Self-defense starts with foresight and intuition.
I talk openly about a time in my life that shaped me: my nights as a bouncer on Hamburg’s Reeperbahn. My path was not straightforward – and perhaps that’s why it taught me important lessons. Today, I help people: with stress reduction, with health, with self-defense – and with feeling good in training. Much of this has its roots in my time as a bouncer and in the years of my youth and martial arts. These experiences are firmly anchored in all self-defense training.
I took the job less out of a thirst for adventure than out of necessity. When I was 19, I had to pay my rent and living expenses and in the years that followed, I managed school, training and university. Good pay, flexible shifts and the nightlife made door work tempting for me. I knew little about the background of the club when I first started. It soon became clear: This was less about music and guests – this was about business, drugs and people who worked with harshness and intimidation.
There were evenings when the danger became very real. The mood could change within a second – and without any exaggeration could become life-threatening for me or my colleague. There were usually only two of us standing in front of a club, right on Große Freiheit on Hamburg’s Reeperbahn. If one of us had to keep order inside, the other was completely alone outside. There were nights when this constellation made the difference between control and chaos.
The bulletproof and stab-proof vest was not part of the mandatory inventory for nothing – a silent reminder of how quickly the situation could change.
I myself was attacked with a knife, sprayed with pepper spray and CS gas and looked into the muzzle of a firearm several times.
I remember guys driving up in limousines and exuding a presence that demanded intimidation – a professional kind of intimidation that these guys used to earn their, let’s call it, “daily bread”. Nights like that were loud, chaotic and sometimes scary; they were deeply memorable. Two or three times I literally prayed to get home from the shift unscathed.
It was only much later that I learned that my predecessor – the post I only took over at the door shortly afterwards – had been involved in a serious altercation in which he shot an attacker in the head and fatally wounded him. Another man was seriously injured. It is said to have been a group who were refused entry to the club because of their aggressive behavior and then attacked their colleagues. I still don’t know the exact circumstances.
These experiences have made one thing clear to me: martial arts and technique alone are not enough. Courage is not the same as confrontation. For me today, courage means taking responsibility, recognizing and avoiding situations in advance, keeping calm and protecting others – without provoking escalation. My understanding of what real self-defense must be came from these nights: Practice, foresight, de-escalation and legal clarity.
What I specifically learned – and how I teach it today
Presence over power
In critical moments, the way you stand and breathe often speaks louder than words. A calm, controlled presence can discourage attacks. That’s why every individual training session with me starts with control, posture, breathing and eye work.
Talking instead of hitting
I have seen how quickly a lack of communication skills and a short fuse can lead to a full-blown attack. That’s why de-escalation is not a nice extra skill, but a central component of real self-defence: clear sentences, determination, demarcation – and the ability to recognize when you are legally protecting yourself and acting correctly.
Technology is practice, not theory
Thai boxing gave me hard skills and the will to assert myself. But in reality, holds, levers and ground control often helped more than pure punches. Escrima and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu complement my repertoire and are taught in a practical way in my self-defense courses.
Taking responsibility
As a doorman, I was responsible for the safety of many people. That means calling the police when in doubt, documenting, securing witnesses – and not acting out of pride or stubbornness. Responsibility also means knowing the legal consequences and acting accordingly.
In this job, it’s not said without reason that you always have one foot in prison – every decision can have legal consequences.
Layers that were easy – and layers that became dangerous
Many people have an image in their heads that isn’t true: The door is not a battlefield every evening.
There were also nights when we had incredible fun. We laughed and joked with the right colleagues, and the hours passed as easily as the summer air.
But there were also the other nights – when a situation could tip over in a split second and turn into pure chaos.
Nights when colleagues only helped out – and then faltered just when you needed stability. Moments when you had to make all the decisions on your own. And nights when you had to look after your colleagues more than your guests.
An additional danger that hardly anyone talks about: management
Another factor that many never see: The owners of the clubs.
In my case, there were three – and only one of them was all right. In my opinion, the other two had a massive drug and “women’s problem”. There were also some questionable acquaintances who we door boys always had to give free access to the club. That didn’t make it any easier to work with them and repeatedly led to decisions that you had to question as an employee. Some nights I didn’t know whether the real danger came from outside – or from inside.
I remember a scene with a well-known pop starlet from the 90s: her boyfriend had said something to my colleague – nothing dramatic, more like a sentence that you could just ignore or calmly classify.
But the colleague, who had only stepped in for this shift, reacted completely over the top: without warning, he lashed out and broke the man’s nose with a single punch.
Such overreactions made the work unpredictable.
It wasn’t just the guests that were a risk – it was the whole system around them: colleagues you didn’t know, egos that could explode, decisions that had to be made in seconds.
Character instead of show – and why it still pays off today
Despite all these nights, I kept getting the same feedback:
“You’re one of the nicest bouncers we know.”
“Humorous. Without airs and graces. Without the urge to constantly make a name for yourself.”
For me, this was more than a compliment – it was a confirmation of how I understood my job.
I rarely had to speak up to be heard. I have never pretended to be bigger than I am. Instead, I used my empathy and humor to pick people up and my level-headedness to calm situations down.
I clarified almost everything with words – and kept a cool head in most cases.
Staying integer, being loyal and taking responsibility was not a strategy for me, but a basic attitude.
And it is precisely this attitude that has sustained me to this day:
as a trainer, as a coach, as a father, as a person.
It has opened doors for me, created trust and ensured that people feel safe at my side – in training as well as at the door.
What remains – and what I pass on
This time has not brutalized me.
It has made me more aware.
Clearer.
More responsible.
She showed me:
- how important level-headedness is in dicey moments
- How fundamental foresight is
- how valuable clear boundaries are
- how crucial it is to take responsibility
- and that self-defense starts much earlier than most people think
Today, I combine all of these in my training:
physical skills, mental stability, legal clarity and de-escalation.
So that people not only become stronger –
but also freer.
Strength is not something you show.
Strength is something you live.
Practical takeaways & exercises (safe, practical)
I have developed the following modules from practical experience – they are safe, legal and relevant to everyday life. I use them both in individual training and in self-defense courses.
- Box-Breath (2-3 min daily) – breathing control to calm down.
- Ready-stance & gaze check (5 min) – quick perception training for the road.
- Verbal de-escalation (10-15 min) – Role plays that simulate real provocations.
- Distance management (10 min) – Create space, gain distance, open escape routes.
- Ground control basics (15 min) – escape drills, transitions, safe exits.
- Escrima Basics (10 min) – Strike and defense patterns with and without weapons
- De-escalation cardio circuit (20 min) – combined stress and regeneration training.
In my courses, I also show how to recognize and document situations, how to approach witnesses and when immediate police assistance is important – practical things that are often overlooked.
Law & responsibility – non-negotiable
Why I don’t recommend anyone to work on the door
So much honesty is necessary:
With all the risks, uncertainties and legal gray areas, I wouldn’t recommend working as a bouncer to anyone today.
You are constantly caught between responsibility and the law – and often a single wrong moment is enough to get you into serious trouble under criminal law. As a doorman, you have no special rights. Legally, you remain a private individual.
In contrast to state security forces, at least officially you don’t have pepper spray, a baton or a service weapon.
The only thing you can legally use is a ballistic vest, which you also have to get yourself.
After a few nights that got out of hand, I understood:
Those who act assume legal responsibility.
That’s why my advice is clear:
If there is a threat of violence or even weapons involved, the police are the right way to go.
But:
It can take crucial minutes before the emergency call is made and help arrives.
It is precisely in these minutes that your own skills count: clear communication, de-escalation, distance management, self-protection.
I teach this in every one of my self-defense courses today – not to scare people, but to protect them.
Self-defense does not mean “learning to fight”.
It means staying legally, mentally and practically clear – exactly when others lose their heads.
And then there’s another danger that hardly anyone talks about: leisure time.
I really was recognized countless times on the street – not on the job, but in private.
Sometimes I was out with a companion and suddenly a group of five, eight or ten men approached me:
“Hey, you’re the bouncer from …!”
Fortunately, it was always meant in a friendly way.
But things could have turned out differently – and this awareness is a constant companion.
When you work at the door, you carry a reputation that can follow you anywhere.
If you remain honest, calm, fair and clear, this reputation can protect you.
If not, it can put your own life and the lives of your loved ones in unnecessary danger.
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Conclusion – what remains
My time as a bouncer taught me hard lessons that have made me humble and vigilant. I am glad to have emerged unscathed and to be able to pass on the experience constructively to others today. In my individual training and self-defense courses in Hamburg, I combine physical skills with mental strength and legal know-how – so that you not only become stronger, but also more responsible. If you are interested in practical self-defense in Hamburg, please contact me for a free initial consultation or book your individual training.
If you are interested in a specific offer: Book your individual training or secure a place on the next self-defense course – self-defense Hamburg practical and safe.
Together we work on body and mind – so that strength remains responsible.