who's been a bouncer in here??

[Josh]

who all has been a bouncer before and what were your experiences like where you had to use your training??

 

[MountainSage]

I was for about a year and a half when I was in college. Hadn't done any martial arts at that time. I really enjoyed being a bouncer; drunks can be the most entertaining creatures on earth. Worked in a college student bar with a capacity of 800 and it was always full.

Mountainsage

 

[kenpo tiger]

I'm the unofficial bouncer where I work. Because I'm a woman, I'm the "covert operator." We have regular contract security guards, but when there's an event their assignments aren't where the guests are, so I'm called if there's trouble. Haven't had to use my physical MA skills yet, thank goodness.:armed:

 

[Zoran]

I bounced for about 10 years.

First five was in the usual sports/corner bar. Most of the fights happened at the pool tables. We did have one "free for all" break out once. Got pretty ugly, people hit with bottles, lots of blood and etc.

Second five was at a "Gentlemens Club". That was a different world. While at the usual corner bar, most conflicts were patron vs. patron. At the gentlemen's club it was parton vs. bouncer. Also was much more security orientated as you had to watch everybody and everthing. That included patron, dancers, bartenders, waitresses and etc. With so much $$$ flying around, you had to deal with what that tended to bring (drugs, sex for hire, scam artists and so on).

Anyways, I did have a lot of confrontations. Gave me a new perspective to my training.

 

[Josh]

ohh man. yea, i'm interested in what do these bars and places look for in a Bouncer. they don't just recruite anyone.

 

[gozanryu]

Well, what they look for, depends on the place. Very few places can afford to have "thugs" as bouncers. What I used to look for is, cool, level headed intelligence. You need to be very patient, and quick minded. Do you need Martial Skill, hmm, nah, but its handy. Your (the CLubs) strength lies in your authority and numbers. You will not be in the Club business long if you beat up the Patrons. A "cooler" effect is much more desireable than a confrontational one, conversely, when things go to hell (and they will) you have to be ready to switch gears quickly. Another thing to remember is, there a very few circumstances where it would be "proper" to actually strike someone. Most of your time is spent "suggesting" alternate behavior to drunk patrons i.e. "hey man, you know, ya cant really grab the girls like that, the boss gets upset, the girls get upset and your gonna have to leave, and your buddies will get to stay and have all the fun, so help me out OK?" type of deal. In the end, its a job.

 

[Kembudo-Kai Kempoka]

Bounced for a bit over 10 years, on and off, at various intervals between/during schooling and financial downfalls/emergencies. Have a degree in psych, so I always sold myself to the mnagement as "I can talk them out, or walk them out", stressing control-hold training over grab-and-beat. If you're a karate hot-head, they see liability. If you're a cool customer who's hard to anger, but invested in protecting the best interests of the establishment...

Worse then a hothead: Guys who do nothing. Most of bouncing is standing around or moving through the crowd. They also want to know that, if push comes to shove, you'll be there to support the cause...not hiding in the back because the trouble-maker's bigger. They didn't pay you for the easy hours to have you wuss out in the rough ones.

Dave

 

[Josh]

it seems like an interesting job. and the confrontations(and just training) look cool. and in the movies as well.

i know alot of leverage, take downs are involved.

 

[Bammx2]

I started at age 15 and continued off and on for the next 20yrs. In the beginning,there was a lot of fights(the whole invinciblity of youth thing goin on) then as time progressed you find yourself reverting to grappeling arts due to the whole non-violent approach.Its better to "walk" a guy out than "knock" him out.
Actually,it became.."talk" him out,"walk" him out....then "knock" him out...in that order when all else failed.
In Britain,you have to be licenced....actually take a course and have background check. I like that idea.
They have to be trained in first aid,legalities,etc....
I would MUCH rather have a bouncer who is trained,not just to fight,than a knuckle dragger!

 

[Kevin Walker]

who all has been a bouncer before and what were your experiences like where you had to use your training??

I was a bouncer for a year in a working class bar in downtown Boston. I began studying the martial arts in 1968 and haven't stopped.

Most of the time in this bar I just had to use my 'command voice' to let idiots know that they couldn't get in, or they had a fake I.D., or they were too drunk. Only a few times had I needed to call upon my training. A lot of times just sheer brute strength and ignorance is all you need to break up a fight or eject an unruly person. But then there is always that time when a finess technique is needed, like IKKYO, to get the message across. Also, there is always the clown who waits for you outside to get off work to settle scores, and that's when you really need your martial skills.

I personally found that any of the jiu-jitsu/aikido skills to be of greater advantage to being a bouncer than tae kwon do or boxing, since blasting a guy across the room can get you and the owners of the bar into all sorts of legal problems. The 'pain only' meridian techniques of ju jitsu and aikido rarely have resulted in a law suit.

But after a year of this nonsense I quit, I realized that being a bouncer wasn't for me and I felt like I was misusing my skills.

 

[Josh]

man. seems "fun" on video or in clips. by the way, any body got any bouncer application clips, training or real life video? i don't know. ya'll are brave though. Good stuff.

 

[Kevin Walker]

man. seems "fun" on video or in clips. by the way, any body got any bouncer application clips, training or real life video? i don't know. ya'll are brave though. Good stuff.

Some of the bouncer videos I've gotten from Paladin Press, Delta, and other places just seem to romanticize the job, and use a lot of techniques that could land you in jail. If you bust a guys jaw, like one of my boxer buddies did, then you're gonna spend the next two years in court worrying about your future!

Also, you're gonna meet entirely different situations depending on what part of the country and what type of bar you choose to be a bouncer. Homosexual bars in New York City need bouncers as much as shipyard bars in San Diego, so you're gonna need to be prepared to contend with a broad range of situations, plus dealing with the police, who generally don't like bouncers. A lot of aggravation that doesn't necessarily have to do with martial arts. So some of these bouncer videos are made just to make money and not educate you on the ugly realities of being a bouncer, like being found guilty of assault and battery or you being the victim of assault & battery by some guy with diplomatic immunity.

 

[Josh]

oh man. I just checked out Paladin Press stuff just to see what all that was. and I love that place. Lots of Down to earth videos and books. Nice store!!! what all ya'll like from there??

good times

 

[SMP]

I have worked security for many events. My martial arts have helped a great deal in that they have given me a lot of patience in dealing with people. Usually my verbal skills have been utilized most. Only only a few times have I really had to use physical force and that was on a guys who had already decided they wanted to fight.

 

[shotman]

I worked as a bouncer for 5+ years mainly in the NE England. At the time I studied a number of martial arts but tended to talk people down rather than get hands on with them , however when needs must!!!!
I felt it was a great testing ground for my training and possibly the best time in my life , wouldn't want to go back though. :asian: artyon:

 

[Thesemindz]

man. seems "fun" on video or in clips. by the way, any body got any bouncer application clips, training or real life video? i don't know. ya'll are brave though. Good stuff.

I don't know man. Having to tell drunks to keep their hands off the girls tits and then hoping you don't have to drag them outside in front of their buddies where they might wait outside for you to get off work? Doesn't sound like fun to me. I've considered doing it for the experience and to practice handling people who don't want to be handled, but not for the fun. I have several friends who bounced. One guy had a coworker accidently kill a customer with one punch to the neck that resulted in an anurism. For the practical training, maybe, for the opportunity to practice verbal control, definately, for the "fun", no thanks.

Besides, sober Black belts put up a better fight than drunk farm boys and businessmen.


-Rob