You may not realize it when you’re out at a club, but bouncers have perhaps the most difficult job of the night as they are in charge of keeping the party running smoothly. Not surprisingly, the main issue at hand is the mixture of testosterone, ego’s and alcohol which can cause a fun night out turn into violence in an instant.

But how does a seasoned bouncer keep his cool and not let things escalate?

In the following tutorial video, Grapplearts.com founder and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Stephan Kesting and his training partner Chad; an experienced bouncer, break down how to deal with a rowdy, aggressive customer when working the doors.

It may be a surprise to some people, but violence is nowhere near the top of the list in terms of problem-solving from a security point of view.

“The first thing is, don’t make it your problem, don’t make it a one on one confrontation. You totally want to deflect and bring [the customers] level down.”

Check out the rest of instructional below where Chad discusses adopting a passive but defensive stance, how to not leave yourself vulnerable to be attacked as well as a safe but effective way to subdue the situation if things get physical.

Stephan Kesting is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and has been doing martial arts for over 30 years. He is also certified instructor in Erik Paulson’s Combat Submission Wrestling, a black belt in Kajukenbo Karate, an instructor in Dan Inosanto’s Jun Fan JKD, Maphalindo Silat and Filipino Martial Arts program. He has also studied Japanese Judo, Russian Sambo, various Chinese Kung Fu systems, Brazilian Capoeira, Muay Thai, and many other martial arts systems.

He is the owner and operator of Grapplearts.com and Beginning BJJ.com and you can also follow him on his YouTube channel for regular updates.

Author: Nic is a designer and illustrator alongside being a martial arts enthusiast. You can find some of his illustrative work for purchase here.