amount of practical and useful information, but much of it was eye-opening and fascinating as well. Not all aspects are covered in every session that Rob delivers due to geography or other issues, but my experience was just great.
Here is a look at some of the stuff we got to play with:
After enjoying amazing chicken, fantastic bbq, getting to know the other participants and doing an awesome escape exercise preceded by burpees (I hate burpees) it ended up being a really great time.
I felt as if it was a skill-building game-changer. The depth and breadth of knowledge shared and learned was exceptional. Though these are all perishable skills requiring regular practice, the base is unmistakably solid. It certainly opened the door to a world of opportunities. The people I met and the confidence in my abilities were well worth the cost and effort to travel south of the border. I highly recommend taking this training if you have the means and opportunity. It’s a staple of tradecraft and is useful in a myriad of situations (all ethically bounded, of course). Use your powers for good. And if you work hard, you can earn one of these…
NOW…
If you’re interested in taking this course IN CANADA, True North Tradecraft, in partnership with Tactical Beaver, will be sponsoring a unique run of this course in downtown Toronto on the weekend of July 28-29-30, 2017, to be taught by Rob of The CORE Group. This training is not available anywhere else in Canada (to my knowledge – and I’ve searched) and is well worth it’s weight in gold. It will include top-tier instruction, a kit of equipment for you to practice on and keep when you’re done and breakfast daily with dinner on the Friday night. For more detailed information, e-mail us at truenorthtradecraft@gmail.com . Spaces are limited and booking up already. Tactical Beaver will also have a table with great apparel available to purchase at a discount.
Check it out. It’s a really great opportunity to learn from an expert in the field and do so IN CANADA!
See you at CEC – Toronto!
-Stay Crafty
