7/28/2019 CQC Mag 2001-07 J_eng.pdf

1/1

38 Close Quarter Combat Magazine

Working in the business of Night Club Security for over 10 years,

I have seen a lot. When I work in New York City, I always wear

body armor. One night I worked the door at a major nightclub in the

Big Apple. All patrons must walk through a metal detector, and

then security waves a hand-held metal detector that looks like a

wand over them. Then we frisk them. This club holds about 3,000

people, and on any given Friday night we employ 60 to 70 bounc-

ers. The club stays open until 5 a.m. Its always a long night.

During one night, we confiscated 67 edged weapons at the

door. Among the 67, we found knives,

box cutters, scissors, screwdrivers,

straightedge barber razors andjust about anything you can cut

or stick someone with. It is pret-

ty scary if you think about it.

You go out to have a good time,

or in my case go to work, and

potential death surrounds you.

When you plan a night out,

its important to consider what

you wear, and Im not talking

about your vanity here, Im talk-

ing self-defense. If you had to

defend yourself, would your cloth-

ing work for you or against you?

Thin, loose, or ill-fitting cloth-ing can seriously work

against you in a con-

frontation. Since I

work in the

protection business on a daily basis, I take appropriate steps

dress in a manner thats both comfortable and as safe as I can m

age. At work, I wear my vest, a black turtleneck shirt, heavy bl

jeans and a good pair of stompers. The turtleneck is thick and he

protect my neck. The vest adds a great layer of safety agains

knife attack, not a madman power stab necessarily, but it incre

es survival odds. A nice pair of tight fitting black leather glo

doesnt hurt either. If you have to snatch a knife, the gloves ad

welcome layer of protection.

Whether you work in the protection business like I do, or j

have plans to go out on the town for the evening, be vigilant. W

I see someone go for a weapon, they usually telegraph their pfirst to a discerning eye. If you watch a person engaged in a hea

argument, they often tap or touch the area where they carr

weapon, sometimes two or three times before they draw. Usu

you see it coming, with only seconds to react. Once the per

commits to drawing a weapon, whatever it is, you have to go

that weapon-bearing limb and take him down, and take him

quick!

We escort him out of the club as fast we can. Somenuts ca

more than one edged weapon; so if you have someone restrain

make damn sure you or one of your guys searches him complet

Then hold him for the cops. If you get the slightest cut, wash it

and sterilize it as soon as possible. Slap some germ killer on

Bandage it up. It is a good idea to keep your tetanus shot up

date. No telling what rust and residue resides on the blade of soof these guys. Many use their knives to clean their nails, scale f

or there could even be powdered drugs they cut up and blew j

before showing up at your door.

In the June/July 2000 issue ofCQC Mag I described a stabb

at a nightclub where the victim almost died due to a knife st

Even though the wound looked small on the surface, lik

small slash, it ran life threatening deep. This Marc

received legal papers from the Office of the Cou

Prosecutor of Bergen County. The stabber was char

with (1) attempted murder (2) aggravated assault,

(3) possession of a deadly weapon. Because I witnes

the incident, theyve called me to testify at the trial

upcoming issues, Ill keep you informed about the p

gression of this case through the legal system.

Joseph Reyes, Jr. serves as a bodyguard and security

supervisor for one of the largest

nightclubs in northern New

Jersey. A 10-year-veteran

bouncer and a veteran mar-

tial artist, Reyes is an Ad-

vanced Instructor in the SFC

System. You may contact him

at (973) 694-4348.

Blood, Rust and Residue Knives and Night ClubsBy Joseph Reyes

The Bouncer