ICS - courses

Core Combative Behavior and Performance Core - 2 days.
Prerequisite: none.
This course is aimed at developing the core elements that underlie combative behavior and performance. All ICS courses stem from these core elements. The course includes classroom work to provide the background in the principles of human combat, as well as physical training in posture, movement, and combative engagement. Training involves the use of empty-hand application, and various hand held weapons including firearms. The emphasis is on adversary training.

Combative Training for the Armed Professional (CTAP)
This is an integrated program that provides a rock solid foundation in combative capabilities for the armed professional, whether in high risk security, law enforcement, or the military. This course includes the core elements taught in the two-day ICS Core Combative Behavior and Performance Course, but expanded to more fully develop combative capabilities. The professional will learn to utilize those behaviors, postures, and movements that are most effective in dealing with a confrontation with adversaries whether at the verbal end of confrontation or in situations of extreme violence. This course is aimed at developing foundations of combative capability with a variety of weapons from empty-hands to firearms, including, the collapsible baton, short stick, handguns, carbine, and shotgun. Training in situational awareness will be emphasized, to develop the individual's ability to recognize levels of potential danger, visual recognition, combative assessment and decision making.

The CTAP course consists of both lecture and physical training. The lecture portions cover the theory and information necessary to develop functional combative capability. The physical training is aimed at developing posture and movement skills that optimize combative capability and are core to combat weapons use. The weapons training includes basic weapons safety and operation, but quickly moves to combative engagement skills. In this stage of the training, the emphasis is on training with one or more adversaries. Adversary training is utilized for all weapons from empty-hand to firearms. The student will learn to deal with adversaries armed with a variety of weapons from empty-hand to firearms.

Combat Tracker
In this training we introduce the basic skills of tracking in a tactical situation, i.e., tracking down a potentially combative prey. This training is best tied in with the CTAP, with which it can run concurrently. The aim is to provide a realistic situational context in which the behavior/mindset and combat skills learned in the CTAP training can be applied.

Tracking, as a one of man's oldest and most fundamental hunting skills. The cool mindset of the hunter is the foundation of the ability of the individual in combat to maintain the calm and control to deal with the high stress of combat. Simply by starting on the track of the prey can initiate the calm mindset of the hunter.

We begin the training by introducing basic tracking skills. However, as we are primarily training combat mindset in a combat tracking scenario, we quickly introduce the trainees into the rudiments of working in combat tracking team. Then the team is given the task of tracking down a 2-man target team. As the trainees progress in their tracking and combat skills, the target team becomes increasingly becomes more hostile. The track-down situations escalate to match the skills the trainees learn in the CTAP training, and they are put to the test.

By the end of the training course, the trainees will have both gained some new combat skills that enhance combat mindset, and as well they will have several hours of applying those skills in realistic combat tracking contexts.

Instinctive Combat Shooting (Handgun) - 2 days.
Prerequisite: none.
The Instinctive Combat Shooting course is based on Applegate/Fairbairn shooting concepts combined with combative performance factors extracted from four decades of hoplological research conducted around the world. In essence, the ICS Instinctive Combat Shooting course combines point shooting techniques with combative performance movement and adversary training. Instruction includes classroom work in the principles of close combat with the handgun, and firearms training. Firearms training will include some live fire activities, but the majority of time is spent in adversary training. Training can be done indoors and/or outdoors. Dim light shooting will be introduced.

Combat Conditioning - 3 days.
Prerequisite: Basic level of fitness.
This course is geared towards the use-of-arms professional who realizes the need for the type of conditioning that goes beyond the fitness center and running track. Based on studies of the demands on the body and nervous system in combat, this course is aimed at establishing an understanding of how to address the special conditioning needs of combat, and includes experiencing a typical combat conditioning program.