OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn
I read thrillers, I write thrillers and I watch a lot of action movies, but the day I went to a Krav Maga class and got kicked properly, I had the shock of my life.
Until literary success finds me ready, willing and able to accept the accolades and riches, I have to keep up a proper job.
I am a Door Supervisor.
Trained and licensed to the standards of the Security Industry Authority. The old term is Bouncer, which has been deemed by the powers that be to be politically incorrect.
I worked my first door in 1989 at the age of 17 and worked for five years in different countries. I gave up when the lifestyle became incompatible with marriage, family life and my growing career in sales. In 2007 I left the business I had built as a be-suited and well-paid Sales Director. Wanting a better lifestyle I bought a hotel business in North Wales. I lasted four wet summers before I realized that it was too hard a slog for little return and came out.
The sensible move would have been to seek out another lucrative sales role sitting on motorways in a shiny car. Instead I wanted to write a book and I felt in my bones that to return to sales would be the end of my creative dream. So at the age of 39 I took a training course to be a Door Supervisor, picked up my badge and started working with a team of four on a national chain pub in a local town.
Since then I have worked security in pubs and nightclubs, football matches, a sheep shearing contest, a big fat gypsy wedding and a variety of concerts and events all with varying levels of threat, danger and evident customer stupidity and aggression.
My first book was a non-fiction memoir about the hotel, the mistakes I had made and the lessons I had learned.
As I wrote with a diary next to me, incidents of violence jumped out. I had bought a “charming hotel in an idyllic coastal village” but nobody had told that to the locals. In the first week at the Thursday night Karaoke session I shook hands with three brothers and accepted their best wishes.
Five minutes later one of them had an argument over the pool table and punched the local drunk in the nose. The blood fell in thick black drips all over my nice wooden floor.
Did you know that an alcoholic’s blood is thicker because of poor liver and kidney function?
On the CCTV images it was a cracking punch but against a drunken weakling rather than a proper man who can fight back. That happens a lot.
Two weeks later on my first bank holiday weekend forty youths from surrounding villages were fighting in front of my patio area. I looked back up at the front balconies with the lovely view over the harbour to see nice residents watching aghast at the junior riot in front of them, something to do with competing village football teams.
One night I refused entry to a lad who had threatened violence. He came back insistent on coming in. It was a pivotal moment and if I let him in then I might as well give him the keys to the safe and the chastity of the barmaids.
I stood my ground.
The list goes on and I dealt with a lot of trouble. I employed bouncers to allow me to run the business and to keep me from rolling around my car park with idiots. I thought I had bought a business that I could build and employed two great chefs and invested in new furniture and artwork fro the walls.
But I sold alcohol, the most dangerous of drugs and at times I felt I was pushing my own destruction.
We made money in the summer but lost it in the winter and I realized after three years that the losses weighed with the profits gave us a negligible return for all our hard work. We escaped and the relief was intense.
When the memoir was turned down I put it to one side and wrote a novel instead. I wrote about an ex serviceman who returned to his Grandfather’s North Wales coastal village and follows his journey of redemption out of depression and dealing with local toerags. I am told the scenes in bars and clubs are realistic. I was a bit shocked when a reader suggested that “Splinter” was a love story but I will take anything a happy reader says.
The same week I finished the first draft I was working in the nightclub. It was a funny night with too many groups of males and not enough women to dilute the testosterone. I went into stop a fight on the dance-floor and was punched in the face by a soldier. His father told me how his son was just “two days back from Afghan”. Nevertheless the soldier went out of the fire exit and I was struck not so much by the effects of the punch but by the irony of having finished my plot and dealing with a frustrated soldier’s aggression in real life.
Now my novel is published I count myself almost a proper author and I am starting to view situations and incidents with a writer’s detachment. A colleague and I put a big farmer out for fighting and as we restrained him I thought how I would write about the experience. It was a surreal moment, not least because his girlfriend was trying to jump on my back and scratch at my eyes.
So I thought I would put down a few pointers to the realities of violence in my line of work that fellow writers might find useful.
1 – Violence is shocking.
Both girls and boys cry, shriek and shake in the face of blood and aggression.
2 – Adrenalin drains away leaving you exhausted soon after the altercation is finished.
Nearly everybody worries after being involved in a fight. Often I will be looking forward to falling into bed at the end of a shift and an incident happens on the street before customers disperse and it takes hours to wind down.
3 – There are too many variables.
Martial Arts learned in a sterile environment will not always win in a street fight. I watched a much handier lad floored by a weaker opponent in a long held feud because of that extra pint of Stella
4 – Any blow to the head can kill.
If I was to throw a punch then I would lose my badge and therefore my livelihood. I can use a restraint to keep my colleagues, customers and myself safe. In the cold light of day in front of a judge and jury when you have to justify your actions then I would find it hard to justify a punch.
I also want to go home at the end of the night. It is only a job.
5 – There will always be somebody harder and tougher than you.
Real hard men don’t need to show it all the time. They will not be messed with but they are careful.
6 – Numbers do make a difference.
Despite what is shown in Hollywood movies when the good guy beats five henchmen they must be pretty weak specimens to be beaten. I was once given a kicking by the guts of an infantry platoon. If they had wanted to hurt me properly then they would have done. A guy watching my back who used to boast how good he was at martial arts disappeared. I never worked with him again.
7 – Pepper spray does taste of pepper, its horrible stuff.
When restraining an aggressive male we were being aided by the police who sprayed a can in the male’s face. It went straight into my mouth and wouldn’t wash off. He was juiced up and I don’t think he noticed.
8 – Nine times out of Ten an incident can be talked down.
It doesn’t make for a good novel plot but it’s the truth. I have stepped into the middle of two hard men squaring up and been thanked by both for stopping them having to prove who was the toughest.
9 – Take Control, if you show weakness or hesitation you have lost.
As an older man I am not a threat to the young buck about town’s ego and I am an unknown quantity. I work now with five men who I worked with twenty years ago. It leads to a calmer atmosphere.
There are plenty more examples but next time you are in a club or a pub, be nice to the doormen and women. Watch their attitude with customers and decide for yourself how good they are. Watch the grief they are given and that on the whole they are trying to keep their customers safe.
I'd love to hear your questions or comments. Please do leave them below.
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1 2 Next »Hi Joanna, I like the "BAM". Hope people find my experiences useful.
JR—Thanks for a terrific post. I also write thrillers (with my DH) and love reading "inside" stuff! Like the new, pc "Door Supervisor."
Would you please expand about what was so different about the kick in Krav Maga class? Not that I'm blood thirsty or anything but I used Krav Maga in a romantic thriller so I'm curious. :-)
Hi Ruth - I use Krav Maga in my books so I wanted to actually try it as opposed to watch YouTube vids. But I got properly kicked during one of the exercises, and ended up on the sofa for a day or two with bruising - so basically, it was the first time I'd ever really been "hurt", pathetic as I am!
I recently came off my bike in India - picking a fight with a pothole is never a good idea either!
Thanks Ruth,
The Door Supervisor (DS) title is a strange one and designed to be less inflammatory than Bouncer, which is also gender neutral. To be fair to the SIA, who get a lot of stick for the cost of the license. the main focus now is that the training is customer service focussed. Despite the fictional bias the training tries to provide a professional status and aims dispel the old management/gangster firms/beating up customers down the side alley image. This matches the incident reporting, which of course is backed up by use of CCTV systems and venue and wider pubwatch bans. This is all based on the "imperatives" of the Licensing Act, which are designed to keep customers and staff safe.
When the licenses came in they also brought a mandatory Criminal Records (CRB) check so that stopped the criminal element working and led to many old school doormen being barred from working. But it also stops some youngsters who would make potentially good DS with teenage misdemeanours being stopped from entering the profession and providing an alternative path. Working the door with decent older heads often knocks the rough edges off and shows a young buck what an eejit he looks when he is out himself and his friends are annoying him.
Perhaps the other point to bear in mind is that most DS work as a second job, especially outside the cities. Sometimes it is difficult to remember that it is just a part time job and the dangers of injury or arrest could affect all aspects of your life. The hours are always anti-social and we deal with aggression and stupidity every night for the same hourly rate that I started on twenty years ago. It is also good fun, with great camaraderie between the team and at times when we are appreciated rewarding. JRS
Oh how true it all is... Spot on J... Can't wait to get my badge re-newed and get straight back to it...
Cheers Kev,
Get that badge back and keep safe. J
Great article Joanna. Everything JR says is so very true. Reading it took me back to my days as a weekend Bouncer in New York. It was the 1980's. It was rough at times . You're always on alert keeping an eye out for the cues that things are going to go sideways. The point about any blow to the head can kill - is very true. I was witness too such an event. During an argument a man was struck, fell and hit his head on the floor. He died the next morning. I gave up bouncing a couple of weeks later after reassessing what I was doing with my life.
Nice post, Joanna, and thanks James. One overall takeaway for me is that in real life, people who are involved with violence on a regular basis usually prefer to avoid it. An intelligent, realistic attitude often missing from the novel versions of policemen and bouncers.
Thanks Michael,
That's so true. Sane rational people do not want trouble and it is more rewarding to de-escalate a situation than to go hands on.
I did a training course with a grizzled old police sergeant and he said that there was one officer that he worked with and on each shift there was likely to be grief because of the officer's attitude. Its the same on the doors and when you hear of a venue "going bad" it is often to do with the attitudes of two, three or more members of the door team as much as the clientele.
Of course it makes a better story when things do go bad. The first series of a Channel 4 programme was called Bouncers was filmed in Newport, South Wales. The DS shown on the programme were made to look complete arrogant idiots and were forced off the doors in Newport. Supposedly over 300 hours were filmed and edited down into 3 x 45minute programmes. The security company owner put out a statement that it was a hatchet job but then he allowed his company to be filmed without any control of the portrayal.
Series 2 , which showed "older" DS working in the North East, was much better and I would say was a fair representation. If you are writing a novel then Series 1 makes a more compelling although less truthful story.
Hi Werner, 80′s Doors in New York must have been fun. I look back to my early days and realise how I thought I could take on the world. Much more realistic theses days and better at the job because of it. I ache more the next day and takes longer to recover after the late nights.
One of the reasons for writing the post was a build up of frustration with some TV/Film drama and books where I had to suspend belief that I wasn’t watching/reading the story of a comic superhero. But then again the plot would be worse for the lack of dramatic tension and action. Although a success for all concerned in the venue a trouble free night does not make the best story.
The job does get under your skin and each time I take a break I accept the offer to come back far too easily. As with yourself there may well be an incident that will be one step too far.
Best Wishes. JRS.
Wow! Such a powerful piece, James Sheridan! I will print this out and refer to it in every bit of violence or near violence I write. This reminds me of the training courses sometimes available in the US with Police Departments (though your experience makes it MUCH more immediate and real).
Have you considered writing a book for authors on this topic? I'd be willing to bet that Writers Digest (US-based, I believe) would happily publish one for you, if there is not that type of venue in the U.K.
Thank you for your clarity. And thank you for being there to help keep the world safe.
Hi Laure, I definitely think we need more resources on the topic but I have also interviewed Alan Baxter on the show before - he runs a workshop and has a book 'Write the fight right' http://www.amazon.com/Write-Fight-Right-Alan-Baxter-ebook/dp/B004V9HL7G
and we also have a webinar short course with video & audio
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/fight/
as this is an area I am always trying to learn about :)
Hi Laure, huge thanks for being so positive.
There are 9 points but there could be 20 or 30. Perhaps there is a need for more information and understanding of the Night Time Economy and the people who work in it.
There are plenty of Old School Bouncer "real" life memoirs, as there are Mafia/Gangster non- fiction books. I found writing of my experiences owning a hotel was hard work and wanted to tell of the business lessons learnt rather than the trouble side. I felt liberated when I put it into the proverbial sock drawer, started writing the fictional story and making it all up. It was much more fun.
When I first contacted Joanna (after publishing Splinter) to thank her for sharing such great advice on her website she generously offered me a guest blog. It was going to be about my experiences of choosing to self publish and how I had learnt so much from cherry picking the podcasts to listen to over my cornflakes.
(including http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2013/02/17/violence-fighting-jarrah-loh/)
Then after watching a very annoying and disappointing blockbuster film I thought I would offer a post on the subject of my DS experiences and a relieved Joanna gratefully accepted.
JRS
Great post. Checking out his book.
Many thanks JRS
Three times I have used akido outside the dojo. Two were wrist nikyo takedowns that ended the conflict before it got nasty. The other was a throw. Sent my attacker across the room, who got up and came back for more.
Another time I got jumped and woke up in the hospital.
In my experience, most fights last about 5 seconds. Then one party has that, "Un-oh, this is gonna hurt" moment and quits. The ones that pass that mark are the "I'm gonna kill you, you son-of-a-bitch" variety.
Antares, thanks for sharing your own experiences with Akido. Definitely ticks Number 3 and possibly number 5.
Leading on from your post...
Point 10 would be "Operational Security" - to be aware of your surroundings and Personal Space at all times. Be careful who is close to you, especially in a tight situation or who is hiding behind the corner waiting for you when you leave.
You also mention a good Point 11 - Close contact Fights are over within seconds. Sometimes outside a venue it rolls on as different groups keep interacting with each other but the violence itself is brief.
and Point 12 - Threats are usually empty. But not always.
Every refusal or fight split up has potential to make you an "enemy" through transference of aggression on to you and then you become the focus of their rage. I don't know what somebody's life has been like or if they have had an argument with their girlfriend before I meet them on the door.
Or if they have taken Steroids or Cocaine (etc.), or both, which are going to affect their behaviour.
Or if they are soldiers suffering from PTSD, which is another story entirely.
Or if they are just nasty horrible people. Sadly they do exist.
Best Wishes
JRS
JR, you are so right, there are so many variables and it is not much like it is in the movies. After many years of Tae Kwon do training my ten year old son and I were awoken in the middle of the night and attacked by a youth wielding a bread knife.
My first incongruous thought was of an episode of Oprah where her experts recommended you don’t allow yourself to be captured and carted away so I stood my ground. Only, all that fighting practice flew right out of the window and I resorted to slapping! Slapping!
Once he had me down, banging my head against the floor, I had the presence of mind to think that if he knocked me out or killed me he might kill my child so it was worth a last ditch effort at negotiation. I literally put my hands by my sides and said “Okay I give up. You win.” He calmed down at once.
He tied our hands behind our backs with thin wire which hurt like hell, but turned out not to be as effective as rope because as soon as he left the room in search of loot we were able to go back to back with each other, un twist it and escape.
There was enough blood everywhere for a murder scene, but when it was over and I took stock, all I had was a score on my throat which hardly broke the skin and a cut on my hand, where I had inadvertently grabbed the blade at some stage during the scuffle, which didn’t even need stitches.
I am going to add this caveat because it is the unique third world experience which will blow your mind. The cops happened to be passing by on a different call out and caught him fleeing the scene of the crime. The next day I had to give the two cops, my attacker and another prisoner a lift to the central police station so that they could charge him. Their one and only car was on another call out.
All experience is valuable for a writer, but I don’t feel the urge to write attack scenes at all. It was nothing like it is in stories.