Mastering Club & Venue Security

Home , Bouncer (doorman), Security guard

Dance Clubs – Bars – Private Venues

The Professional Bouncer’s Course

Mastering Club & Venue Security

www.InternationalSecurityTraining.org

A Complete Course On Professional Bouncer / Nightclub Security

Important Clarification: This course in intended to provide a valuable overview of the Club Security / Professional Bouncer & Doorman Industry. It IS NOT intended to “LICENSE” or “REGISTER” anyone upon completion. Please see your local licensing entity for that purpose.

The modules in the course have various sources and authors, myself and others. The instructor(s) have compiled the modules from club security, correctional, law enforcement and conflict de-escalation training and seminars. No one discipline is better than another. Study as many as you can throughout your career. I wish I had all the names of the authors so I could give proper citations. As you’ll see – their wisdom is invaluable. My club security, military police and executive protection experience also shaped much of this course.

If you commit these pages to memory… put the ideas into practice… and develop a low-key, nice, yet firm disposition - you’ll be way ahead of the competition. Combine that, with a solid set of hand-to-hand skills and verbal de-escalation abilities – and you’ll hear the words “You’re Hired” as a Professional Bouncer sooner than most!

Course Outline

1. Laws pertaining to the profession Property owner’s (or their agent) right to trespass & remove a patron st 2. Appearance & dress code considerations – 1 impressions matter 3. Setting yourself up for success includes these often ignored realities 4. How patrons “size up” bouncers 5. Etiquette & courtesy 6. MBWA 7. Gaining rapport with regulars & its’ tactical value 8. Getting law enforcement on your side 9. Using teamwork (more than just other security staff ) 10. Understanding violence in this industry 11. Verbal de-escalation techniques 12. Physical restraint techniques 13. Self defense basics 14. Handling Various Incidents 15. Report writing 16. Managing stress, fear and anxiety 17. Alcohol environments & drunks 18. Drugs and your club / establishment 19. Gaining a professional reputation 20. Written test

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First, review the intro module you received. This will prime you for the rest of the course.

Laws Pertaining to the Profession

Every country, state and /or locale can have different laws on this topic. It’s important that you look up the statues for your area and learn what you can or can’t do as a bouncer (security guard/officer). The three areas I’d suggest beginning your topic search with are:

• A property owner’s (or their agents’) right to issue a trespass warning & remove a patron • Security guard limitations & rights • Use of force for: (a) property owners / agents (b) security guards

st Appearance & Dress Code Considerations – 1 Impressions Matter

For some reason, this topic is ignored by a large portion of the people I’ve worked with in both professional security and also in the correctional industry. Your appearance says so much about you and how seriously you take your job… that I can’t over emphasize it.

Always maintain a high standard in your appearance, clothing and conduct. If you pay attention to the following guidelines, you’ll reduce your stress throughout the night gain a professional reputation.

1. Shower and have a clean cut appearance. 2. Always have fresh breath 3. Keep hair combed and maintain a trimmed beard / mustache if applicable 4. Pressed shirts & pants (even if you’re wearing a polo) 5. Shoes should be shined 6. No cursing and/or insulting patrons (Even when they deserve it... and some will!) 7. Be pleasant & smile until it’s time not to. 8. Greet everyone, make eye contact and make them feel welcome! They’re bringing money into your establishment. That money is partly used to pay YOU.

Setting yourself up for success includes these often ignored realities

a. Physical Pain

What do a nurse, cashier and bouncer have in common? You got it… sore legs and feet! If you’re sore or in pain, your mood and temperament will be off. It’s your responsibility to carry Motrin, Tylenol, etc. on your person while at work. Don’t put this responsibility on your employer. Be a professional and take care of yourself.

b. Hunger While Working

Same thing goes for hunger. My partners and I always have food bars hidden somewhere. Every couple hours… eat one real quick.

c. Intrusive thoughts

These distracting thoughts can range from thinking about the fight you just had with your spouse or girlfriend… to thinking about how you’re going to get revenge on the guy who sucker punched you last week.

If you’re preoccupied with thoughts like those, you won’t be able to do the following:

• Scan your area of responsibility as well • Observe subtle cues to a violent attack • Detect unauthorized activities in the club/ bar. Drugs, prostitution, etc.

Be cool, be professional and find healthy ways to manage stress in your personal and professional life. We all have theses issues so never feel insecure because they exist in your life.

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How patrons “size up” bouncers

Doorman and bouncers are immediately sized up by both genders… just for different reasons in most cases.

Males tend to look at the bouncer in this framework:

• Size • Appearance of strength • Alertness • Verbal confidence (is he talking to everyone, making eye contact, etc.) • Physical confidence (is he physically covering/blocking the door) • Demeanor – is he cool & calm? Any angry hot head? Does he have little man’s syndrome? Is he an over confident big man? etc. • Distractibility – How can he be distracted? Ego stroking? Pretty women? Verbal aggression/challenge? • Etc.

Women look at all the above, PLUS tend to look at:

• Can he be swayed by my sexuality? • Does he back down from female aggression? (Not out of physical fear but fear of being sued on a false premise, embarrassed, etc.) • Etc.

Both genders will test boundaries by attempting bribes, intimidation, name dropping and more. This list is just the beginning. The more you work in the industry… the more you’ll see how security staff is sized up.

Etiquette & courtesy

Cursing, making loud threats and talking like a street thug are just low class. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather earn $300 - $500 a night as a professional… than earn $90 as a run of the mill bouncer.

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Carry yourself so well that if a wealthy patron came in, they’d want to hire you at a great salary because they saw how professional you were under extreme stress and possible chaos.

Another reason you want to remain very courteous is BACK-UP. I’ve had so many patrons get my back when I was out numbered. Know why? Because of the way I treated them, their significant others or their employees… on a regular basis.

A final reason, “character references” in court. If you ever get taken to court and sued by a patron… you’ll want the odds stacked in your favor. Your reputation should be of the highest regard and it all begins with etiquette & courtesy.

MBWA

MBWA is an acronym for Manage By Walking Around. Obviously, if I’m assigned to the door or another stationary post… I can’t do this. However, most other security duties will allow me this flexibility. Move around, be seen, introduce yourself to folks, etc.

Be smooth and quick about the introduction… don’t hang out like a needy puppy.

Say “Hello, my name is ______and I’m with the security staff tonight. Listen if you need anything security related just let me or one of my team mates know. We’ll be over there. I gotta run, take care ladies/gentlemen, I’ll see you around.”

Then move along!

Gaining rapport with regulars & its’ tactical value

I just hit on this topic above. The reason you want to remain very courteous is back-up. THAT is the Tactical Value! Like I mentioned above, I’ve had many customers back me up when I was out numbered and in imminent danger. But because of the way I treated

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them, their significant others and their employees on a regular basis, they stood side by side with me in a show of force that prevented potential fights from becoming reality.

Getting law enforcement on your side

First, there is a tactical value similar to the one above. When law enforcement shows up… you’ll be in a lot better situation if they KNOW you and if they LIKE you.

Second, there is the Character Reference value. Every time law enforcement shows up at your venue, you make an impression. Make that impression a GOOD one!

Be professional. Don’t show anger… don’t talk too much… don’t roll your eyes or show attitude if the disposition of the incident isn’t in your favor. Don’t act like an arrogant tough-guy or behave like a cop wanna-be.

Let’s be honest, some officer’s hate dealing with security personnel. It’s up to you to portray a relaxed professional who is concerned with the safety of the patrons and with a healthy respect for the law.

Using teamwork (more than just other security staff )

Good Guy / Bad Guy Approach

I learned this approach formally in three different arenas. The first was club security, the second was as a Military Policeman and the third was in the Correctional industry. It’s taught in these different arena’s because it works! When employed consistently, it will eliminate the need for using force in approx 80% of incidents. From routine drunks, to mild arguments, to people you’ve previously issued trespass warnings to... it’s effective.

Normally, two people are used for this approach. Normally the first person to arrive is the front... and next person to arrive is the cover. Now, if the Front is just not having luck with the unruly patron… a hand off should occur if the situation permits. At this point the Cover will move up

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to take the Front role… and the first Front will move back to the Cover position.

If the above hand-off doesn’t gain voluntary compliance… be ready to go hands-on.

Duties Of The Front - Good Guy

• Talk down/de-escalate the problem • Befriend or dominate the problem individual • Physically control the incident

Duties Of The Cover - Bad Guy

• Cover The Front from outside intervention • Provide physical back up if the incident goes physical • Psyche out/distract the problem individual by standing close behind them.

Team Work and Back Up

Everyone is different. I know that you won’t always like the people you work with. That being said, you’re feelings need to be hidden. Be a professional. In order to maintain control and good order at your venue, you must be skilled in security team work. When all the security members have a clear role, the whole team will be capable of reacting professionally to any incident. The goal of teamwork training is to:

• Allow you to present a professional and humane front to the patrons and your employer • End problem situations fast without stressing out the non- participating patrons • Keep you out of jail • Keep you out of hospital

The two basic principles of teamwork between doormen and the floor walkers are:

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• To consistently support each other at all times • To detect & de-escalate negative behavior as soon as possible

When working in Club Security, you have to work and communicate with people at a very close range. Many times these people are unhappy. Why? Because you’re asking them to stop behaving in a certain way… asking them to leave… or maybe not letting them in. Another fun thing to do at the Door is to confiscate a fake ID. These people get super angry… super fast! Not just because they’ve been caught but because they probably spent good $$$ on their fake ID.

Tony Blauer says that real fights happen within the space of a phone booth and he’s right! As Club Security, most of your confrontations are within that same close distance.

At that close distance you are definitely vulnerable to being attacked. It’s so important that you learn body language and verbal cues so that you can increase your ability to anticipate an upset patron’s next move.

Use your verbal skills… all the time… every time! Don’t insult him/her and don’t get pulled into their little argument game. Also, remember the teamwork from above? Use trick code words/phrases or hand & arm signals to alert and engage your team. If the situation goes physical, teamwork is going to be needed.

Post Fight Environment

Following a fight, it’s the job of club security to manage the environment, care for patrons, minimize the drama and focus on what just occurred and prevent any further violence.

Easier said than done! Look at what’s going on after a fight:

• Emotions are running rampant: People are angry, scared & paranoid. There may be crying, yelling, etc. • The energy from the above creates an atmosphere where just a tiny “spark” will create a second explosion of violence.

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That spark or “trigger” will usually be something simple like a curse word, aggressive body language, facial expression, etc. from anyone in the area.

Separate & Suture

When I was a Military Policeman, I was taught a little technique called Separate & Suture. I was shown how to use this during domestic violence calls. Well, soon after learning that, I tried it while working in a US Army Regional Corrections Facility. I had a high success rate with it there and began using it during my part time work as club security.

What is the technique? It’s simply creating space between the arguing people… then getting them out of each others eye sight… talking to them (hopefully calming them down) and then if appropriate, bringing them back together so no one gets kicked out or worse… hurt.

In order for this to work, you’ll need the person you’re talking to to commit to relaxing and not fighting, staring or behaving aggressively or in a disrespectful manner. Now, here’s where you have to KNOW body language and vocal deception. If there is any doubt in your mind as to the sincerity of the person you’re talking to… tell them that you’re going to need them to leave for tonight. Sometimes people will calm down just so they get another opportunity to assault the person they were arguing with.

If you’re still in the venue and you need to escort the person out, use a different door than your partner is using with the other person.

Some people don’t like security staff breaking up an argument because they feel it makes them look weak… or like they can’t handle themselves. Pride is a pain in the butt sometimes, especially when drinking and/or drugs get involved. Then there is the ripple-effect. I’m talking about the next ring of people you’ll have to calm down… The Friends! They may be upset or feel you should let the fight occur. You’ll have to calm them down as well.

So, our goal will be to get the first person / group out of the club. After waiting a few minutes, the second person / group should be brought out. Hopefully this will reduce the chance of them fighting in front of your club

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and giving your club bad press. The cooler (supervisor) may want to consider calling the police. This will be a professional move and help deter violence outside your club.

Understanding violence in this industry

What Causes Violence Between Patrons and Club Security?

The most common thoughts include: noise, overcrowding, heat, alcohol, anger, drugs, fear, pain, and finally the desire to impress bystanders. Below are four causes for violent conflict between patrons and club security.

1. Violent intentions of the patron 2. Poor attitude of the bouncer 3. Lack of training in social interaction skills for the security staff 4. Alcohol / drugs

Violent intent of the patron

On many occasions a bouncer will be confronted by a patron, either drunk or sober who is hell bent on starting a fight. This violent person will ignore the de-escalation efforts of the bouncer and continue to go primal. The two main types of aggression used by patrons on bouncers are labeled Instrumental and Emotional.

Proactive aggression is used in order to eliminate the victim. In this situation you may be faced by an individual who is totally committed to making your face look like a bloody meatball. In another example, the bar may contain at least 10 regulars whom you have ‘spoken to’ or walked out on earlier occasions. They will take the opportunity of a fight to sneak in a strike or two on your blind side aiding in you receiving a bad beating.

Reactive aggression is used by someone in extreme anger or fear. They may be angry because you will not allow them into the venue so they vent their rage on you. On other occasions, the patron may be trying to start a fight with another patron. When the bouncer steps in to de-escalate the situation, the violent patron becomes angrier. Without warning, the bouncer then becomes the target. Fear can induce emotional aggression.

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For example, while you are escorting a person off the venue, they may attack you because they fear for their safety. Some clubs have a bad reputation for escorting patrons outside in order to give them a beating off camera. If a patron expects this to happen at your venue, you will have trouble escorting them off the premises.

Poor Attitude of the bouncer

The primary role of club security is to care for all the individuals at their venue. It is also the duty of club security to remain impervious to the slings and arrows from idiots that try to trick them into unprofessional modes of behavior. This is very similar to what Corrections Officers have to deal with. Once the bouncer starts taking insults as a personal slight, they become emotionally involved in the situation and it rapidly escalates into a physical confrontation.

Lack of training in social interaction skills for club security

The true aim of club security is to keep violent behavior from occurring at all. Dealing with & controlling violence is a secondary focus. Learning how to walk, talk, stand and interact with others is a small price to pay for a peaceful night’s work. Learning how to de-escalate violent situations will reduce the chance of those situations escalating at all. It is far better to experience insulting behavior in the confines of the training environment than in the real world.

A hasty response to an insult will cost the bouncer his job and sometimes his house. Once civil law suits are explained to an individual, they will be much better equipped, both mentally and emotionally, to deal with these types of idiots in a professional manner.

Alcohol

Alcohol attacks and anesthetizes the fore brain. This part of the brain is responsible for all aspects of learning, judgment and the regulation of behavior. Alcohol will also make individuals hypersensitive to aggressive cues, either real or imagined.

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Bouncer Reputations

Despite meeting all the basic requirements in dress, appearance, and social skills, the bouncer has to cope with the negative prejudices of the patrons. Negative prejudices are defined as the hostile attitudes individuals may express towards the bouncer because of their limited knowledge of the bouncer’s role.

One study found that venues that employed door staff created a negative influence for their venue. Customers perceived the atmosphere in such bars to be more tense and less than friendly. To counter this problem, the patron must be made aware of the changed role of club security.

Next, the behavior of one group of bouncers can negatively influence the attitude of patrons towards all bouncers. This is particularly true when the patron is not aware of the correct role of club security. For example, in some bars bouncer’s gain a bad reputation because they always go in heavy handed to deal with problems. In other bars, the bouncer’s are considered useless because of their soft, humanitarian or liberal approach to dealing with problems. This is where club security uses the procedure of warning off unruly patrons before ejecting them. Some patrons may walk out of the venue, complaining about the unruly conduct of other patrons.

Today, the unruly patrons are given a chance to mend their ways before they are finally asked to leave the venue. The days of thump and dump are long gone. In these two examples, the bouncer has created negative attitudes in patrons. In the first example, by acting incorrectly and in the second incident, by acting correctly. That’s a tough spot to be in.

How Fast Can a Fight Start?

Super Fast! You’re standing near the door and a guy walks by. You think to yourself, “he looks…” CRACK! He just sucker punched you! Your bleeding and all you’re able to do is bear hug him while you wait for back- up to arrive.

Yes, he did look familiar because you threw him out earlier on that night. Just a polite request and he left the bar. But his alcohol and resentment

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levels built up steadily since then, you failed to stay “switched on” and the sucker punch found its target. Note: often times it is the silent type, those who wander off without threatening you, who give you the biggest surprise.

When Does A Fight Start?

A fight starts when two antagonist’s eye-ball each other - after that - escalation takes place at the pace of greased lightening. It is your job to spot this event taking place and physically intervene, even if you have to short circuit the antagonists physical contact with each other.

If you fail to act fast, the collateral damage from this incident will have many short term and long term effects. It is impossible for a bar fight not to involve innocent bystanders who may be either physically or emotionally scarred in the incident. No one wants to go to and relax in a bar with a reputation for poor order and ineffective security. You must control these situations with fast and effective close range tactics that limit all collateral damage.

Of course, there are occasions where it is impossible to stop a fight from kicking off. For example, if a bunch of thugs decide to raid your bar with the specific intent of starting problems, you will be hard pressed to contain the problem. Once the problem kicks off, you and your team react to it and remove the threat by forcing the trouble makers out the main door.

Now, consider the damage this incident creates. Before the fighting started, there were 420 patrons in the bar, after the incident and you looked behind into the bar, there were only 30 left. This was because, other than the morbid few, all the patrons had vacated the bar via the emergency exits.

It can take over one month for a bar to recover from a fighting incident, even a minor fight. This is because the rumor spreading through the community will destroy the good reputation of the bar. One months work in weeding out a bar can be destroyed in a thirty second bar fight. So therefore, you must stay alert and get in fast to contain any problem.

Anatomy of a Bar Fight

Most bar fights have two star players, The Aggressor and the Victim. The Aggressor, call him Mr. Anus, is already keyed up for a fight and will usually start by verbally attacking the selected Victim. Why this particular person has been selected is not important, it will emerge during the verbal confrontation. For example, these are the most common party pooper openings:

1. What the fuck are you looking at asshole? 2. You've been staring at my woman all night! 3. You beat up my friend, didn't you? 4. You owe me money, where is it? 5. You think I'm a big asshole!! Don't you?? 6. etc

Notice that these openers are not questions, just distractions to freeze the victim’s brain. The victim will be trying to formulate a groveling submission and Mr. Anus will use this time to beat the life out of him.

At the early stage of the encounter, Mr. Anus is inside the victim’s personal space, close enough to us the head butt. He is dominating the scene with a loud tirade, clenched fists and a spray of beer saliva. He is becoming more primal in his behavior and he will attack once the adrenalin surge overpowers his last ounce of reasoning ability.

The victim is usually shocked, powerless and less verbose. He is still looking for the 'get out alive' clause in the evening’s entertainment bill. Anything will do, as long as he can leave with his dignity intact. Attacking first in a blind panic becomes an option if someone does not intervene and stop the grand plan of Mr. Anus going to the physical stage.

That is where the anatomy of the bar fight stops. You step in fast and hard if necessary. You have one clear target, Mr. Anus. Deescalate the situation fast, your cover man will watch the victim… as well as the friends of Mr. Anus. This is the guy who has to be removed, the instigator, the person who is upsetting the whole ambience of the venue.

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At this stage the cover man also offers the victim his get out clause by by forcibly stating, "You, stay out of this!". The expression on the victims face usually tells you he is too busy shitting himself to be involved anyway.

In all ‘eye balling’ events, primal displays, arguments, verbally abusive scenarios and fights it is the job of club security to get in fast and stop the situation from escalating. You must dominate the scene, never allow lunatics like Mr. Anus to rule your club.

Who Started the Fight?

"He started it. He hit me first!" shouts Mr. Anus as you separate the two antagonists. Of course he is totally wrong. When a fox jumps into a chicken run, the chickens fly in every direction in order to escape from the threat. There is a small hard core of people who are not as bright as chickens. Confronted by a violent situation, some humans will not only fly, they will also freeze, fight and do other stupid and inappropriate things. The verbal aggression and physical posturing of Mr. Anus will induce all forms of violent reaction. This includes fear, altruistic and pathological violence.

One other small core of individuals will treat Mr. Anus the same way you should, only they do it sooner. It is simply a question of differing interpretations and reaction times in their use of instrumental violence. They are trapped in a crowded bar and it would be stupid of them to turn their back on Mr. Anus or his friends. Their only option to resolving the situation may be the Pre-Emptive strike. If you can justify the use of the Pre-Emptive strike, then you have to extend that license to anyone else who feels they do not have any other option.

That is why you must intervene, well before the fight goes physical. As soon as you detect Mr. Anus mouthing off, it's your turn to butt in and deescalate the situation.

Going to the Ground

First, either you or your opponent may be punched, clubbed, swept or thrown to the ground. Second, there is always the chance that both you

and your opponent will go to the ground together. If your experience in ground fighting is limited, then your survival will also be limited. The grounded opponent is not necessarily overpowered or passive. This position can be used to launch many different forms of crippling and lethal attacks that are banned in sport combat.

When you are fighting more than one person, your survival will be limited. Should you end up in the grounded position, your survival is extremely limited.

Verbal de-escalation techniques

The Six Rounds of De-escalation and Escalation

Brinkmanship, the veiled threat, numerical or physical dominance, escalation, de-escalation and verbosity are the best tools in the trade. These tools can be used to stop a situation from going ballistic. After years on the doors you will be subject to all forms of attack. This includes threats, punches, kicks and insults. You remember these moments and go on to use these threats and postures yourself. This is because you are always trying to keep trouble away from both the door and the floor without fighting. Physical fights will ruin the venue's reputation and you will be out of work when the patrons stop visiting.

[The following story was shared by an incredibly talented Door Supervisor in the UK]

The following scenario came about because the individual involved in the ejection had a working knowledge of the door. Because of his knowledge he decided to push my patience and good nature to the limit by posturing and ignoring my polite requests for him to leave the venue quietly. This is not a very common problem, as most former and active bouncers will acquiesce to your requests, respecting the difficult role you have. It is not advisable for you to escalate a situation in order to resolve it. But, provided you have the numerical strength and ability to influence the opposition, you can over power them without fighting.

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Round One

You and your back up are asked by the bar manager to approach an individual who appears to have upset one of the female bar staff. The bar staff can be extremely sensitive at times, particularly so when they think they have their own personal Rottweiler’s on standby. You go to the bar counter along with your back up. You. "Excuse me sir, you appear to have upset one of the bar staff with your verbal abuse. The bar staff are refusing to serve you and the bar manager wants you to leave the venue."

First round to you. It's the bar manager who wants the individual off the venue, not you. That way there is no direct confrontation. You are just the messenger.

Round Two

The Individual. "Are you throwing me out, man?" The individual, an ex- bouncer, folds his arms and towers over you. You. "No sir, I'm not throwing you out. I am asking you to leave the venue. You are no longer welcome. Come back tomorrow if you want."

Second round to you. All your remaining teeth are still secure. As well as that, your ears and nose have not been nibbled away. You have verbally dodged the direct confrontation again. The individual has also been introduced to the concept that he is unwelcome and is now a trespasser. The individual has not been barred from the venue yet. If he behaves himself he knows that he can come back tomorrow.

Round Three

The Individual. "I've just paid for this drink and I'm not leaving it." You. "That's OK sir, you can finish your drink. You have five minutes to do that".

Third round to you. You have met every objection with a de-escalating response. The individual is now on a deadline to leave the venue within the

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next five minutes. He has taken a verbal battering so far and you have not flinched from completing your objective.

Round Four

One of the bar staff. "Why is that ass hole still in the bar?" You to the bar manager. "When I'm working on a guy tell your bar staff to keep their noses out. I'll speak to you later about this."

Round Four to you again. Keep your cool and control the incident at your own pace. Your objective is to remove the individual from the venue without anyone going to jail or going to hospital or the other patrons being traumatized. Your objective is definitely not based on the hysterical ravings of the 'upset' bar staff.

Round Five

The Individual. After three minutes he walks from the bar counter to his table and picks up another bottle to start drinking again. You. From your vantage point on the stairs, you shout across the bar, "You still have five minutes and counting!"

The Individual. "Don't try that shit on me man!" You. Splay out your hand and shout again, "Five minutes and counting!" The Individual. He mutters away to his friends and then leaves the venue with his bottle.

Round Five to you. Initially I had tried the Mr. Nice Guy approach, prepared to state my case and allow the individual to leave the venue with his dignity intact as possible. For round five, he pushed his luck so I deliberately escalated the situation. I was prepared to go physical and I let the whole bar know that. All this despite the fact that my scrotum was now so tight my nuts were crushed. I would probably have walked up to the individual with a limp. My cover was just as bad. The protracted incident and the lack of activity had caused his adrenalin to rush. He was shaking like a leaf, ready to rumble.

Round Six

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You to the bar manager. "I'm getting rather annoyed by your bar staff interjecting when I'm working on a guy". Or words to that effect. Bar manager. "Yes, but they were listening to him when you walked back to your vantage point with your cover. He was saying things like, he will leave in his own good time, nobody was going to throw him out".

You. "He was off the premises within five minutes of my initial approach to him. Nobody went to jail, nobody went to hospital and nobody in the bar was traumatized. What's the problem? The bar manager. "No problem. That's the way it should be"

Sixth round to you. Slighted bar staff are inclined to get upset when you don't behave like their personal Rottweiler’s and tear a smart assed patron apart in front of them.

Physical Restraint Techniques

The “8 Second” Rules For Minimum Force Tactics

1. Provided the subjects are not suffering from drug (or other) induced excited delirium, fights last for at least 8 seconds. After that, there is a drop in hormonal levels and thus muscular activity. If it takes you longer than 8 seconds to reach the scene, there is very little fight left in the combatants. Sometimes there is nothing identifiable as a fight, just an unusually larger crowd gathered out of morbid curiosity. If the fight is still in progress, expect this crowd to deliberately block your route into the fight area. In some instances your way is blocked by the crowd pressing back to get away from the mayhem. In either case you will have to force your way through.

2. When you lift/pick up/move a subject towards the nearest exit, you have 8 seconds before they react in an obstructive manner.

3. If you have applied arm locks or any other restraints, you have at least 8 seconds before even the dumbest drunk figures out how to counter the tactic.

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4. To “lift and shift” a subject for ejection, stalk them until they are as close as possible to an exit. Again, 8 seconds walking is the limit before the operation comes to grief.

Self Defense Basics

Obviously you need to follow the policies of your employer and the laws where you’re working. The info below should be tailored to your situation. The important thing to grasp from what you’re about to read is the fact that distraction, surprise, violence of action and the refusal to ‘trade blows’ with a patron.

Distracting the Opponent

When the opponent is preparing to attack you, distractions become necessary. The following tactics may be incorporated into your training program. As your skill develops, you will appreciate the vital fractions of a second and respect the control these distractions allow you.

Throw

Throw the nearest object to hand... Bang! Make the opponent flinch, blink or stop. This form of distraction will give you a fraction of a second to make your own move.

Spit

Spit... Bang!!! This can make the opponent either blink, vomit, draw back or lift their hands to expose the lower targets. Spit out anything that happens to be in your mouth at the time of the confrontation and then immediately strike out.

Feint

Bluff... Bang!!! Before carrying out a definite attack, such as a punch, either pretend to or actually use a kick. This tactic will make the opponent act in a predictable manner. Develop your own personal set of combinations.

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Shout

Shout... Bang!!! Scream... Bang!!!

This can be used in order to dispel your nervous energy and disorientate the enemy. By shouting or screaming, you can make the opponent temporarily freeze. The shouting approach can also make your own attack much stronger.

Breathe

Your breathing can also be used to strengthen your attack and confuse the opponent. This can be done by hissing or grunting as you move or attack.

Consider the boxer's mode of breath coordinated striking. Just before you strike, you tense up your stomach muscles. Before the strike lands, grunt, hiss or blow out half your lung capacity.

Move

In many fights, the opponent will be operating with a limited level of consciousness. The opponent will both "telegraph" and persist in using the same technique. The simple act of either kicking or using a ‘straight arm strangle’ will induce the opponent to copy you. Both these situations can be used to your advantage.

Combatants are usually motivated by fear or blind hatred.

It is not normal for them to think tactically and respond positively to their opponents attack. Attacks are usually focused on the position of the opponent. The simple act of stepping out of this direct line of attack can confuse the attacker.

Try to remain mobile during a confrontation. This will disrupt the opponents timing and concentration. If your opponent is circling around you, disrupt their timing by either stepping in or out with a side step of

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your own.

If your opponent is right handed, move round them in an anticlockwise direction. This will keep you away from the much stronger right side of their body. At other times encourage the opponent to move forward. Their momentum will add more impetus to the force of your attack.

Talk

Talk to the opponent and find out what they want from you. The danger is that when you are talking you are not completely focused on the behavior of the opponent. Hopefully, talking may help to reduce the tension of the situation.

You or your back up must be talking all the time. This is simply a device to keep the opposition focused on a verbal response rather than a physical response. Let the patron win the argument; don't be afraid to loose face, if it gets the patron out of the venue.

Also try asking a stupid question, anything at all, ("Have you ever seen a striped chicken?") ....Bang!!! This question will create a short circuit in the opponents thinking process and momentarily confuse them. Long enough to get the first strike home and create a bigger short circuit.

Vary the volume of your speech and then... Bang!!

Vary the speed of your speech and then...Bang!! These tactics will draw the opponents’ attention to your voice, away from your attack.

Ambush

Leave the enemy an obvious opening in your defenses. Once their anticipated attack is initiated, you can counterattack.

Pretend

Pretend to be afraid, injured, dead, competent, brave, stunned or mad. Do anything to disrupt the thinking processes of the opponent. Create a

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mental block in the opposition and then use the opportunity this creates to either attack or escape.

Hurt

Hurt the opponent with any technique that momentarily breaks their focus or concentration. A simple finger flick to either the eyes or the crotch will do the trick.

Handling Various Incidents

Your primary duty as a bouncer is to prevent trouble, not to deal with it. The more proactive and preemptive you behavior is, the more remote the chance is of trouble starting. Responsible venue owners have a duty of care for their patrons and staff. When you do come into physical contact with a patron, the venue owner should demand a full explanation for your actions.

Responsible owners will not take lightly to a bouncer who is either incapable of preventing trouble or always jumps in, feet first, to sort out a simple altercation. Only resort to physical contact when you honestly believe there is no viable alternative. There is another good reason for not making a habit of fighting with the patrons. It is the fact that you stand a good chance of getting the crap beaten out of yourself. At any one time, most bars will have a handful of resentful patrons you have 'spoken to' or sorted out on previous occasions. They are usually waiting for trouble to start so that they can leap in and even the score.

Outlined below are the drills and 'Actions On' for dealing with venue incidents. The common denominators for each drill include:

• Cover each others back at all times. • Whenever possible, approach any incidents from behind the antagonists. • Know your drill before you deal with incidents. • Know where all friends and foes are located. • Move in fast and take them out fast.

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• Resolve the conflict as quickly as possible.

Drills

A drill is an operational procedure for dealing with a specific situation. Once you have been trained in coping with all the problem scenarios, your general demeanor will be one of confidence. You will take on the persona of a guy (or gal) who has the edge. That is, you will always be in control and dictate the terms in any situation.

Throughout this manual, detailed descriptions of specific scenarios have been presented and should be rehearsed. This procedure will help you to cope with the fears and anxieties produced by this dangerous job of door supervising. With practice and experience, you will also become more competent at modifying the basic drill to cope with the chaos of real life situations. Without this revision in real life scenarios, your survival will be limited.

In order to promote speed, self confidence, and fighting skill, the training sessions must contain as many variables as possible, for example:

1. The attack can be structured as a rush attack, rear attack, side attack, group attack, ground attack or combination attack.

2. The defense can incorporate withdrawal, ground fighting or mutual support.

3. The opponent can be tall, short, fat, thin, drunk, crazed, sitting, standing, prone or armed. You will be amazed at how impractical some techniques are when you try them on an opponent who does not resemble your training partner in either shape, size or demeanor. It can prove lethal for you to experience one of those "Oh Fuck!" moments in a real situation when a training session would have eliminated this blind spot in your fighting response.

4. The conditions must also be varied and represent your working environment. Train within a crowd of people, in a cramped room, in darkness, your hands may be restrained by others or you may be stunned.

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Dealing With Rush Attacks

Consider this scenario.... Mr. Angry is thundering towards you with the brakes definitely off. He will either Bulldoze through you or else start shouting or finger stabbing at your chest. It does not matter if he is the bar manager or a street thug, they have to be stopped. After all, no one employs a crocodile in order to abuse it.

To stand firm and shout, "Stop"!! might work, perhaps...if it does not, you are totally stuffed.

Try this procedure; it is designed to be your first tenth of a second line of defense in the face of an unannounced rush attack/verbal assault.

Brain

Once you have detected the threat, you must instantly energize the body by adapting the following well practiced drill to meet the threat.

Feet

Step off to the left on the left foot and then swivel on the ball of the left foot to bring the right side of your body away from the attacker. Instead of the head on collision you are now turned from directly facing Mr. Angry to a side facing position as he rushes past, hopefully.

Mouth

While your feet are performing this simple get away, your mouth is operating as well. Do not shout Stop, this is too passive. Try barking out "Back Off.. Now!!!" This sounds like a swear word and is more aggressive. On some occasions you may not get the first word out, it can happen that fast. When you do get the words out, everybody hears, including witnesses to the attack on your person.

Hands

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OK.. While your brain, feet and mouth are working, your hands have something to do that sends a clear message of intent. Your leading left finger is pointing at the face of Mr. Angry, it is also telling him to back off. The forearm can be used to parry off any hand attack. The right hand is held back, slightly limp, ready to palm heel Mr. Angry on the shoulder of their non-pointing hand.

This movement can be coordinated and executed within a fraction of a second. If it was only a verbal attack, you are coping with it. If it was a physical attack, your response has also been positive.

In a street fighting situation, it would prove more effective to double palm heel the chest area of Mr. Angry. This procedure would propel the antagonist many yards backwards, but, in a crowded bar you want to torque the antagonists body into weak position. You do not want him to act like a reversing bulldozer, clearing other patrons and tables of drink on his merry way.

If the rush attack catches you unawares, always try to get the point of your elbow up. That will be the first object Mr. Angry tries to attack with his rib cage. This procedure, to all those witnessing it, is a defensive move. You have lifted your hands up to protect your face. With your elbow raised to this position, you can cope with big swinging punches to your head without trying to stick your head up your ass. This position leaves your right hand and sight line free to win the fire fight.

If you really are caught out, as a last resort, try the gentle back hand flick to the eye area or a groin tap. After all no-one should be that invasive as to be hit in this manner.

Dealing With Groups

When a group of people arrive at your door it is imperative that you do not allow them to intimidate or rush you before you check out:

• Age • Group identity • Appropriate dress

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• Barred persons • Disabilities • General demeanor • Level of sobriety

By identifying the group you will be able to direct late arrivals to their tables. After they have passed this initial hurdle and you have established your control, you must identify the group leader. You may have to speak directly to the leader of the group at a later stage concerning the behavior of the group. Some studies have stressed the point that you must never address individuals within a group.

Always address the whole group. Wrong!!!! By addressing individuals within a group or whacking individuals within a group, you are breaking down the group mentality. Isolate the trouble makers every time and address the trouble makers every time. Destroy the anonymity created by the group and you decrease you problems with the group.

If it is a last night of freedom type of party, the best man may also want the function to go well. This factor will make your job much easier. At this early stage you must inform the group about the house rules, conduct, singing and strippers etc. It is much easier to inform them while they are sober. Trying to enforce the rules after a few rounds will only lead to grief for you.

You are not trying to put the 'mockers' on the function before it starts, a short, sharp and friendly exchange lets the group know that there are limits.

The most noisy group you will ever have to deal with is usually a hen party. High spirited girls have a high pitched voice that will penetrate the darkest recesses of the bar. Some bars will not allow hen parties to gain entry for this reason. If your bar does allow hen parties, warn them at the door to be on their best behavior. Dealing with Sitters

There will be rare occasions when the patrons refuse to acknowledge your count down and sit on five minutes after the 'drinking up time' has run out.

This has an effect on other patrons who see your apparent lack of assertiveness as a chance for them to sit on and enjoy themselves at your expense and the owners license. Another fine example of monkey see monkey do.

• Make sure that the bar staff are clear from the area and you have your back up in position.

• Target one table that refuses to move. This table should be in full view of all the other tables or at least within ear shot of what is about to happen.

• Half the floor staff act as cover while the other half clear the targeted table of drinks, using thumb pressure point techniques if necessary. The drinks are then poured down the sink. Long before this happens there will be loud wailing and gnashing of teeth from those parted from their electric soup.

• Control the chaos that follows, letting the other tables know that they are next on the hit list, if they haven't already left.

Dealing With Sleepers

When somebody falls asleep at your venue, it's time for them to go home. Other than the most common reasons for nodding off, such as tiredness and alcohol, there may be more something more serious happening. This includes trauma, drug, drink or diabetic induced comas.

The Bouncer are responsible for resurrecting the sleeper and getting them bright eyed and bushy tailed enough to walk unaided out the door. There are three good reasons for this. First, an ignored sleeper is much more likely to be robbed, assaulted, injured or cause damage. Second, trailing a comatose patron to the front door will not enhance the reputation of the venue. Third, irrespective of the situation you are handling, as a Bouncer you must always resolve that situation with all the patrons involved before those patrons leave the venue.

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The Routine

On approaching a sleeper, find out if they have any friends in the bar. Hopefully the friends will give you his name and can also be persuaded to care for the sleeper and ensure that they are transported home. Always ask these friends if the sleeper has a medical problem or is on a course of treatment. This procedure will help, not only to establish the facts but also indicate to all that you have a genuine concern for the individual.

Start the wake up process by clearing the table of drink or anything that may spill or break as the sleeper wakes up. This includes lifting their face our of their dinner plate and cleaning it. Gently shake the sleeper by holding their elbow at the radial nerve, increasing thumb pressure until they are aroused. Always address the individual by name and shout into their ear as you shake the individual awake in order to increase your control.

If this fails to arouse the individual, go on to "massaging the jaw". The target area lies on the upper jaw line on each side of their neck close to the ear lobes. Here you spread your thumb and middle finger across the back of the neck to press the nerves against the left and right upper jaw lines. Increase this pressure until they wake up, finally resorting to short prods if the gentle approach fails.

If this "Tactile Stimulation" fails to rouse the individual, you may have a serious medical problem to deal with. Check out their neck and wrists for medical alert discs. Also check their pulse on both sides of the neck as advised in your medical training.

Sequence

• Find out if the individual has friends in the bar • Find out the individuals name • Is the individual on medication? • Clear the table • Check for breathing • Shake at the radial and address by name • Finger massage the upper jaw and address by name

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• Check their pulse • Medical assistance

Dealing With Trouble at The Door

When an aggressive customer is standing free with plenty of space to move in, they have an indeterminate set of options to use against you. Because of this freedom, their behavior will be too unpredictable. Should they attack, your defensive response will be too slow and you will suffer. Control and dominate the aggressive patron, mentally and physically by standing properly, holding them and talking to them in a specific way that allows you to predict their reactions.

You must always strive to dictate the pace of events and control the potentially violent situation. This can be achieved by:

1. Reducing the options 2. Controlling the space 3. Controlling the dialogue

Reducing the Options

Your stance must at all times, present both a physical and mental barrier to the person you are confronting. Use a side on stance in order to present as small a target as possible. This stance will also reduce the options available to the potential attacker. Your hands must be used to cover your upper body. This in turn will present another obstacle course for the potential attacker. Keep your palms facing the person. This looks more non aggressive and may reduce the tension of the situation. The open palm position will allow you to immediately carry out palm heel attacks and parry their fist attacks.

In order to further limit the aggressive patron's options, physically restrain them in a non-aggressive way that will elicit a response from them. For example, the simple act of holding the back of one of their elbows and pushing it across their body will close down their whole body and lead them to committing an act that you have already predicted. By reducing

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the aggressive patron's options, you have also reduced your options. This will help to make your response more positive and successful.

Controlling the Space

Show them the threshold, the physical and mental barrier, that they must not cross. The point where your personal space starts must be clearly delineated. At the same time you must physically cover the door so that anyone trying to gain entry will have to force their way past you.

Keep at least two meters clear behind yourself. When you have to instinctively duck, jump back or shoot back, you will do this without impacting against the wall. Always try to maneuver the other person so that they do not have a solid object, stairs or steps immediately behind them. It is difficult enough to cope with the after effects of 'dropping' someone with a couple of clear shots without having to cope with the blood and concussion from a busted skull.

If you have the time, always close the door on the problem. If you are at a double door, close one side. That way, the opponent will be more vulnerable as they try to gain entrance to your venue. For example, if the door way is narrow they will be unable to use haymaker punches. The narrowing of their front also restricts their fighting to a couple of minor tactics, such as kicking out to force you back. You are less restricted on the other side of the door. You have more scope to react to the gate crasher.

Controlling the Dialogue

Fights on the door have a general three phase pattern.

Phase One

The individual will try to talk their way into the venue. You must explain why they are not allowed into the venue. Always try to stay as impersonal as possible.

Phase Two

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The individual will start to pump up on adrenalin, getting ready to rumble. If you do not insult them, they will work on an excuse for attacking you. For example, 'You must think I'm some kind of asshole?? Don't you?!!' You must keep calm, do not argue but do keep talking. Always try to resolve the situation by using your de-escalation skills. This is your last chance to defuse the situation. If you have back up, try to step back and allow the back up to replace you. This tactic will force the individual to start all over again. It will stop the individual from focusing solely on you. Always let the opposition know that they are fighting more than one person. The situation must never deteriorate into a personal man to man fight.

Phase Three

The situation starts to go physical, you are being tested out and the individual is still pumping up on adrenalin. They will push forward and you push them back. They are no longer talking, just grunting and growling most of the time. They have mentally noted your stance and how you reacted to the initial pushes, you are now about to be attacked. They will go silent and wait for you to look away or become distracted. When you take your attention off the Screamers, the Reptiles or the Fighters you will get hit hard.

Interrupting the Third Phase.

Bouncers are often accused by naive witnesses of being heavy handed. This is particularly true when Bouncer are observed initiating attacks on potentially violent patrons. If those witnesses understood the transformation an individual goes through on their way to becoming 'The Alligator Man', they would soon empathize with the Bouncer. In many cases, the most humane way of dealing with a potentially violent patron is to short circuit their transformation process with a preemptive strike.

You can only control a violent situation if you initiate the violence that is about to take place. Always try to dictate the force, direction and volume of your strikes in order to control and restrain the aggressor. When you allow an aggressive situation run on to the third phase, you loose control. It is impossible to use the minimum amount of force when you are attacked and operating from instinct in order to survive a street fight. At this stage

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you must 'win the firefight' by using bigger, better and more guns than the opposition.

If you keep any thread of reason at all, you will be thumping away, but waiting to hear the primal wailing of the wounded animal, the submissive squeal of the reptile in pain, the submissive covering up posture or the eyes closed repose of the stunned attacker. These four responses may not be displayed when the opponent is high on drugs. Not a pretty scenario, but these four responses are the universal behavior patterns of the beaten man.

To summarize, if you strike preemptively, you will know when, where and how to strike. This will conclude the situation as humanely as possible. If you are attacked, and honestly believe that you are in serious danger of being hurt, you fight from instinct to survive. There is no humanity involved when you are fighting for your life.

Dealing With The Door (As told by an instructor)

Here is a small incident that was reconstructed from eye witness accounts. These individuals stood back and watched me take a kicking one night. They came back to the bar the next night to see how well I survived the incident. When I asked them if they ever hear the story about Kitty Genovese, they thought I was going to tell them a joke.

After a serious fight the two main instigators, both high on drugs, were thrown out. My back up pushed one out and I had to drag the other one over the threshold. Then I heard something that should not have happened, especially to me. Somebody shouted, "Shut the fucking door!" and it slammed shut. I was now standing in my own little Jurassic Park with two reptiles. The reptile I was holding was fighting mad so I whacked him in the solar plexus a couple of times until he screamed submissively. At this stage I grabbed him by the throat and pinned him to the pillar and said, "Stop fighting, cool down now." Before I was finished, the other reptile decided to attack and bumped into me. I banged my head on the pillar and as I collapsed, the screaming reptile kicked me in the head and then used me as a Bouncy Castle.

My body started to close down, it happens when you are stunned, the fighting spirit departs and you take what comes with rare aplomb. At this juncture my back up had one of his rare flashes of insight and said, "Where the fuck is (name withheld)? O shit, he must be outside!" The cavalry arrived just in time for me to stagger inside. My query, "Which dumb fuck closed the door on me?" still remains unanswered.

The videos of the incident were taken away by the police that night and not returned. Went home.... headache tablets... steeped the blood stained shirt... went to bed.... feeling lumpy round the head and nauseous.

I was greeted in the morning by my wife who said, "I see you have been fighting again?" "No", I replied, quite honestly, after all I was playing at being a Bouncy Castle. Then she asked, "Why is your shirt in the wash and why are there heel prints all over the back of your jacket?" Eat your heart out Jessica Fletcher. Four days later the headaches and nausea stopped.

As a Bouncer you have sole responsibility for controlling the door. ...When it stays open.. When it stays shut... Who gets in...Who stays out...Who closes the door.

When there is a fight and it becomes necessary to close the door, you must ensure that only one group of fighters are ejected. If you accidentally eject both conflicting groups, you are responsible for the injury or death of anyone attacked outside the door.

Epilogue Two years after this incident, I was swapping war stories on the door with a guy who was also on duty that bad night. He admitted that he was the one responsible for closing the door on me in the confusion. He also told me that when he opened the door, I was sitting on one of the reptiles, punching the crap out of his face.

This helped to explain some of the flash backs I was having about this incident. I remember looking at a guy's knee as I lay on the ground, somebody shouting "Bastard!" and somebody shouting "Stop hitting him!".

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The whole incident started to fit together for me. When I went down after hitting my head on the column, all I saw was someone's knee in my face. My automatic reaction to that would have been a take down involving an ankle grab to the outside and an elbow to a point just above the inside of the knee. Anyone falling in this situation usually curses their bad luck as they fall, "Bastard!" in this case. Sitting on someone's chest and punching their face in is not normal for me. I still do not recall doing this. But, it explains hearing the other reptile shouting "Stop hitting him!" While I was punching the person out, I actually thought he was still beating me up.

Dealing With Errant Regulars

You can be sure that regulars to your venue will want to remain regulars. At times these regulars may contravene the house rules. Perhaps one night they all sit on, well after the last call. If their behavior is bad enough, you can caution them on the spot. But, the best time to caution regulars about their errant behavior is the next time they arrive at your venue. Before they gain admittance, they will be sober and in a rational frame of mind, ready to enjoy themselves.

At this stage let them know how unhappy you were about their recent behavior. Provided they display the correct attitude and response you can allow them into the venue.

Dealing With Customers Who Must Leave Early

Customers who must leave early include those who are physically and verbally abusing the staff and other customers. If you honestly believe that they are:

• Presenting a physical threat to others • Creating a physical threat for themselves from other irate customers • Damaging property

Start to move the subject with the minimum amount of force, that is:

• Ask them to leave the venue by following you out. • Ask them to leave the venue by following you out, again.

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• Tell them to leave the venue by following you out. • Start to go hands on. The first stage is to attempt the escort position and hold. This is to let them know you are serious. It will also give you a chance to see their reactions to the escort position. • If they still refuse to leave the venue, use the escort position again and this time go for a restraint based on their earlier response. • From this stage your behavior is dictated by their behavior.

Always go one step harder when they resist.

This long-winded procedure is not just for the benefit of the witnesses to the event, it gives you a guideline to follow without losing sight of the objective, to remove a subject from the venue with the minimum amount of force and allowing them to leave with some dignity.

Dealing With Arguments

A heated, intense argument can lead to physical assault, even when you physically intervene. Your aim in dealing with arguments is to:

• Physically and Verbally Intervene • Act as a neutral mediator • Suggest a compromise to resolve the argument

First Warning

The best plan for deescalating a heated argument is for the Bouncer to get close to those arguing. Close enough for them to be aware of the Bouncer presence. This phase must last no longer than five seconds.

Second Warning

If the initial intervention fails to cool the situation you must verbally intercede. Just a short simple sentence that tells the potential combatants they have an active outsider in their face. "Is everything OK at this table, folks?" Your aim at this stage is to mediate, you may have to listen to both points of view and then suggest a compromise to these points of view.

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Final Warning

If this procedure fails to resolve the problem, warn them for the last time that their conduct unacceptable. Because they are only verbal your intervention is only verbal. If the argument continues, you must tell them to leave the venue.

This procedure is designed to stop the antagonists from going physical. You should have helped to disrupt their intense focus on each other by presenting an outside threat. Force the antagonists to acknowledge your presence and respond to your questions. Answering questions demands a rational response which, in turn, draws the antagonists back from the brink of physical aggression.

Dealing With Mad Bitch Attacks

This is a principle for dealing with any straight arm attack, irrespective of the sex, gender orientation or mental state of the attacker. This is the same tactic as the First Base approach. You are closing down their body and unbalancing the individual by pushing their arm inwards.

Step 1. Detect the incoming mad bitch. Step 2. Side step and parry the attack with your outside arm. Step 3. Push the attacker away with the inside arm or counter attack if necessary.

Dealing With Biters

When someone is being bitten on the hand, fingers or thumb, there is a high probability that the bite will cause infection, anything from Aids to Hepatitis. The bite may also sever the nerves and sinews so that there may be permanent loss of feeling or use of the attacked digit. The bite has to be stopped immediately. At the same time the biters head has to be controlled so that is impossible for them to repeat the attack. There are three methods of release set out here in order of severity.

1. Induce a gagging response by using a thumb press into the hollows behind the ear lobes, next to the upper jaw.

2. Whack the biter with the palm heel on the side of the neck, below the ears. 3. Induce the gagging response by pressing your thumb slowly in and down into the throat hollow, the jugular notch.

Dealing With Fighters

Tactic 1

When a fight is about to take place or has started, separate the fighters by using this modified Special Forces tactic. The purpose of this tactic is to silence the individual as well as unbalance them physically. With this hold on, you can drag the individual out the door backwards or at least away from the trouble spot.

To apply the hold, make sure your shoulder is directly behind their head. From this position, bring both your hands to the front of the individual's face. Make sure one of your hands connects below the nose with the reverse knife hand (thumb side) to drive their head back, off balance. After the strike, clamp your hands over their mouth and pull their chin down to their chest. At the same time use one of your knees to strike the back of one of their thighs to further unbalance them. Do not use the inside of your foot on the back of the knee joint. Your foot may get caught in the back of the knee joint if the individual collapses too rapidly. In a bar environment, a slip hazard is presented through spillages. Using your knee as opposed to your foot to collapse the leg will allow you to maintain your balance more effectively.

Tactic 2

The following Squeal and Jump tactic can be used to dissuade fighters from their anti-social behavior. It involves attacking the tibial nerve where it runs from the center of each buttock, down the center of each leg to the calf. A toe kick to the back of the leg will pinch the nerve against the leg bone and cause a physical collapse.

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Dealing with a 1-on-1 Fight

The following incident describes how Bouncer intervention, on occasion, can go slightly wrong. After all, the scenarios in this section are based on real life where Murphy's Law is waiting to leap up and screw up your best intentions.

The majority of one on one fights start and then finish with the intervention of three Bouncer acting as a team. The Bouncer objectives in this type of situation is to end the incident as swiftly as possible and reconcile the protagonists before they leave the venue. These objectives are usually confounded by the terrain, tables and also, friends who honestly believe that they are helping to calm the situation but on many occasions, only add to the chaos. If you are prepared for this type of scenario, always initiate the drill by getting the friends on your side.

The 15 Second Incident

The time was 1:30AM and I was in the process of emptying the bar of all patrons. I noticed one of the Bouncer walking a bit faster than normal. He had zeroed in on a pair of individuals who were about to go ballistic. Yes, it was the final stages of the mad and bad hour, where most of your problems are in your face before you see them coming. For the sake of clarity I'll call the instigator of this incident, 'The Idiot' and the person who lost their cool, 'The Reptile'. Unbeknown to the Bouncer, The Idiot had been 'winding up' The Reptile for 10 minutes and the individual Bouncer had closed in when he saw their postures changing from sitting, slow and relaxed to standing, fast and tense.

Working as a three man team, we closed in on the pair. My job was to shove my way in between the pair, shouting out "OK, folks, the party is over. Make your way to the door now!" "Move it, now!". This is designed to give everybody the chance to climb down without losing face or going physical. Now everybody is on their feet ready to move. The other Bouncer have positioned themselves behind each of their respective targets. The Reptile says, "We will finish this outside". Then, from The Idiot I also hear the immortal words, "Fuck off, dickhead".

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At this final wind up, The Reptile 'loses it' totally and flies forward to engage The Idiot. The Bouncer managed to restrain their respective targets but, The Reptile was going berserk and had thrown off the 250 pound Bouncer like a rag doll. As a fight is about to ensue, I start shouting "Stop fighting now!" This procedure is designed to let everybody know what the Bouncer agenda is. We are letting the witnesses know that we are stopping a fight initially, through verbal intervention. As well as that important factor, we are also telling all the friends that as Bouncer, we are talking the fight down as opposed to kicking ass. While I am shouting out to all those present, the other two Bouncers should also be talking to their respective targets in order to calm them down. It is their job to move the protagonists off the premises and resolve the problem. It is my job to cover them both from outside interference or assist them in difficulties.

But, in this incident, The Idiot was the only person under control. The other Bouncer had not recovered from his flying lesson so I jumped in and tried to control The Reptile. My arms were flailing like the twin rotors on a Chinook, trying to trap The Reptile's arms in a restraint. Because The Reptile was also flailing about but not hitting anyone, striking techniques were not used. At this stage, some of The Reptile's friends intervened and tried to control him by holding on to him. Because of their grip, it became impossible to apply head restraints or take downs without ripping The Reptiles head off.

Eventually, I managed to push the whole ensemble against the nearest wall and here I began to stab away at the only available targets, the throat pressure points.

At this point The Reptile started shouting at me, "Get to fuck off my throat, you bastard!". I am now the happiest man in the bar. This is because the pain from the one second jabs into the throat PP's were successful in shifting The Reptile's focus from The Idiot onto me.

As well as that, The Reptile had managed to string together a well constructed sentence, also directed at me, complaining about the pain. He was now communicating verbally instead of physically. I reinforced this breakthrough in communications by letting go of his throat and stating. "Listen, it was either grab your throat or hit you with a bar stool. Cool it,

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you allowed yourself to be provoked by that Idiot, now cool it, relax". His friends also started talking him down. Here I had shifted the blame from The Reptile onto The Idiot. The Reptile found this to be a good get out clause for his drunken lapse and stated "Yes he did provoke me".

We then move on to the reconciliation stage of the operation and within seconds the apologies are passed and accepted by all those involved.

If you go into a potential fight situation with a fighting frame of mind, you will end up in a whole heap of doggy do. Hitting out is the last option, just keep it on the back burner that little bit longer. That way, nobody goes to hospital and nobody goes to jail. It's a great feeling to wake up on a Sunday morning in your own bed, intact.

Summary

Arguing to Fighting Incident

The Back Ups must take up position, either to the sides or else behind their respective targets. Their immediate aim is to dominate the situation

The Front moves in to physically and verbally intervene between the antagonists

1. The Front tries talking the antagonists down

If a Fight Develops

2. The Back Ups apply restraints and move the antagonists out of the venue. The Front provides security for their activity

Resolve the situation

3. The Back Ups move straight in from the rear of the antagonists and apply restraints as necessary 4. The Front provides the security for their activity 5. The antagonists are moved off the venue

The incident is resolved

Dealing With a Group Fight

There is absolutely no difference between jumping in to stop a group fight and jumping into a mob of sharks that are in a feeding frenzy. If you don't have good protection and back up you will be eaten up very fast. That is the main reason for trying to stop trouble before it gets started. It is more easy to step in and deescalate an argument in the early stages, rather than watching it from a distance, hoping that the problem will resolve itself, only to have it explode in your face.

Fights usually start at a point you are not covering. Either that or some reptile waits until you move off before attacking an innocent patron. Your actions on detecting a fight in progress must include the following:

1. Radio for back up. Let them know where the fight is taking place. 2. If you are the first person to reach the scene of the fight, wait for back up and then go in to stop the winners from doing any more damage.

Use the waiting time to identify the different groups involved in the fight and the weapons used. This is where your earlier close studies of the crowd behavior and distribution pays off. Before you commit yourself, you must know how and in which direction you are going to separate the fighting factions.

3. If two individuals are fighting, shout "Stop fighting!" and use thumb pressure point attacks and other low profile attacks to draw their attention. 4. If it is a group fight, shout out "Stop fighting!" and separate the fighting individuals by pushing their chests back, hip thrusts and controlling their elbows to negate their punches, using foot blocks to stop them kicking the downed opponent and lifting them away from the fight by using a waist hold from the back. If you go in fighting, the mob will usually turn on you.

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There are two methods of pushing the opponent's chest. Both these moves are very powerful. They have the effect of propelling the opponent back at a rapid pace. Because of this effect, there are potentially lethal consequences for the opponent. Someone who is moving rapidly back will impact the back of their skull on either a hard surface or on an individual who may be standing in their rearward path.

Remember the information on Commotio Cordis? Only use contact tactics when absolutely necessary.

Palm Push

With your palms in contact with the opponent's chest at nipple level, do the following;

1. Start off from a crouched position 2. Thrust your arms forward, keeping the elbows low. If your elbows lift out to the side, you will loose the forward speed. 3. Lift your shoulders forward so that your deltoids touch your ears 4. Bend forward slightly at the waist 5. Shoot forward with your knees so that your knees go forward of your feet

Forearm Push

Clasp your hands together. With one of your elbows and forearm in contact with the opponent's chest, do the following, simultaneously:

1. Thrust your forearm forward 2. Lift your shoulder forward so that your deltoid touches your ear 3. Bend forward slightly at the waist 4. Shoot forward with your knees so that your knees go forward of your feet

Hip Thrust

When your foot is in direct contact with the opponents, you can thrust your hip into his and throw the opponent sideways for over 4 meters. Be

careful with this tactic as it is just as powerful as the other two described above.

S.W.A.T. analysis

Risk Assessment (S.W.A.T.)

The emotional turmoil experienced in stressful situations will disrupt your tactical thinking. Quick decisions made in the heat of the moment can end up being reviewed by you from either a hospital bed or a jail cell.

Risk assessment is the dynamic process of identifying, assessing and then reacting properly to all the incidents you face as a Bouncer. Screw up on this task and your life or freedom will be in jeopardy. Never enter a situation without first, assessing it and then second, assessing your ability to resolve the situation.

Violent situations have a life of their own which is very unpredictable. For example, when you jump into an affray to break up the fighters, the crowd can take at least two courses of action. First, they may move away from the fight in order to make your job easier. Second, they may obstruct your approach to the fight and then join in the fight to kick you lifeless.

There are four steps to Risk Assessment;

1. Identify the risk, well in advance. 2. Inform the full team of the threat. That is, if you are part of a team. 3. Pre-empt and defuse the situation in order to reduce the risk. 4. React positively when the situation goes ballistic.

As you walk around the floor of the venue, you must be constantly assessing the mood and disposition of the crowd so that all incidents, when they occur, do not come as a surprise. The practical consideration of the following four factors will help you to assess your situation and then help you to formulate the appropriate course of action.

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These four factors are:

• Strength • Weapons • Aim • Terrain

1. Strength

Do you have someone good enough to cover your back while you try to resolve the situation?

Is the opposition either physically weak or strong. This may influence the strength your physical response.

Will you work as a team in order to resolve the problem as fast as possible?

In some cases there are two different groups to contend with, two sets of friends of the two antagonists.

Are these two well bonded groups that will carry out a group attack if you intervene?

Are there any leaders or sensible people within the group/groups who will take charge of the situation?

How drunk are the antagonists? More drink = easier to unbalance+higher pain threshold+more unpredictable.

The strength of your physical response must be reasonable and also enough to neutralize the fighting.

2. Weapons

Have the staff been doing their job of keeping the empty bottles and glasses to a minimum?

You must not, and your back up must not have anything resembling a weapon in your possession.

If the fists are flying, are there any bottles, knives or spikes in their hands?

Your body weapons used in attack and counter attack must not exceed reasonable force.

3. Aim

Your primary aim at all times is survival. Never walk into your death, injury or incarceration.

Your secondary aim is to escalate your force to dominate the force used by the opposition.

Your tertiary aim is to resort to instrumental violence before you are too physically tired to control the threat.

Your aim at all times is the protection of yourself, staff, patrons and property through the use of reasonable force.

Resolve or remove the problem subject as fast as possible.

4. Terrain

Where are the nearest exits to the incident?

How will the doors open? Outwards or inwards?

Do the doors have solid side panels decorated similarly to the door. You can get jammed here on the take away.

Is the take away route clear of slip and trip hazards, crowds and bar debris?

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Having a bad day at the office? Use the walls to jamb punchers against. This reduces the impact of their punches because they can't draw their fists back.

Report writing - The Log Book

Some venues may have no log book (Incident Book) or simply produce a Page a Day diary with no clear guidelines on how to fill the log in, or what to report or what entries are required. Always use the log book to record the times of any reportable incident immediately after you deal with that incident. (Incident Book) or simply produce a Page a Day diary with no clear guidelines on how to fill the log in, or what to report or what entries are required.

Always use the log book to record the times of any reportable incident immediately after you deal with that incident. At this stage your hands will be shaking from the adrenalin dump so that your hand writing will be below standard. You may also feel more like shoving the pen up the reptiles nose. If one of the bar staff are available, ask them to write the short report for you. When the bar is closed for the night, you can sit down and write a more detailed and legible incident report before you go home.

The Log Book must record:

1. All the names of Bouncers on duty that night 2. Times on and off duty 3. Maximum numbers of patrons in that night 4. Reports of any security/safety/fire equipment problems/property/structural damage observed by the Bouncer that will require action by the duty bar manager 5. Short one line reports on any accidents, violence, access denials, escorts off etc. as they occur. A more detailed report can be made later on that night as they occur. A more detailed report can be made later on that night as they occur. A more detailed report can be made later on that night 6. Any found items 7. Any items reported lost 8. Any confiscated weapons/items/drugs

The log book will also include details of individuals who were denied access, for some of the following reasons:

1. They were drunk or under the influence of drugs. 2. Did not conform to the dress code of your venue. 3. Refused to be searched. 4. Had a reputation for disruptive or criminal behavior or are barred. 5. Were under the legal age. 6. Were unable to produce a valid proof of age document. 7. Refused to pay the entrance fee. 8. Clearly had an attitude problem that would have distressed other patrons. 9. May have caused the venue to exceed the legal crowding limits.

The Incident Report

The incident report is a detailed and honest report of any incident that requires reporting while you were on duty. It includes any fights, escorts, ejections, complaints, damage to property or accidents. In many instances this statement can be supported by the video tapes from the security cameras. This report must be completed by anyone involved or witness to a reportable incident. It will prove to be much easier to complete the report while the incident is still fresh in your mind rather than, for example, the next day when the police approach you with a caution.

The Incident Report

I am Your Name..

I was Carrying out my duties as...

At Name of Venue/Location....

At Time....and date....

Happened...... Describe: Type of incident

Who was involved (Staff) Who was involved (Patrons) What What they did

Who was injured (Staff) Who was injured (Patrons)

What property was damaged

What Action you took

Assistance/Support/Back Up What you used

Who Witnessed the incident

Your Signature ... Time.. Date

To ..Yourself/Duty Bar Copies Manager/Head Supervisor

Managing stress, fear and anxiety

In my approach and experience, there are three aspects to stress, fear and anxiety management. I have called it a management process because it is virtually impossible and undesirable to control any of these conditions in relation to violence.

First, you do not want to eliminate your immediate response to danger. If anything, you want to sharpen your perceptions of potential dangers. A heightened awareness of the danger will eliminate pain and also help you to respond to and escape from dangerous situations.

Second, you want to train your body repeatedly in simple one step drills. These drills must be based on countering typical threats you will experience on the job. This way, when the danger presents itself, there is a better opportunity for the learned subconscious behavior to over ride the bodies crude and sometimes legally inappropriate response. Subconscious behavior. Reach down and undo your shoe lace. Immediately do up your shoe lace. Now undo your shoe lace and then tie up your shoe lace again, thinking about the sequence you are using. Which takes longer? Did you

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really have to think about a simple drill you carry out without thinking about on a daily basis? Just the same as driving a vehicle and changing gears, you just do it.

Some theorists state that it would take thousands of repetitions in order for a physical response to become a subconscious act. But, after at least two hundred repetitions of a simple response something else happens. That response may not become ingrained enough to become a subconscious act.

These repetitions will build up a simple closed loop in the brain where you consciously perform the act when required. The memory loop covers muscle memory and knowledge as well as limited experience in the application. That's enough to get you out of an 'O Fuck' situation.

Third, you must learn to anticipate all the dangers facing in your role as a door supervisor. Working on this training program will not only prepare you for fear responses, it will also inoculate you from the anxieties the job produces. You may not have the training time that allows you to react to an incident subconsciously. But, the mere fact that you have practiced a drill at all, means that you will have an experience to fall back on or adapt in order to deal with the situation.

Unless this approach is based on realistically tested techniques, it will encourage false confidence and lead to total failure.

Real Street Fighting Experience

The following notes are based on personal experience. They are included here in order to give you some idea of what it is like to be in a street fight.

Winning Scenario

When there is time, you have a sudden burst of fear. This is rapidly replaced by another experience of 'I've been here before'.

In this state, you experience an intense silence and everything appears to be happening in slow time. Perhaps this has been created through a combination of fear, adrenalin and the activation of the reptile brain. Your

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punches and kicks don't feel strong, they lack speed, and you can't feel them connecting strongly. Every move you make is on Auto Pilot, you are there to feel the flow and find an opening and survive.

There will be a series of blank spots in your conscious awareness of what is happening. This, for me, this appears to be the constant shifting between conscious awareness of what I am actually doing, an analysis what I should be doing coupled along with lapses into fighting from instinct. You know you are being hit because your head is bouncing about, there are bursts of stars and your ears start ringing and exploding. Your screwed up shoulder throw turns into a head butt to the temple. It works, his head slips through your hands as he goes down. Before he hits the deck you are off running. You will relive and analyse the experience for weeks.

Losing Scenario

'I've been here before'. The house bricks are coming in fast. You turn to run away and the ground leaps up and smacks you in the face. You are unable to move as you hear them running up. You know you are being kicked because your head and body are bouncing around. Hopefully it will end quickly. The first time you wake up you are talking to a cop. The next time you wake up you are talking to the nurse stitching up your head. The third time you wake up in agony. You are talking to the cops who are taking you back to your ship. You will relive and analyse the experience for weeks.

These incidents and similar ones are over 35 years old and are much easier to recall than any previous or subsequent judo, karate or boxing bouts.

There is a lot of anxiety connected to sport fighting. There is absolutely no anxiety attributable to the sudden street fight, just a quick stab of fear to get you going.

Dealing With Drunks

Most of the people you come into contact with as a Bouncer will be either 'under the influence' of drink or drugs or a combination of both. At many venues you will be in a situation where young people are experimenting

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with all forms of legal and illegal substances, including alcohol. The side effects of experimenting with alcohol include throwing up, fighting and irrational/immature behavior. You can reduce your workload by ensuring that there are no underage drinkers in your venue at any time and by keeping a more vigilant watch on the younger drinkers. All degrees of drunkenness are dangerous conditions, not only for you but for everyone else.

Assessing Drunkenness

Degrees of intoxication is difficult to gauge. One of the reasons for this is that drunkenness is relative to:

• Body weight, the heavier the body the more drink it takes to achieve drunkenness. • The amount of drink consumed and the strength of the alcohol in that drink. • The sex of the individual. Females will become intoxicated much faster than males. Compared to men, their body weight, water content and metabolism are all different. • The amount of food consumed both before and during the drinking session. This food will slow down the rate of alcohol entering the blood stream. • Note that it is a slow down only and also note that nothing can be ingested that will speed up the elimination of alcohol from the blood stream. • The state of your liver. It takes a healthy liver at least one hour to breakdown and eliminates the equivalent of a small glass of wine or one bottle of beer.

As a general rule, anyone who drinks more than either one bottle of wine or eight bottles of beer becomes a menace. The faster a person drinks, the quicker they will become drunk. This is because they are drinking faster than their liver can eliminate the alcohol from their body. Food may slow down the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream but nothing you ingest can speed up the elimination of that alcohol. A high volume of drink will induce the following types of observable behavior;

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1. Slurred speech

2. The speech centers are located on the cortex. Alcohol directly affects the whole area of the cortex.

3. Inability to focus eyes

4. Inability to stay awake.

5. Alcohol is a mental and physical depressant

6. Stumbling gait/Poor balance/Inability to stand still. Alcohol affects the inner ear balance system and also delays the messages from the brain to the legs.

7. Poor physical coordination and slow reaction times. Unable to sit down in a chair or light a cigarette.

8. Slow response to any questions

9. Limited reasoning ability. The drunk feels they are in total command of their body. They feel superior to you, both physically and mentally.

10. Immunity to pain

11. Sudden mood swings/Amplified emotions

12. Verbally abusive

13. Paranoid to the extent that everything you say to the individual is misconstrued as an insult

14. Lowered inhibitions. More liable to argue, fight, urinate, defecate, cry etc. in public view

15. More frequent visits to the toilet. Alcohol will reduce the capacity of the kidneys to retain liquid

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What makes all 'drunks' dangerous scumbags to handle is the fact that alcohol attacks and anesthetizes the fore brain. This part of the brain is responsible for all aspects of learning, judgment and the regulation of behavior (Scarf 1976 p.87). In reality this means that you are faced by scum without a shred of either humanity or compassion. They have no moral or ethical guidelines in operation that stop them from jumping all over your head when they feel like doing just that. It does not matter if they are from either high or low society, they will all kick just as hard. You will be in even more danger if the patrons using your venue are former convicts, thieves and trash rejected from every other drinking den in town.

When these sort of social cretins get drunk, your life is on the line if you screw up your risk assessment. There is very little difference between drunks and psychopaths. Neither group have any compassion or the ability to empathize with others. All their actions are motivated towards satisfying their own needs. The psychopath may use a certain amount of deviousness to manipulate others in order to achieve their objectives and the drunk will just blunder on.

Your first task when you go on duty is to go through the bar and identify under age drinkers, drunks and barred individuals, who all have to be removed. Always try to identify the degree of intoxication of all patrons at your venue and then get them off the premises before they become a danger. There are several reasons for this. For example, in the UK alone half the pedestrians killed in road accidents have dangerously high alcohol levels in their blood (HEA UK 1996).

Try to identify the degree of intoxication by:

• Observing the amount of bottles and glasses on the table • Talk to them and note their response for speed and slurring, any stupid question will do, you are assessing their response not engaging them in a liberating discourse. • Observe their general demeanor • Ask the bar staff which patrons has been in all day.

For the floor supervisor there are two stages of drunkenness to watch out for.

Stage 1

Early signs include: chanting, singing, over-friendly, slowed reflexes and clumsiness, possibly even while the drinker feels OK (hence the danger of driving and drinking). If the person responds to your first two cautions to behave, then all is well.

Stage 2

The point when you need to say 'enough' is when the person has to be approached for the third time or else is displaying: swaying (even falling), severe slurring and mood swings - over-friendliness, anger or even sleepiness, a raised voice, belligerence, any behavior that risks inconveniencing other customers or damage to property.

All this behavior is the result of the fore brain being anesthetized by the alcohol. The frontal lobes also house the two major speech centers. When these are affected, the patron's speech becomes incomprehensible. Approaching a drunk to eject them - bad idea. First of all, try to identify the drunks friends and speak to them first. For example, say to them "Look man, your friend has had too much to drink, give him ten minutes and he will be falling all over the place. Another thing, the taxi cabs will not take him if he is too drunk, can you help?"

If you go directly to the 'drunk' and man handle him at all, you will run into grief from his friends. Always preempt this by appealing directly to them. This will prove to be a less confrontational and more productive approach. When you are dealing with a solitary 'drunk' you must expect everything to happen in slow time. As you approach them, be calm, firm and initially, non-threatening. Start by talking and keep talking, repeating the same simple request until it sinks in. Try to get the drunk moving without touching them at all. Always expect 'drunks' to display at least six different forms of emotion before they reach the exit and you will not be surprised.

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When the drunk turns violent, there are two main factors to your advantage;

1. Drunks believe they are capable but their state renders them incapable. 2. Drunks have no coordination or balance.

There are three main factors that make drunks dangerous:

1. They are impervious to pain. 2. They have no conscience or humanity. 3. They will display sudden mood swings.

There are also some long term effects of alcohol abuse to be taken into consideration before you physically interact with drunks. These include:

1. Damage to the liver, heart, stomach and brain. 2. High blood pressure

Because of these debilitating factors, you must refrain from neck restraints that may induce death, head shots that may exacerbate the brain damage and finally, body shots that may destroy the last vestiges in operating ability of the internal organs.

Using the Good Guy - Bad Guy Routine to Deal With Drunks

You spot a solitary drunk who is making a pest of themselves at the bar area. If they remain in the bar their behavior will become unpredictable in the anti-social direction. They will;

1. Want to sleep 2. Fall over and hurt themselves, others or else cause damage 3. Start exaggerated/uninhibited emotional displays and rapid mood swings from happy to raging 4. Verbally abuse or fight with anyone who approaches them

The drunk appears to have no friends that you can appeal to in the first instance. Your first task is to try and establish the individuals name from

any source. After that, be prepared to constantly repeat a simple command that will get the drunk off the premises. The conversation and routine will go something like this.....

The Front

First approach the drunk and start to draw their attention. Try talking at first and then use a light touch to their forearm. 'Hello sir, it's time to go, come on, let's go home.' Drunk, ' Who the fuck are you? Piss off.' The Front. 'Come on sir, time to go home, come on with me now.' Drunk. 'Fuck off'

Note At this stage, The Cover is now standing close to and slightly behind the drunk. As close as necessary to draw the drunk's attention to the numerical strength of the opposition about to separate him from his supply of electric soup.

The Front. 'Come along sir, time to go...No let him be. Don't touch him, he's OK. You're OK sir, come on now.'

Note: The Front is drawing the drunk's attention to the bad guy who is breathing down his neck. The front is offering the drunk the chance to go home in one piece. This routine may have to be repeated several times with accompanying hand gestures from the front to emphasize the presence of others.

An impasse will finally be reached when the drunk fails to respond to the requests.

The Front throws up his hands in despair. 'I've tried everything, he will not come out, I've tried everything'

The Cover. 'OK, get an arm each and walk him out' At this stage, the drunk is walked out with a Bouncer on each arm, ready to respond to any physical resistance.

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This routine has three clear aims.

1. It focuses you on getting a drunk off the premises with the minimum amount of force. 2. All the patrons see you using the minimum amount of force. They are potential witnesses. 3. The bar maintains it's 'Feel Good Factor'.

Dealing With Club Drug Problems

'Club Drugs' are illegal substances used by the patrons in order to achieve an altered state of consciousness. The mental state achieved can turn out to be unpleasant and the Bouncer may have to deal with the problem. These illegal substances are usually manufactured in conditions of limited hygiene. They may also contain bulking agents unfit for human consumption as well as an indeterminate mix of lethal chemicals. These 'Club Drugs' include Cannabis, MDMA (Ecstasy), Uppers, LSD, Heroin derivatives, Crack, etc.

It is a criminal offense for people to allow their venue to be used for the smoking of cannabis, using illegal drugs and the illegal supply of drugs. This includes the occupier of a house or any person responsible for the security or management of a motel, hostel, bar, youth club or night club.

As a Bouncer you are responsible for taking proactive measures that prevent the sale or use of illegal drugs at your venue.

The Dangers

With the exception of cannabis, 'Club Drugs' are usually colorless, odorless and have no discernable taste. Other than long term mental and physical damage there are some immediate dangers associated with these illegal drugs. Some of the ill effects that occur include seizure, high blood pressure, kidney failure, loss of consciousness, respiratory arrest, convulsions, high body temperature, shaking, confusion, coma, disinhibition, vomiting and sedation. For example, ecstasy will cause the

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body to overheat. When this happens and there is no access to water, the body will be under-hydrated.

In this state the individual is more prone to blood clots and embolisms which lead to death. When the person has access to water, there is a danger from drinking too much and over-hydrating the body. This will lead to a swelling of the brain and death. As another example, the use of LSD will lead to serious mental disorders. These include paranoia, sensory distortion, hallucinations and aggressive behavior.

If there is a bad batch of club drug in circulation expect a major medical problem from affected young people. Do not confuse their condition with excessive alcohol abuse. Do expect overdosing to take place in many cases because home made club drugs have no standard dosage. When a club drug is taken along with an alcoholic drink, the effects are intensified and the mix becomes more lethal.

The Cues For Drug Dealing

When you have a resident drug dealer at your venue, their activity will intensify during the festive season, during holidays or when there is an event external to your location. Watch out for any of the following behavior patterns:

1. The dealer may be conducting their business by mobile phone. Expect a constant flow of visitors who do not stay for a drink but walk out of your view. 2. Watch out for frequent trips to the toilet, beer garden, car park, off camera, away from your vantage point or other quiet areas where the deal can go down or the drug can be ingested. 3. The dealer may be 'on edge'. Watch for furtive behavior patterns that will betray their illegal activity and their fear of being caught. 4. The dealer may constantly go off the premises to supply an individual from an external cache. 5. The dealing will intensify about two hours before the external venue kicks off. Under these circumstances you will have groups of young people taking drugs and drinking at your venue in preparation of reaching a 'high' prior to the event.

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The Tools

Cannabis users will usually have a tobacco tin filled with papers, loose tobacco and a finger sized brown lump of cannabis. Ecstasy tablets are usually individually wrapped in silver foil or small wraps of paper. Heroin derivatives involve the use of small tobacco pipes, burnt silver foil, tightly rolled bank notes and syringes. Never touch syringes, you must learn from your senior supervisor or a qualified medic on how to dispose of these items.

The Physical Cues

To determine if drugs have been ingested by an individual, you would expect to find some of the following symptoms and indicators:

1. Dilated pupils. This is where the iris has expanded from a small black dot in the center of the eye to a much larger black spot. Some locations have received bad reports because the door staff spend too long staring the patrons in the eye and unnerving them. If the door staff have poor eyesight, make them wear glasses for this task. 2. Excessive thirst or excessive hunger. Cannabis will make you hungry and ecstasy will make you thirsty. 3. Hyperactive or dopey 4. White powder (Cocaine) on the nose from sniffing lines of the powder. Cocaine is also smoked or injected. 5. Cannabis leaves a sweet and musty smell. 6. Frequent trips to the toilet. This condition is not to be confused by normal alcohol consumption. The more alcohol a person drinks, the more frequently they will visit the toilet. This is nothing to do with the amount of liquid in the bladder. It has more to do with the alcohol affecting the bladders ability to retain urine. 7. Over friendly or talkative. 8. Use of lollipops or baby pacifiers to disguise the involuntary teeth grinding caused by MDMA. 9. Dancers may carry and use brightly colored lights and glow sticks. These heighten the hallucinogenic effects of MDMA. 10. Menthol fumes may indicate the use of MDMA. Menthol is used

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to enhance the drug effects.

Incapacitating Drugs

Bouncers have an important role to play in protecting male and female patrons from drugged alcohol incidents. There are two situations where this can occur.

First, the patron may be experimenting with a club drug and may not realize the dangers involved from overdosing or mixing drugs and alcohol. Second, someone may 'spike' a targeted persons drink with a potent incapacitating drug. The same individual will then befriend the person they have drugged in order to move them out of the venue. Once the drugged person is in the 'spikers' domain, they may be subject to sexual assault, rape, physical assault, robbery or murder.

Bouncers must formulate proactive drills and procedures that make their patrons hard targets for any 'spiker'. It is always a good feeling to go home at night knowing that you have cramped the style of some reptile or else saved someone from serious assault. This section will be further sub- divided into six sections.

• Incapacitating Drugs and Rape • Drug Description • The Effects of Drugs • Patron Proactive Pointers • Bouncer Proactive Drills Curbing Club Drugs and Incapacitating Drugs

Summary

Incapacitating Drugs and Rape

Resources have stated that twenty different substances have been used on alleged rape victims. These substances include, club drugs, veterinary drugs, prescription drugs, valium, marijuana, 'downers', sleeping pills, Rohypnol (The Forget-me Pill), GHB (Liquid X), Ketamine (Special K) and finally, the most frequently used drug of all, alcohol. When drugs and

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alcohol are used in combination, the mix can prove to be lethal. Even on their own, the ingesting of incapacitating drugs can lead to tragic consequences.

The effects include, seizures, cardiac and respiratory arrest, coma and death.

Drug Description

There are many good web sites that deal exclusively with the dangers of incapacitating drugs. In order to pursue this subject in more detail, try using the key words, Drug, Rape and Date in your search. The common denominator of these drugs is that they are colorless, odorless and usually have no discernable taste.

The spiker will use these drugs in either powder or liquid form. It only takes two seconds to squeeze an eye dropper full of liquid drug into the neck of the target's bottle.

Drug Effects

The effects of incapacitating drugs to look out for are: 1. Drunkenness. The onset of drunkenness may be rapid. Some of these drugs are 20 times more potent than valium. The onset can occur within 15 minutes of the drug being administered. 2. Sleeping. The targeted person may fall into a deep sleep. Your best efforts at 'Tactile Stimulation' may fail to rouse the person. Medical assistance will be required. 3. Disinhibition. The reasoning part of the forebrain is the first part of the brain to be anesthetized by any combination of incapacitating drug and alcohol. The forebrain, when it is in working order, will act as a gatekeeper. It stops the baser impulses from being expressed, either verbally or physically. Incapacitating drugs and alcohol will destroy this control. Because of this fact, the person may appear exuberant, happy and exhibit behavior patterns that are abnormal for them. 4. Vomiting. Vomiting and nausea are side effects from ingesting Rohypnol, GHB, Ketamine and Alcohol.

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Patron Proactive Behavior

Statistics show that you are more likely to be murdered, assaulted or raped by someone you know. In order to avoid adding yourself to these statistics, try the following routines:

1. Never loose sight of your drink. From the time of purchase until total consumption, guard it well. 2. Going to the toilet? Finish your drink first, take your drink with you or discard the drink. 3. Going for a dance? Allow a trusted friend to look after it, finish your drink first or discard it. 4. At a social event or party. Bring your own drink, pick up unopened bottles, pour your own and avoid the punch bowl. 5. Discard any unattended drinks. 6. Do not accept drinks from strangers. 7. On the rapid onset of intoxication, nausea or sleepiness, always call or phone a friend, fast. 8. Constantly check your drink for additives. 9. Use the buddy - buddy system. Look out for each other at all times. Try not to become separated.

Bouncer Proactive Drills

The following pointers are designed to halt the use of and deal with the effects of Club Drugs and Incapacitating Drugs. These drills are not another set of boring 'Must Dos'. These are the key drills that keep all your patrons safe.

1. Ask the management to display notices that warn patrons not to use or supply drugs. 2. Allow patrons to take their drink into the toilets. 3. Constantly check out the toilets in order to pick up the empty glasses and bottles. 4. Constantly check the toilets for discarded syringes. If an innocent patron becomes injured, you or the venue owners may be liable for passive negligence.

5. Constantly check the levels of sobriety of all the patrons. 6. Watch out for unwelcome individuals parking themselves at occupied tables. Either go up to the table and ask if everything is OK or else wait until someone leaves the table for whatever reason and you ask them "Is everything OK at your table?". Patrons usually appreciate your proactive interest in their safety and enjoyment. 7. Never allow sleepers or drunks to stay at your venue. Make sure it is a friend, you have identified, that takes them off the venue. 8. Always confirm the identity of any person who escorts an 'intoxicated' patron off your venue. Enter this information into the Occurrence Book. 9. Watch any table vacated by patrons who have left their drinks unattended. If you have the opportunity, inform them about their security lapse. 10. Deny access to all known drug dealers or use random searches on the door or keep visual contact with them in order to inhibit their activity. There are also other legal ways that must be used in order to get them out. If you allow drug dealers to operate by remaining passive, the venue will loose it's license to operate or the victims will sue you. 11. Use vantage points to scan the whole venue constantly. This will either deny or inhibit illegal activity. You may be addressed at times by patrons who say, 'Do you enjoy staring at people, you have an easy job, nothing better to do'? You are keeping them all alive and safe. There is nothing better than that.

Summary

You must reduce your in-house problems by staying proactive and also preemptive where necessary. Always try to make the patrons hard targets for the reptiles, drug dealers and rapists. But, the problems created by mixing drugs and alcohol are not just the result of a predator in action but may also be self inflicted. When a suspected club drug situation arises, you must be prepared to treat the situation as a medical emergency and call for medical assistance.

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If medical assistance is required, place the unconscious person in the recovery position. Always maintain their Airways, Breathing, and Circulation until medical help arrives.

Gaining a professional reputation

Bribes and Threats

As a doorman you will be subject to all forms of abuse, threat, compliment, insult and inducement on a nightly basis. Take for example an event that is fully booked. Individuals or groups will be desperate to gain entrance into the venue. In fact some groups may try to gate crash the event and you will have to be prepared to close the door on them and call for assistance.

Individuals may offer compliments..."You stupid moron, I hope when I'm 55, I'm not throwing people out of bars" Others may offer inducements ... "Well big boy, if you let me in you can have anything you want. I will do anything for you". The women are just as bad, "Listen muthereffer, let me in or I'll have you knee capped." It is also very demanding to carry out an impartial job in some cities where the streets are littered with the bodies of door staff that refused to comply with the demands of local hoods and drug dealers.

Never abuse your position on the door by accepting inducements of any nature.. be they promises, drugs, money, sex or drink. When anything is offered, it is better to refuse politely, without exception. This will protect your professional status. It will also protect all the patrons who have legitimately entered the venue and expect high standards in health and safety procedures.

Don't Be The Fall Guy

If you wish to retain everything you consider precious, such as your freedom, kneecaps and testicles, think carefully before reacting to demands from bar staff. It is not just the patrons who close down their rational mind and behave like reptiles, bar managers and staff are just as guilty. An altercation at the bar can leave bar staff with an emotional high.

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A successful 'put down' by a patron will make the slighted bar person look for revenge. Guess who the fall guy is? ... The switched off Bouncer!!

Hysterical demands, such as:

Get that bum out of here now!!! Why is that bum still in here??? ... should switch on your survival mode and not Mr. Animal.

As a Bouncer on the door and the floor, you are responsible for maintaining security at your venue. You may be dealing with several ongoing situations at once. All demands from whatever source must be prioritized. This means you have a much broader perspective on the floor than the bar staffs immediate problem. For example, the person causing the problem may have a genuine grievance that demands attention from the bar manager, have good paramilitary, thug or hood connections, have plenty of back up in the bar, be a total nut case or be totally drunk.

As a Bouncer you will stand alone and go down alone in both the bar and court. Don't expect the hysterical bar staff to back you up. They have now regained their composure and view your plight as self inflicted.

Most misunderstandings between the bar staff and the Bouncer must be reduced by the Head Supervisor giving a short presentation on the duties and legal limitations of the Bouncer on a staff a training day. The following points must be stressed;

The bar staff will not give the Bouncer orders. The bar staff can only supply information or ask the Bouncer for assistance. Experienced Bouncer will always carry out a quick risk assessment before responding to information from the bar staff

In the absence of the Duty Bar Manager, altercations between bar staff and patrons will place Bouncer in the role of the mediator. This is where the Bouncer try to deescalate and resolve the situation.

Bouncers will never go physical with a patron who is not going physical with either themselves, Bouncer, others or property.

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Experienced Bouncer will always allow the patron to leave the bar with their dignity intact. Sometimes this involves the Bouncer allowing them to finish their drink. All this to the consternation of the hysterical bar person involved, who would rather see the Bouncer stick the bottle up the patrons nose.

Bouncers expect bar staff to complain to the bar manager about the Bouncer handling of an incident involving a patron who has 'put them down' and wasn't bounced out the door.

Every time anybody says, "Get that bum out of here!!!", ask "Why?" If they can articulate a coherent and legitimate reply, then act.

Friend or Foe?

When you are working on the door, other door staff are depending on you to carry out your duties in an impartial manner. Your support must lie with the team you are working with and not your friends. The worst enemy you can have at the door are your friends, neighbors, off duty bar staff and off duty door staff. These people either know you personally or else know everything about your job. After a couple of drinks, they will not be backward in telling you just what they think of you and how well are not doing your job.

If you turn a blind eye to their activities, such as allowing them to be boisterous or allowing them to stay on for ten extra minutes after last call, you will build up for yourself a whole mess of doggy do.

Start bending the rules and you start to loose control of the venue. No concessions -- No Surrender - Keep Control!!!

When friends, off duty bar staff or off duty door staff start to mess around at your venue, let other Bouncer deal with it without any fear or favor being shown. Sometimes local knowledge or familiarity can work to your advantage. Difficult situations can be diffused much easier by a familiar face.

Six of The Best Reasons For Retiring

1. When you feel like it. 2. When you do not have the support of the bar manager for your actions or decisions. 3. When you find out your 'Back Up' has either family problems, drink or drug problems or no balls. 4. When your employer has no form of insurance that covers your medical or legal fees. 5. When you have not been updated in your Bouncer skills by an accredited training team. 6. When either the drug dealers, thugs or paramilitaries move into your area. (Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference)

Congratulations! Your written test will arrive with two business days of your receipt of this manual.