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We go one-on-one with some of the very best...

Protecting the U.S Ambassador in Iraq

Lee Morrison Leni Kaiser

& his Urban Combatives My life as a doorwoman in Manchester

A brief history of the Bouncer

Plus books & film reviews, short stories, regular columns & much, much more...

Ian Quigley

training with the Atherton Submission Wrestling club

Yuriy Kostrov

Ukrainian Special Forces instructor & Martial Art specialist

Charlie Bronson

talks about respect & his reputation as the UKs most violent prisoner

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one Spring 2013

Welcome!
Introduction Welcome to the first issue Leni Kaiser Interiew Yuriy Kostrov My Story - Part 1 Kirk Kunze Interview Hot Shot The Story of a Little Red Devil Gary Alexander Interview 5 4 6 8 10 14 18

Welcome to the first issue of Tough Talk!

he idea behind this magazine comes from the subjects of most of my books; spotlighting and focusing on tough people, whether a martial artist, bodyguard, doorman, wrestler, cop or special forces soldier in fact any tough man (or woman), anywhere in the world. In Tough Talk we interact with them and find out who they are, what kind of lives they have had (and have), and why they do what they do. Tough doesnt mean violence though, this is not a mag about violence! Initially Tough Talk will just be an online magazine, but if we get enough subscribers during the first year, I will then publish a hardcopy version as well, for year two. This first issue is free, but it takes me a least couple of months full-time work to put it all together and I just cannot do it for free all the time, so if you like it then please do subscribe it costs the equivalent of less than 50 pence a week and for that youll get the next four issues packed full of some of the most interesting, inspirational and amazing characters... in the world! And boy, do we have some interesting characters lined up for this first issue! We have Yuriy Kostrov, founder of the strangely named Kostrovs Universal Fisticuffs, but a truly amazing martial artist and combat specialist. In a five part series, Yuriy tells his story; from growing up on the tough streets of Kiev once part of the USSR - to joining the Soviet Army and, once the USSR fell, going onto train the Ukrainian Special Forces. Another incredible combat specialist we are profiling is Gary Alexander, a former US Marine and 10th Dan in many styles and after hundreds of fights undefeated! We also have the ever so lovely, but bloody tough Leni Kaiser who worked the doors in Manchester at a time when gangs ruled the city. I particularly like her comment: I must say [it] was my best right-hook ever....he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. You just dont mess with Leni! We also have the great Bill Carson and his interesting brief history of the bouncer; Ian Quigley talking about training with Atherton Submission Wrestling; Frank Gallagher, who worked for the private security company Blackwater in Iraq protecting the American Ambassador - the most threatened man in the world; the phenomenal Lee Morrison and his Urban Combatives... and many, many more amazing people and their amazing stories. So enjoy this first issue, and while you are doing so, rest assured, I will be working hard on a packed second issue, due out around mid June. So dont miss out... order your copy now! Stay strong, stay safe Robin Barratt Robin@ToughTalkMagazine.com / RobinBarratt@yahoo.com
Robin Barratts Tough Talk is compiled, edited and published quarterly by: Robin Barratt, Suite 56, 3 Courthill House, 60 Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AJ, United Kingdom. Berkshire, RG42 2AW. W: www.ToughTalkMagazine.com E: Robin@ToughTalkMagazine.com Editor: Robin Barratt. Design: Ryan Moyce & Sarah Moyce. DISCLAIMER While every care has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is both accurate and up-to-date, Robin Barratts Tough Talk accepts no liability in any part for loss or damage incurred by reliance on information contained in this magazine through omissions, errors, howsoever caused. COPYRIGHT Copyright remains with the authors and contributors at all times. No part of this publication can be copied or reproduced in any way whatsoever without permission from the publisher and the author / contributor.

Ian Quigley Atherton Submission Wrestling Gym Lee Morrison Interview Bill Carson A Brief History on the Origins of the Bouncer Charlie Bronson Respect and Reputation Yuriy Kalistratov On the Doors in Amsterdam Do you know who I am Short Story Stories from the Doors Will Bishop Frank Gallagher The Mission Krackes Corner The Survival Instinct Tough Words & Phrases Tough Times Short Story Profile Peter Ellis So you want to be a Bodyguard, do you? Dale Easom Conquering your Fears Simon Morrell Reviews Tough Test Drives Classifieds

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Spring 2013 tough talk magazine3

Interview: Leni Kaiser

Interview: Leni Kaiser

Tough Talk went to Manchester and met up with Leni Kaiser, a former door supervisor who worked some of the toughest doors in Manchester, one of the toughest cities in the UK. We chatted about what brought her to the UK, and what it was like for her as a female bouncer back in the days when women on the doors we almost unheard of.
TT: Where are you from originally, and what brought you to the UK? LK: I come from a big family - eight boys and three girls! My parents were originally from Samoa, a small island in the South Pacific, but they met each other in New Zealand. I was born in Christchurch, a beautiful city on the east coast of the south island which was sadly in the news recently after the bad earthquake there in 2011. I had always travelling and had been to many countries around the world, but not Europe. However, I did already have family living in the UK, so in December 1997 I decided to go and visit them. I bought a oneway ticket, packed my bags, jumped on the plane and ended up staying with my cousin and his family in a little town in the North West of England - between Liverpool and Manchester - called Widnes! Very different from New Zealand and Samoa! TT: Yes, just slightly different! And then what happened? LK: My cousin was working the doors in Manchester and had mentioned that there might be the possibility of a job on the doors for me too, if I was interested. My father had also been a doorman during his younger days and had told us lots of stories about it, so I thought; Why not! My cousin didnt have to ask me twice! It would be extra money for what I thought was doing fuck all. I agreed and boy, was I in for a surprise! Anyway, an interview was set up for me at a bar in Manchester, with one of the management team for Northwest Security, who I was told ran quite a few doors in the Manchester area at that time. I went along with one of my sisters and her husband, who were also living in the area and wanted to work the doors too. My brother-in-law was told straightaway that he could have regular hours, no problem, but for my sister and me, they were not so sure. Unbeknown to us of course, doorwomen were virtually non-existent on the doors in Manchester at that time! However, my sister and I were carrying a lot more beef than your typical female (and a few males too!); we were at the gym all the time and, like our brothers, we had spent our whole lives playing Representative Rugby League, Rugby Union, in fact almost every sport you 4 tough talk magazine Spring 2013 could think of, and I think that if we werent built the way we were, we would have got a look-in! With no licensing at that time, to see how we got on, the following week I was given one night with an established door team at a club called Generation X, one of their busiest venues. My sister was sent to the Paradise Factory, another well-known Manchester venue. One night led to two, and then a week and then a month and before we knew it, we were permanently part of the teams. I couldnt have asked for better door team to learn the ropes, and even though they didnt always see eye-to-eye with each other and had the occasional disagreement, when the shit hit the fan - and it frequently did - they stuck together, come what may! I had one regular bar where I would work, but after a while I also got sent to different bars now and again to help out as well, which gave me a lot of confidence. When working, I suppose I wasnt a person of many words; I kept myself to myself a lot of the time, a quality I think a few doormen misunderstood at first. When I was young, my father had repeatedly drilled me and my siblings with a few simple philosophies of life that I always kept in mind. One; respect everybody and they will learn to respect you! Two; be straight with everybody, they may not like the answer but they will learn to respect you! Three; if you have nothing to prove, then you have nothing to prove, so dont talk about anything you dont know about, or start anything you cant finish, because you will quickly lose your respect! And four; respect gets you everywhere! When I was young I never thought that there would come a day when the things my father tried to tell us would make sense! But then again, I never thought I would end up working the doors in Manchester either! TT: Yes Leni, the Mancunians do like to use the word Respect a lot! As a woman, how did you find working the doors? LK: Over time I got to meet and talk to many of the other women working on the doors, and I think the road was a lot easier for me! They would often tell me that they were always having trouble with customers refusing to accept instructions from them, or grief from doormen who made it very obvious they didnt want females in their teams. I remember the first few kick-offs we had and I was advised to stand back and monitor the crowd while the lads sorted things out. I dont think that the lads I worked with back then quite knew what to expect from me or what my role as a female door-woman was. For me though, I was getting paid the same as them and so I was mentally and physically prepared to pull my weight. My sisters and I had always done heavy weights in the gym, and part of the conditioning our bodies was to take the smashes on the Rugby League field too. But, it wasnt until I started training in the gym with the lads that they could see we were just as capable as they were! And so my sister and I started training with some of the Manchester door lads at both Pasquils gym in Chorley and Total Fitness in Horwich. We were training heavy weights; leg pressing 240kgs, squatting the same. We were strong! And after a few training sessions with the lads, they stopped feeling sorry for us and their confidence in our ability to assist in any kick-offs grew quite a lot! We were soon working seven nights a week when sister number two started working the doors too! So Manchester was then graced with the three of us; there were not many bars in Manchester at that time that the three of us hadnt worked, and for the first couple of years we could fool both customers and doormen into thinking we were the same person! We knew we must have been doing well on the doors, because we were getting requests from both venue management and other door teams to work their bars and clubs, which was nicest compliment we could get in such a male dominated environment. TT: Did other women start working the doors too while you were there? LK: Well, although more and more women applied for work on the doors, working the doors for most of them wasnt what they expected and many girls came and went. Many first-time girls were put with either me or my sisters and within the first hour or so we would generally know if they were

going to last or not. Tagging them to myself and my sisters was the companys way of easing them into the job. But some women came to the doors for all the wrong reasons; for example the hype of the Manchester night scene or socialising with doormen... Im sure you know what I mean! (Ed. Nope, ahem...no idea). But women on the doors did effectively eliminate many of the barriers doormen had when dealing with female punters, which was a good thing, and for sure we could sometimes diffuse situations a lot easier than some doormen. But of course, when it really kicked-off and everybody in the team were needed, many women just couldnt cope. But for us, from day one, the dangers of the job had never phased neither me nor my sisters and it wasnt long before everyone in Manchester got to know me and my sisters well, and knew what to expect from the three of us. A popular unspoken way of a Samoan... you do, or you die! And so... we did! This was just a part of our upbringing and culture. Everything for us was all about respect and principles! As the years went by my fellow door-staff and the company we worked for all became one big family to us. TT: Did you three sisters all have the same way of dealing with punters and situations? LK: Ha, not at all! I remember one night when the doormen at the Paradise Factory were getting grief from a female punter waiting to come into the venue. They wanted her removed from the queue and asked my sister to; throw her on the other side of the barrier! So my sister walked over, picked the girl up off her feet and literally threw her over the barrier onto the road! From then on the lads chose their words wisely when it came to giving her instructions! So yes, all three of us had very different approaches to resolving matters! One sister had zero tolerance; you were lucky if you got any warning. The other sister was a talker and she could talk her way out of almost everything, and even get a few laughs out of the evicted. As for me, I was the oldest and tried to remain polite and smile, but I wasnt one of many words, and quite a few doormen and punters were wary of me, and thats the way I liked it! TT: What do you think was the hardest part of the job? LK: Handling drunk female customers.... what a nightmare! TT: What about evicting male customers? LK: Men were often more in shock than anything else when physically removed by a woman. Almost all of them would leave straight-away; I rarely had to ask them twice and most would walk away in shame and there would seldom be any kind of challenge. Maybe because they thought that if I could physically remove them from the club, then I could probably kick their arse to...if needed! I have never had any problems brawling with males though; it was a skill me, my sisters and brothers had mastered growing up! My father and many of his brothers were typical

old school doormen specialised in boxing, and so he started training us as soon as we started walking. And for him, being a girl was no excuse! I remember one night being paired with a fairly new doorman to the company. It was a two-man door and I could see the surprise and uncertainty in his face when he realised the two-man door was in fact a one man, one woman door. It was a look I was used to seeing! Anyway, that evening a couple approached the barriers who were not appropriate for the venue and my colleague turned them away. The female then reached over the barrier and started trying to claw my colleagues face with her nails. He pushed her away with a warning but she went at him again. There is nothing more degrading for some (not all) doormen to have a female step in and take charge, but I needed to do this quickly before my colleague had his face scratched off! So I told him to step back, went across to the barrier and said to her; You have been told why you cant come in. I will only ask you once. Leave before someone gets hurt! She laughed, lunged at me and tried to claw my face too. With an open hand I slapped her to the ground but the impact was a little too much; I had knocked her out! But the situation only got worse; her boyfriend, realising she wasnt going to get up, jumped over the barrier and lunged at me. Things were happening so fast; all I could see was his fist coming towards my face so without hesitation I ducked and threw what I must say was my best right-hook ever. I couldnt have timed it better; he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. We hadnt noticed a police van parked at little further across the road attending a call-out at another bar and they were on the scene in seconds, literally seconds! No charges were made against us though, as the police had witnessed everything and said it was self-defence. My new colleague was in shock and looking a little confused at what had just happened and all I could do was laugh at him and say; Welcome to Manchester! TT: What do you miss about doing the doors? KK: Yes, I must admit I do miss the job we had done for roughly ten years, and me and my sisters often reminisce about the doors. But more than that, I miss the lads. There are so many lads who I just couldnt thank enough for everything they had done for me. I will always be grateful to everyone - and they know who they are - who have kept me safe and alive through the years. We have still kept in touch with many of them and meet up now and then, which is great. But most of all I miss all the laughs - there were so many! Would I do the doors again? I have asked myself this question many times. Manchester was unique; the crime, the gangs, the guns, the drugs - Manchester definitely lived up to its reputation and if you can survive the doors in Manchester, you can survive the doors anywhere. I miss it, so would I go back... it would most definitely be a big... YES!

Spring 2013 tough talk magazine5

My Story: Yuriy Kostrov

My Story: Yuriy Kostrov

Yuriy Kostrov has been studying martial arts for over 50 years. He has been awarded the highest title of Grandmaster and Black Belt 10th Dan from several international martial arts associations and federations in many countries around the world including South Korea, Japan, Germany, the Philippines and the US. From 2001 to 2005 he taught and participated in the preparation of Special Forces units in several countries, and is now a Chief Instructor for a top Ukrainian school for bodyguards. E: georgekostrov@gmail.com | W: www.kostrov.org.ua

MY STORY | Part

Black Belt 10th Dan Grandmaster, trainer of the Ukrainian Special Forces and founder of Kostrovs Universal Fisticuffs
I was born in 1950 in Kiev, in the USSR which is no longer on the world map - but its great history would forever become a part of my life. We were the post-war generation; the children of soldiers who fought - and defeated - German Nazism. We were brought up as the descendants of winners, and all our war games were based on the stories of our fathers and grandfathers. Because our parents worked hard from early morning until late at night to provide for their families, most of us grew up on the streets. Nevertheless, from childhood we were brought up with respect for both our elders and our teachers, and we were brought up to keep our word and to overcome any obstacles keeping us from achieving our goals. And fights were a part of our lives, and although I did not like to fight, I always could defend myself and when I was in first grade, my father used to admonish me by saying; do not ever start a fight, but if there is no other way out, always hit first. And so thats what I did. Unfortunately my school teachers never saw the beginning of the conflict but, for some reason, always seemed to notice my preemptive strikes! Probably for this reason, all the pages of my school diary during that time were marked with red pen warnings from my teachers! On an almost daily basis my teacher was penning more and more comments about my bad behaviour and fighting, and requests for my parents to attend school to discuss my poor conduct. Of course, my father would then give me his educational talks, but when I honestly told him how things were in reality, he would always say that yes, I should always stand up for myself, but do it in such a way as to not cause any trouble and fuss! Those conversations made me think hard how to alter my actions ... and make them discreet, very fast and accurate. As for my school diary... well my parents kept it for many years as a witness to my very quick temper. I never excelled at any subjects at school, mostly I had satisfactory or good marks, but there were two school subjects where I felt like a fish in water; singing and gymnastics. I really loved those subjects, however it was a bit like: ...at the end of the school year the son brings home a report card, which contains bad marks on all subjects apart from the singing. The father stares at the table and, finally says indignantly; Look at him. He also sings!? And then in the fourth grade something happened which, as I realized many years later, influenced my entire life. At the end of the school year during a 6 tough talk magazine Spring 2013 gymnastics class, our physical education teacher put the girls on the benches - as the audience - and divided the boys into pairs. He then gave us boxing gloves (I later learnt that our physical education teacher was also a Master of Sports in boxing!) At that time I was the smallest in my class, but at the same time possessed qualities of speed, agility and courage, pared with a good natural reaction which I had acquired during my numerous fights and street battles. I won that minitournament, with the final fight being between myself and another older boy in my class who was repeating his school year and thus much taller and heavier than me. A few days later I was called into the gym where I saw our physical education teacher standing with someone I didnt know, and a boy from a parallel class. I and the boy were given a pair of boxing gloves and my teacher commanded: Box! The battle lasted but a minute; I basically stuck to duck and dives, which I had learnt during my street fights, and then hit one precise blow to the boys nose. Just like that! End of the story. So, at the tender age of ten, I was selected to train with the Dynamo Sports Societys boxing school and trained there for two years right until the next competition, which my mum came to see. After seeing exactly what was happening in the ring, she prohibited me from ever attending any more classes again, adding that it was only ever going to happen over her dead body. I was obviously very upset, but I loved my mother and did not dare disobey her. However, the thirst for a fight would not leave me and so, together with the local boys, I continued to play our street war games: the Red Army v white army, Germans v Russians, policemen and partisans, detectives and robbers etc. In our backyard there were the remains of a building destroyed by a bomb during the war. This was the main place of our games, but we also played everywhere else; in the ruins, basements, attics and rooftops of nearby houses, and in one of our games our task was to pass across the entire area only via the attics and roofs of the houses and apartments. Of course, this looks a stupid and very dangerous thing to do now - because the height of the buildings was from between three and seven storeys - but in those days and because we were so young, we didnt really think about the consequences. It was during those games that we developed our agility and strength in overcoming obstacles, a sense of fearlessness in the face of heights and, most of all, a sense of camaraderie. And then, one fine summers day, I decided to climb to the top of the ruins of the destroyed house in our backyard. My mates were watching me from the ground, cheering and encouraging me with advice. Step by step, floor by floor I went up and up, trying not to look down. Finally, I was at the top, on the ledge of the balcony of the 7th floor. The guys at the bottom gave me a triumphant shout! But I was sobbing because I realized there was no way for me to get down! From the top I could not see any hooks and crannies or protrusions which I could use to get down. Finally I was rescued by fire-fighters and when I was back on the ground, one of the firemen gave me such a kick in the ass that I flew over three meters across the pavement! Probably this kick knocked all the passion out of me I had for adventure, and when my parents learnt of my adventures, they decided that something had to be done about my uncontainable energy. So I was sent to try my hand at wrestling. I happened to be quite lucky and found a wonderful coach, Roman Alexandrovich Shkolnikov, the founder of the Russian martial art and combat sport Sambo [Editors note: SAMooborona Bez Oruzhiya / selfdefense without weapons] in the Ukraine. In 1964, Judo became an Olympic sport and for me, 1965 became a milestone in my journey in the martial arts as I saw for the first time The Genius of Judo, a film by Akira Kurosawa [Editors note: Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, producer, and editor. Regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Kurosawa directed 30 films]. After watching this movie I began to dream of the white judo keikogi. Sport clubs around the country were setting up judo sections and my Sambo coach did the same, and thus I began my journey in judo where, at just 19 years old, I reached the rank of 3rd Dan and Master of Sports of the USSR. However I also ended up with a severe back injury with the doctors verdict: You can do no more judo. You should avoid being thrown or falling on your back. But, as usual, I was full of energy and wouldnt take no for an answer or say farewell to my sporting career at just 19 years old! The first karate club was officially set up in Moscow in 1969, but it was still virtually unknown in the rest of the USSR, and certainly in Kiev nobody had any idea of such a thing as karate, and so I started my boxing career once again and in the course of one year I went from a novice to Master of Sports. However, once again I was thrown back by yet another bad injury while training for the Ukraine championship; I accidentally missed blocking a heavy blow from a sparring partner and, as a result, ended with a detached retina of the left eye. So I had to bid farewell to boxing! In 1971 I took the oath and commenced my compulsory military service in the Soviet Army where I continued my training in Sambo, as well as taking part in the Army Sambo championships. I also received a special training in combat Sambo, and this was when I first saw, and learnt, what karate was all about. My teacher was an Army officer who came across karate while serving in the Far East and his style bore quite a mysterious name to me at the time: Shotokan. In 1973 I was discharged from the Army and returned to Kiev to study at the Kiev State Institute of Physical Culture and to devote my life to the study of karate and the martial arts. ********************************* In Part 2, Yuriy chronicles his development with martial arts and karate when it was banned in the USSR, and how he formed an underground training club and qualified as an instructor and coach.... *********************************

Spring 2013 tough talk magazine7

Interview: Kirk Kunze

Interview: Kirk Kunze

called out to a suicide. It was the woman, she had shot herself between her breasts while on a mattress on the floor, and her ten year old daughter had found her. The life of junkies and dealers! TT: Did different drugs create specific challenges and personality traits among the users. KK: Yes! Methamphetamine use has become the scourge of the Mid-West US, and causes paranoia, loss of teeth, hair and a constant clawing at oneself. The health risks are astronomical! Also, someone under the influence of Meth can be awake for days, hallucinating, becoming insane fighters, and that poses a risk to both the police and the public. LSD can be absorbed through the skin which poses the obvious health concerns. And there is a relatively new phenomenon called excitable delirium.
[Editors note: Excited delirium is a condition that manifests as a combination of delirium, psychomotor agitation, anxiety, hallucinations, speech disturbances, disorientation, violent and bizarre behaviour, insensitivity to pain, elevated body temperature, and superhuman strength]

Tough Talks intrepid US reporter and writer Fred Kracke met up with Kirk Kunze, a true worrier who has spent his career with the Police Department of Omaha, Nebraska USA. He has spent time in Uniform Patrol, Auto Theft, Homicide and Narcotics. In this interview, Fred talks to Kirk about his time with the Narcotics Unit
TT: Kirk, please tell us where you grew up and what originally brought you to police work. KK: I grew up as a farm kid in rural Nebraska. I had always enjoyed wildlife and outdoor work and when I was a lad I ran across an advertisement in the local press for National Park Police, with the thought of once I was 21 years old, I could easily and quickly go on to a Government job! However I learned very quickly there was not going to be; ...Woosh... youre hired! I went on to a Community College where the colleges director made the idea of police work very inviting, so my thoughts of working for National Parks police fell away to joining the regular police. Looking back at my career now, Im glad I chose this profession! TT: How long was your academy training and what were its most challenging aspects for you? KK: Within Omaha State, the Nebraska Police Academy classroom training was seventeen weeks long. After the classroom, each recruit then rode with three different officers - called Field Training Officers - riding with each training officer six weeks which gave new recruits the experience of working in real life situations, and yet stay under the guidance of a training officer. The most challenging part for me was the criminal law classes and making certain the violation fits the law and the law fits the crime... so to speak! And another of the biggest challenge was learning to make quick decisions and reading peoples thoughts and reactions when at a dispatched call. TT: Was your move to Narcotics a natural progression of the job, or did you seek out the assignment? KK: I have always loved the dope world and there are some very fascinating people within that environment. And since I always had a passion for that world, I began to groom myself for a position with the Narcotics Unit. In the police force, a person makes himself known by his work, and whenever I had information that helped the Narcotics Unit, I would share it with them. Too many people want to keep things for their own standing at the expense of others, but this wasnt 8tough talk magazine Spring 2013 my way; I wanted the good of the whole and wasnt seeking my own glory. And I think this helped secure my place in the Narcotics Unit. TT: What type of training did you go through to get ready for the Narcotics Unit and undercover work? KK: Once assigned to a drug unit, most Narcotics Units send their people to the Drug Enforcement Administration for training. But, in my case I learned on my own, out on the streets, and before any formal training. For example, if I arrested someone for narcotics, Id ask them during the interview about amounts, cost, what was the high of a particular drug like and how long does it last etcetera. Gathering street level information is always rewarding as the people, the drugs and the terminology are always changing. Narcotics will never go away! TT: Did you immediately feel comfortable on the street; or did your confidence build with time? KK: I think I was comfortable more or less straight-away, but my confidence built over time. When dealing with people involved in narcotics, you have to keep in mind that the look of a drug buyer or seller can be almost anyone and anything! You can buy dope from a scruffy tough street hustler, to a person in a suit and tie. In my case I had the perfect look for the heroin and methamphetamine crowd! But I also had to adapt to fit in; for example, I do not smoke cigarettes but I had to in undercover work, or drive junk cars to use in buys so the bad guy figured I was just getting by. Im reminded of what the American actress of stage, film and television Cloris Leachman once told me while we were at dinner one evening; In acting one has to make oneself larger than life. And that is what undercover work is; acting. The obvious difference, of course, is that if a scene does not go well, there may not be an opportunity to shout CUT and ask for a re-take! It was a difficult environment learning things, for example; that no one deals with last names, and that people often do get hurt and die, and women are frequently used and abused, and money is much more than just currency. And I am amazed how people betray each other just for the sake of the rush. But I relish the work, performing. And in that odd way knowing that all could go very wrong at any moment, and yet going back and doing it again, and again! I got to know the dealers, their families and their dogs! I got to drink with them, eat their food and have their little kid bouncing on my knee, while all the time knowing that in a few days, or weeks, their life was all about to change! TT: Do you have a good story youd like to share from your time in the Narcotics Unit? KK: One that is printable, hmmmm....! One time I was making a buy in a ghetto house that sold black tar heroin.
[Editors note: Black tar heroin is a type of illicit opiate narcotic drug formed from the incomplete acetylation of morphine. Users who intravenously inject black tar heroin are at higher risk of venous sclerosis - a condition where the veins narrow and harden, making injection there nearly impossible - than users of powder heroin. Black tar heroin is produced in Latin America, and is most commonly found in the western and southern parts of the United States]

same football team or drinks at the same bar as you? Added to that; you are out with your friends or your family and you suddenly make eye contact with the person you had arrested or bought dope from. Plus you cannot get romantically involved with the people under investigation either, but it has happened to some officers - Prosecutors certainly do not like this surprise information coming to light, let alone your bosses finding out! Plus you have to be very careful with the narcotics you are handling and to this day I am amazed as to why cops have to touch, sniff, or feel the dope they find. There are horrid health risks with the chemicals involved in making this stuff. And so these are some of the real dangers to this kind of work; it is a very involved game which can be both treacherous and deadly. TT: What was the worst part of the job? KK: The only thing that immediately comes to mind is the injury or death of my men. In the job I have stood with Presidents, Senators and motion picture stars, and I have also been fighting for my own life. Over the years Ive watched dozens of people die when I tried so hard to save them. Ive found that blood is sticky and slick and a person can so easily loose their way in the heat of battle. Perhaps, the hundreds of car accidents, the violent crimes, the suicides, have all been excellent teachers because Ive seen a hundred autopsies yet I prefer the two open heart surgeries I was invited to attend and marvelled at the wonders of a live human being. One of the other bad parts of the job is delivering death notices, although Ive acquired much practice at it now; the knock at the door, the porch light comes on and the look on the faces knowing you are not bringing good news. Some will disagree with me, but Ive found it okay to hug a stranger good-bye after such events. There were many times at night on stakeout when the air was still and I felt as if the wilderness was listening. Many cops carry a small cross or St. Michaels medallion in their pockets for good luck, but I carry a short, rubber, elastic tourniquet in my pocket as a visual reminder I will do everything in my power to save someone. TT: What did you love most about Police work? KK: Most of all I love the crime scenes. Maybe its because I get to try and figure out what had occurred and to piece everything together. Some investigations were so baffling that the answers did not come until months or years for detectives. There were a few times I felt

ten feet tall, for example when a little kid got rescued. And it is a great feeling when people come to a uniformed officer for help with something. One night comes to mind when a man had gotten so enraged that he destroyed the house, terrorizing his three kids. When I arrived, the three kids leaped through the large, broken, front window and ran to me, clinging to me so tightly. I knew I wouldnt let anyone hurt them! It is easy for me to tell younger officers that the badge on their uniform is a representation of the shield the knights-of-old carried, and I still tell people that I slay dragons and rescue fair maidens for a living. Some will laugh at me but the job sinks in to the point that I believe it is an honourable profession. I protect people and yet I am not a servant. I have enjoyed the friendships of good, solid men and women in this profession. And, I have also known much sorrow.

*********************************

Fred Kracke: It was a real privilege to interview Mr. Kirk Kunze and to be reminded that there are still heroes left in this world. This should remind everyone that while the rest of the world sleeps there are honourable men and women like Kirk all over the world that risk it all so that we may have the privilege of a safe society.
*********************************

So what starts out as a suspect running, fighting and acting hysterical with police, can actually end up with his (or her) heart stopping leading to police having an incustody death. I have been present at three of these incidents, and autopsies revealed the chemicals in the body caused the resulting death. In poor or ghetto areas teenagers and older males are dipping cigarettes, marijuana and cigars into Formaldehyde! I do not know who dreamt that up, but the user becomes extremely violent. Also Peyote use is quite widespread now as well. Peyote, taken from a cactus, is a hallucinogen which is allowed on Indian Reservations for religious ceremonies. There are certainly some fascinating characters in the drug world, and although personally I will never understand why someone has the desire to stay stoned for days; I can accept it now. It is certainly a lifelong discipline trying to understand why people use illegal substances! TT: What are the dangers specific to undercover work? KK: Undercover work boils down to staying safe while purposely putting yourself in harms way. As I said before; you become an actor but for us, the scene or the lines can change at any time. Added to that you can factor in equipment failure, betrayal by informants, being set up by the bad guys simply to steal your money and worst of all; being found out that you arent who you say you are! Life in this environment can be very cheap indeed. Also, there is an odd type of danger in the undercover world for officers; getting too involved with the men and women you are after. It is possible that the folks that you are investigating can become your friends. What happens when the guy you are after likes the same kind of motorcycle or the

In spite of the huge amount of scarring on her arms, neck and legs from needle use, the male dealers partner was actually a very attractive forty five year old woman! It should be noted that heroin dealers are not your ordinary salesmen in the drug world - rarely could I stay and talk - so I was to get in and get out once the buy was made. The dealer did not like the fact the woman was becoming a little amorous with me, actually nor did I! And it was about to go very wrong with the three of us in that room. I had already pulled money out of my pocket to buy the tar heroin when he shouted something at her, and she suddenly turning into a maniacal demon, clawing and biting at him! As he fell, he slipped sideways across the couch-end, and then I had never heard such screams coming from a man. His white tee-shirt turned red with blood and pus! I did have a wire on and the other officers knew something horrible was happening and the cavalry arrived. Long story cut short; when he fell across the couch-end, the dealer had torn open several large boils on his back! He was taken to the hospital under guard, the heroin seized... and the attractive woman wanted my phone number! A year later I was

Spring 2013 tough talk magazine9

HOTSHOT
The Story of a Little Red Devil
As the blood rushed to my head and the busy hum of the traffic filled my ears, my brain went into hyperdrive, trying to think of a way to escape. I was 14 years old, deep in the heart of enemy territory and dangling above a busy motorway, shitting enough bricks to build a row of terraced housing. Just fucking stab me! I shouted. If youre going to do something, then fucking stab me! Although I wasnt too made up about the prospect of a blade in me, it beat getting thrown into the path of oncoming traffic. Where were all my boys? We had travelled into Denton for the specific purpose of kicking off with their mob. Everybody knew the score, so why had the rest of the Gorton lot gone off? Theyd left me to get killed. Give the Gorton gobshite a break, smirked one of the Denton lads. Hes had enough now; pull him back up. Theyd made their point. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief but, at the same time, felt humiliated that the rest of our mob hadnt stood. Gorton lads dont back down we should have done the cunts! You bunch of bastards! I shouted as I ran towards my mates, who were waiting at a nearby bus stop. Why didnt you stay and fight? You really left me in the shit! The boys looked at the floor, ashamed they hadnt stuck around. Never mind, I said. The bus is here now. Lets get off home. Theres nothing more we can do. Just as we were walking up the steps, a 40-strong mob of Denton came running out of a nearby boozer, looking to finish what theyd started. The driver cowered behind the steering wheel as a volley of bricks went smashing through the windows of his bus. Lets fucking have it! I shouted, readying myself for a second round of combat. This time there would be no running away. We were trapped inside the bus and had no other option but to stand and fight. Punches and kicks rained down on us as Denton swarmed the vehicle. They were all a good few years older and wanted to cement their victory. This was my chance to get revenge. Those Denton twats would pay for the way theyd treated me. By the time the police turned up to put a stop to it, the bus had been completely trashed. We were covered in cuts and bruises and I was still feeling dizzy as fuck from being hung upside down. But at least wed stood our ground this time. We were cheeky little fuckers whod rather take a kicking than back down. Those of you unfamiliar with Gortons teenage gangs are probably thinking, What did you have against the lads from Denton? And the answer would be nothing. We fought them purely to see who came out on top. They were from a different part of the city, which meant they were our enemies. Manchester was very territorial in those days. Every area had a gang attached to it and Gorton had one of the best firms going. We were known as Gorton the Business and we really were the fucking business. Gorton is an area of inner city Manchester that consists mainly of council housing. Its also the place that made me who I am, thanks in part to its long tradition of gang-related violence. The Gorton Beano Boys were one of the most notorious gangs in the city back when I was a kid. They wore black-and-red-striped tops like Dennis the Menace from The Beano, and were always up for a row. I was eight years old when I first came across this gang and I was immediately impressed. They didnt give a fuck who you were if you came to Gorton looking for

Chapter Extract: Hotshot

My Life as a Football Hooligan Leader

In the mid-1980s, a young man from a tough Manchester estate exploded onto the soccer hooligan scene. Known to all as Hotshot, he was addicted to terrace violence and wanted to follow in the footsteps of the older United hooligans. He put together a gang of his own, the Young Munichs, and led through years of organised looting and violence. This was the heyday of hooliganism. As the years went by, the hectic lifestyle took its toll and the days of wanton violence were replaced by a battle for survival. This tell-all features contributions from fellow hooligans
a fight, theyd be all too willing to oblige. I wanted to be just like them. They were hard, they were game and they were feared. What was not to like? My first experience of gang warfare came at ten years old, when I was involved in a run-in with the neighbouring estate. A lot of people think of Gorton as being strictly blue, because Citys team was founded by the daughter of a pastor at St Marks church in West Gorton. What theyre forgetting is that former Man Utd player Roger Byrne came from Gorton, by far the best player the area has produced. He was an England regular and our captain at the time the Busby Babes went down in the Munich Air Disaster. So Gorton is a historic location for both City and United, containing a mix of Reds and Blues. The Mount Estate, where I grew up, is mostly red but the next estate along is blue. This was a source of constant tension back when I was a kid, leading to countless battles with the bluenoses over their choice of team. Fighting with the Blues was a means of gaining respect. Okay, some people become involved in violence because theyve been mistreated by their parents, but that was never the case with me. I always got on well with my mam and stepdad. I fought to get a name, I fought to show how game I was but above all else, I fought because I had a genuine love of fighting. Nothing gets your blood flowing like steaming into a rival group of lads. It was a buzz-and-a-half and I enjoyed every single minute of it. We soon progressed from fighting the other gang in Gorton to fighting with the gangs in surrounding areas. We fought firms from Longsight, Hulme, Openshaw and Moss Side, which are some of the most dangerous parts of the city. Most people would have been terrified at the prospect of walking into those areas and looking for a fight, but we were as cheeky as they come. Nowhere was off limits; we were young but we were game. Spring 2013 tough talk magazine11

Chapter Extract: Hotshot

Gorton has had gangs ever since the late 1800s, when groups of young thugs known as scuttlers fought with youths from Ancoats, Salford, Openshaw and Miles Platting. The neighbouring area of Longsight was similarly gang-infested, according to this report for the Manchester Evening News in 1877: On Saturday nights it is quite dangerous for any person to come up or down New Bank Street, Longsight, on account of the rough lads who infest Gray Street and Red Bank Street with weapons. These weapons consisted of heavy metal belt buckles and steel-tipped clogs, which were similar to the steel-toecapped boots worn by bovver boys during the 1970s. If you went down and got kicked by somebody wearing them, youd have trouble getting up again. Fast-forward a century and the Longsight boys could still pull a hefty mob together at a minutes notice. They were known as the Inner Longsight Firm and their manor was just across the road from our estate, making them our biggest rivals. It was a racially mixed area and their firm contained both black and white lads. Half of them were City fans and the other half followed United, so they were mixed in every sense. One of our most memorable runins with the ILF took place when I was 13, on Crowcroft Park, the border between Longsight and Levenshulme. Both sides had equal numbers but our rivals were all tooled up with bats. I had no reservations whatsoever about fighting somebody who was armed strange as it might seem, I wasnt even scared. When I was that that age, my reputation was the most important thing in the world. It didnt matter how badly injured I got, just so long as I proved I was up for it. Come on, lets fuckin have it! I shouted as my fist connected with the nearest ILF members face. My mates and me soon got the upper hand. Nobody could fuck with Gorton! We had one of the top firms around and the Longsight lot didnt know what hit them. They got beaten black and blue before having it on their toes. ******** My friends and me got into so much trouble at school that we were eventually put on a programme called alternative curriculum, where we got to choose what subjects we were taught. It was an attempt to prevent the naughty kids from bunking off although it wasnt entirely successful, because sometimes wed sign our names on the attendance sheet, stay until wed had our dinner and then fuck off into Gorton. Still, Ive got to give them credit for trying. The teacher they assigned to us was one of the nicest women I have ever met. She was always giving us cuddles and showing affection, so we started to see her as being like a second mam to us. 12tough talk magazine Spring 2013 But, despite the teachers efforts to put us on the right path, getting up to mischief remained far more appealing than getting an education. It was little wonder the staff at our school wanted to keep us off the streets, as Gorton was full of vice and crime. It was also notorious for glue sniffing back then. I shared the odd tin with my mates every now and again, but was careful not to develop a habit. I wanted to make something of my life and becoming a baghead was never part of the plan. Coke was also just starting to do the rounds although, at 100 a gram, nobody could afford to do it very often. I had my first line at age 13. The Charlie back then was a lot purer than it is today; you didnt have to keep going back to the toilets every ten minutes to top up your buzz, because a single hit could last up to two hours. If Id had an infinite supply of money then Id doubtless have taken it all the time but I didnt, fortunately, so the amount I could use was limited. It was something that I would dabble in once in a blue moon rather than caning it 24/7. In 1986, heroin had hit the estate and the community in the Mount was never the same again. Until that point, smack had only ever been widely available in Moss Side, but when the police raided the dealers homes, as part of a crackdown on the Gooch and Doddington gangs, it started gradually spreading out across the inner city. Before we knew it, there was a dealer on every estate and Manchester was in the midst of a major epidemic. Along with drug abuse and violence, football was the main leisure activity for the kids on the estate. If you didnt turn up at the park on a Sunday for a kick around, youd get your head kicked in our passion for footy easily rivalled our passion for fighting. Whether we were playing a game or watching Man U at Old Trafford, we always put our heart and soul into every single match. The Gallagher twins [Martin and Robert] were constantly by my side. We went everywhere together and whenever she was unable to find them, their mam would say, Wheres Martin, Robert and Hotshot? I bet theyre down the fucking football, causing trouble again. Ill cause trouble for them when they get home! I was ten years old when I first went to Old Trafford. United were playing Coventry and I was bristling with excitement all the way to the ground. It was finally time to see my heroes in the flesh. The older lads continuously plied me with beer throughout the game. Somebody would order ten pints from the barman, pass them back to the rest of us and then fuck off into the crowd without paying. To pay is to fail thats Uniteds motto. If you can get something for nothing, why part with your cash? I carried on going to the games with a pair of brothers from my estate, Desi and Ricko Flannigan, and soon learnt various different ways of getting things for free.

Chapter Extract: Hotshot

HOTSHOT - The Story of a Little Red Devil. My Life as a Football Hooligan Leader was published on the 1st March 2013 by Milo Books. ISBN: 978-1908479419. RRP: 7.99

At age 12, my two main interests of fighting and football came together when I witnessed my first row at a match. I was coming out of the stadium after an FA Cup quarterfinal game against the Hammers when 70 of Uniteds older lads started going at it with some of West Hams Inter City Firm. The history of hostility between United and West Ham goes all the way back to 1967, when we won the league and took over Upton Park. They have hated us ever since and I was unfortunate enough to get caught up in the feud. The ICF had a formidable reputation at the time and had been causing havoc all over the country. Martin and me were determined that they wouldnt add Manchester to their collection of scalps. We ran across to help our older lads and, before we knew it, we were scrapping away with fully-grown blokes. Wed unwittingly wandered into the middle of the action and would have probably been hit by mistake anyway, if we hadnt joined in. Besides, it was the perfect opportunity to prove our dedication to our team. The action continued all the way up Warwick Road to Manchester city centre. I got put on my arse three times in a row. The third time I went down, I decided not to get back up. Punches and kicks were raining down on me left, right and centre. I figured that the best thing to do would be to curl up in a ball until the situation had calmed down. I was praying that Id eventually be able to get back on my feet without somebody putting the boot into my head, sending me sprawling across the floor. Luckily, the Old Bill got a grip of me before I was too badly hurt and hauled me off the ground. It was the first time Id been in trouble with the police at a game, but it

certainly wouldnt be the last. Back in those days though, the Dibble wouldnt bother nicking you. Theyd give you a couple of digs and send you on your way, which beat getting a charge sheet any day of the week. United went on to do West Ham, and we went out and got completely off our heads to celebrate. Not only was it a resounding victory for our firm, it was also a major result for our team. Back in those days United rarely won the League, or did particularly well in Europe, so getting through to the semis was a proper big thing. Wed done ourselves proud both on and off the pitch. As luck would have it, a film crew had been present during our battle with the Hammers and our performance was immortalised in a Thames TV documentary called Hooligans. The programme showed an ICF top boy screaming for the rest of his firm to stand as they ran off down the street, fearing for their lives. It was as funny as fuck! Now that wed successfully turned over the dreaded ICF, it was time to test our mettle against the Scousers in the semi-final. Although Everton were by far the best of the Merseyside firms, their neighbours across the park were no walkover. Liverpool had a reputation for using blades and Id heard they were a naughty firm to have it with. They eventually lost the respect of a lot of other mobs because of their excessive use of knives, but, irrespective of their standing amongst fellow thugs, they definitely had a tasty little mob. There has always been a big rivalry between Mancs and Scousers. The Mickeys would like to claim that they invented the casual scene, but its contentious as to who discovered the style first. In the early

1970s, most of the English fans that went abroad were bad pissheads, more concerned with drinking than they were with stealing designer clothing. The only supporters that came back with foreign clobber were the Scouse pickpocket gangs, and these were regarded by a lot of people as the first wave of football casuals. However, in 1977 Perry boys came into existence in Manchester. They dressed in drainpipes, Levis, Stan Smiths and Fred Perry tops, and had flick hairstyles. Some would argue that they were the precursors to the casuals, although we didnt start stealing foreign gear until later on that year. The fact that we both claimed to be the prestigious birthplace of casual culture was one of many factors that fuelled our rivalry. The other thing the Scousers didnt like about us was our battles with the blueconks. Everton and Liverpool were on fairly good terms with one another, and I think they were always slightly envious of the intensity of the hatred between the two Mancunian firms. The jealousy that the Mickeys harboured towards us, coupled with the closeness of our two cities, meant that blood was spilled whenever our two teams played. Our semi-final game was shaping up to be just as fearsome as our previous run-ins with these cunts. We were going to show those dirty Scouse scabs a thing or two. We were going to fucking leather em and send em home bleeding all over their fancy foreign clothes!

Spring 2013 tough talk magazine13

Tough Talk caught up with Gary Alexander who started training in the mid 1950s with the US Marine Corps advanced hand-to-hand combat training and now, with well over 50 years experience and hundreds of fights undefeated, with 10th Dan in many styles, Gary is one of the most advanced martial art and close quarter combat specialists in the world.
TT: When did you first start training and why? GA: I first started training in late 1955, when I was very young at Military Boot Camp, and then when I joined the US Marine Corps... and have not stopped learning since! In the Corps we all had to learn their hand-to-hand combat systems, both in order to be able to survive armed and unarmed close combat scenarios, as well as giving us well-rounded skills for land, sea, air operations, range weaponry and marksmanship. I was primarily Head of Fire Direction Control (FDC) for a squad of 81 MM Mortars with Weapons 1/9/3 Fleet Marine Force, Asian theatre. We were good at what we did - very accurate! Back in those days, the hand-to-hand combat in the military (USMC) consisted mostly of judo and Jujitsu with atemi-waza
[Editors note: Atemi is constructed of the words ate, which means strike or blow, and mi, which means body. Thus atemi-waza are techniques with which you strike the body]

/ Jujitsu methods. And so many Marines stationed close to Okinawa island and Japan trained with the local Sensei. But for those of us, like me, that were always at sea, we never had much time to get to the Sensei and so we would seek out other Marines that had and train with them on-board and in between our Special Projects. TT: What happened to your training once you returned to the US? GA: After serving a six year tour in Asia, I returned home with the US Marines and was very fortunate to be geographically based in Jersey City, New Jersey, an area that had become a central training point for US Marines from all over the US. And there I met up with Don Nagle, a Marine who had spent much of his tour off duty in Okinawa; while we were sailing around the Pacific on our tactical floats, looking for - or making trouble! Anyway, Don had trained and made a name for himself in Okinawa and trained under the Isshin-Ry Grand Master Tatsuo Shimabuku.

[Editors note: Isshin-Ryu is a style of Okinawan karate founded by Tatsuo Shimabuku and named by him on 15 January 1956. Isshin-Ry karate is largely a synthesis of Shorin-ry karate, Goj-ry karate, and kobud. The name means literally, one heart way]

Don drew many US Marines back to Jersey City to train with him and it was the perfectstorm environment for training hardcore mil-spec level no holds barred contact karate / judo fighting. Few civilians would join us or have the stomach for the contact that was standard procedure in the dojo; blood, bandages and broken bones - a daily way of life! I credit that environment and my US Marine comrades for their fighting spirit and willingness to go to the line, and train in a manner that many of todays modern martial artists would have never believed had actually taken place. In our dojo, if you wanted to be a fighter...YOU FIGHT! TT: How long were you training with Don? GA: I spent approximately eight years directly training and working with Don Nagle and Isshin-ry Karate Systems. During this time I became known as Isshin-rys fighter and Spring 2013 tough talk magazine15

Karate had not yet surfaced, but when it did, it was an intriguing idea for many Marines who wanted more than the traditional judo

Interview: Gary Alexander

firmly put the system into the public light by winning the very first karate championships ever held in the Western Hemisphere the Mas Oyamas North American Karate Championships at Madison Square Garden, New York, in 1962, and the Mas Tsuruokas First Canadian Karate Championships in Toronto, Canada. All bare fisted, knock out and full contact. I was heralded by the press as the first international karate champion ever recorded! I also started producing the first annual Contact Karate Championships in America - arguably the worlds first which is now in its 50th year. TT: Did you have a goal to eventually compete when you first started martial art training? GA: No, I did not get into the martial arts to be a tournament champion or professional competitor; I originally got into it in order to become a better Marine and to be skilled at hand-to-hand combat. A survivor! I only fought in these events in order to place Isshin-ry karate on the martial arts map, by beating all the others by knockouts and physical damage! I was written up in Black Belt Magazine as Graceful as a Ballet Dancer, and Deadly as a Rattle Snake. and was heralded as the very first bare fisted fullcontact karate champion in North America and Canada and first international champion ever! I had proved my point: Mission Accomplished! At that time I did not need any further accolades outside of surviving against the numerous challengers I had away from the limelight; wise guy black belts thinking 16tough talk magazine Spring 2013

they had something to prove, the occasional bad guys and other physical altercations that cropped up in day-to-day life, both against singular and multiple attackers, armed and unarmed. In 1974 I was in Black Belt magazines Hall of Fame and in Karate International magazines Hall of Fame in 1989, and after 50 years and hundreds of fights, to this day I still remained unbeaten and undefeated!

against many styles and developed a - lets say - respected reputation for this. I am not style oriented though, as there are various methods of delivery, and just so many punches, kicks, blocks, grabs, trips, throws, etcetera you can learn. So lets say I am weapon oriented; I am primarily a stand-up fighter with a one-hit, one-kill mentality. It has worked for me and in those earlier days it was purely a matter of answering any challengers that would enter my school or at my seminars. Most did not come back! I also travelled extensively around the US visiting martial art and fighting schools that needed to instil some respect amongst its students. I am not a vigilante but I will get involved if I see people abused or attacked, or if I am abused or attacked and I believe all of these physical challenges and personal wars - if you will have served to build upon my experiences. If you want respect, you have to earn it! TT: And finally Gary, do you miss the Marines? GA: The Marine Corp was the finest education I could have ever received, and it has sparked, contributed to, and enhanced my chosen Way of Life! I have been out of the Marine Corps for many years now, but the Marine Corps has never been out of me! I have used Boot Camp and Drill Instructor mentality in my schools, in my fighting, and in my dealings ever since and have taught self-defense and martial arts to military and law enforcement, professional fighters, other martial art instructors, as well as to thousands of men, women and children. The name of my fighting team is Devil Dogs!

*********************************** Gary Alexander is the founder of the International Association of Martial Arts. You can contact Gary by telephone on + 1 732 906 0165 or via email: garyalex2@verizon.net ***********************************

TT: Did you enjoy testing yourself and your abilities? GA: Absolutely! I have always believed in testing myself physically, and test the skills I had developed in the karate martial art, and consequently I did a lot of fighting

Interview: Ian Quigley

Interview: Ian Quigley

Combat specialist, owner of Powerbeck gym and nutrition centre, and trains with the Atherton Submission Wrestling club
I first started training in the art of boxing at the very early age of just 11 and, unlike most kids, I had no parental persuasion to start the sport; I just had a massive burning desire to never be a victim. It was as simple as that! I can remember the reason like it was yesterday! I was naturally small, had just started high-school and, although Id never been bullied, the thought of being helpless frightened me. And so, I on my own, I entered my first gym and started boxing. I quickly realised that the better I was at fighting and the more my mates knew this, the less fighting I would have to do! This was proven just three months later. I had been training solo three times a week and after my first spar my coach Sam said I could start to fight when, out-of-the-blue, the gyms young cock of the year turned up with his friends and we were both set to spar straight away! I instantly left-hooked him into quitting, and that was the beginning of both great friendship with him, and a reputation, which meant that all through my school years I rarely needed to fight again! This demonstrated that if I learnt how to fight, I would never actually have to. I boxed all through my school years, however, although I was certainly stronger and fitter than many of my peers, I still had a massive problem with my short, skinny frame. So at the age of just 13, I started lifting weights and became quite obsessive with it; winning many UK junior bodybuilding titles. I would never skip my weight-training sessions and became very self-disciplined, which I think was the foundation and the reason that I have gone onto achieve what I have today, both with my businesses and in my personal life. A total dedication in everything I have done has led me to the amazing life I have today. In 1999 I met my very first real mentor Tom Blackledge, an English mixed martial artist, Cage Rage veteran and a coach on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights. We met, we trained together, we became good friends, he beat me up and thats just about what it was like for the next four years! I was training twice a day, still living at home and had no bills, no children, no responsibilities 18tough talk magazine Spring 2013 to consider, and I remember those days being some of the most memorable of my life. During that time I met many brilliant athletes and fighters, including Scot Mitchel, now a respected professional heavyweight boxer and skilled Thai boxer, who also had his first MMA cage fight in June 2011 and managed to stop his opponent in just ten seconds of the first round! For the following few years my training became so deep and instinctive; to go to the gym every day to train, or to spar or wrestle, was more a subconscious act. This later developed into the perfect business for me; taking over the gym, and the MMA and sports nutrition business Powerbeck, now one of the the best places in the UK to train and one of biggest sports nutrition companies. And just when I thought my life and training could not get any better, the Atherton Submission Wrestling (ASW) coach and team wanted to move into Powerbeck! I already knew Daren Morris, the ASW wrestling and grappling coach and trainer, and knew that the club was a proper rough-neck wrestling based MMA club, with many of their students being some of the most respected hard men in the area, including Rob The Bear Broughton, mixed martial artist and former Cage Rage British heavyweight champion; Paul Boom Boom Cahoon, mixed martial artist who had fought for numerous promotions, most notably Cage Rage and Sengoku; Mike Wilkinson, undefeated UFC fighter; and Chris Hoban, pro MMA fighter and UCC European lightweight champion. Training with Daren Morris and these guys reminded me of my first few months training with Tom Blackledge; the feeling of not just being beat, but being taunted and tricked into my own submissions! It was a tough pill to swallow but, wow, were these the people to train with or what!? And up to today I am proud to say that Tom Blacklegde, MMA and ASW still train under the roof of Powerbeck! The ASW was originally founded by Jack Mountford, who is now 73 years old, but first started training when he was just 14, after picking up a book in the local library called My Method of Judo by M. Kawaishi and translated by EJ Harrison. Shortly after reading it, Jack got into a confrontation with the school bully which resulted in him throwing the bully to the floor. From then on Jack fell in love with the sport! Back then judo and wrestling were two separate sports, and were kept separate by the traditionalists, and so because of Jacks love for the submission, as well as his love for both judo and wrestling, at just 16 years old Jack started the Bolton Wrestling Club, specialising in his own system. This was initially based at an old, dilapidated house with straw on the floor and an old wagoncover to keep the rain out! And so the ASW was formed and over time its reputation grew and fighters travelled from as far as Europe to train with Jack and his team. This is when Jack believes the MMA was first born. Jack is proud to have now passed on the coaching to Daren and feels that under Daren Morris the ASW has evolved even more, but he is still around to offer his expertise and wisdom and still out-trains many men half his age! Our training sessions are all based on submission wrestling from the traditional Wigan style catch wrestling, where we would specialise in simply taking people to the ground and keeping them there until submission. We would be drilled in these routines non-stop for a full two hours, time and time again, up and down the mat until they became so deeply etched in our brains and subconscious that even under extreme exhaustion our techniques could still be pulled off perfectly. Coach Daren regularly tested his students and a favourite ASW technique of his is to do twenty-five press ups, twenty-five squats, twenty-five sit ups and twenty-five leg raise... twenty-five times! And then, when completely exhausted, he would then test their take down techniques. Another ASW favourite is nick-named Shark Tank, when the student is in the cage fullsparring for a five minute round with just 30 seconds break, and then a fresh sparring partner for another five minute round, then a 30 seconds break and another fresh partner etc... for six rounds or a total of 30 minutes solid hard sparring with just a three

Over the years many fighters have come and gone because of one simple fact; our training is too hard for the average fighter! But what makes my story different from the many other fighters out there is that I dont just train for an up and coming fight or competition, but I train hard like this every single day. Why? Because quite simply, I love it and there is no other place Id rather be than on a mat with my ASW brothers!

********************************* Contact Ian and Atherton Submission Wrestling (ASW) Facebook: http://facebook.com/ian.quigley1 Tel: + 44 (0) 1942 269677 *********************************

Over the years many fighters have come and gone because of one simple fact; our training is too hard for the average fighter!
Spring 2013 tough talk magazine19

minutes recovery. When you have finished this successfully while still maintaining good technique for the last rounds, only then will you earn the right to fight for ASW!

My life is now one of perfection. I go to work at 9 am, plan my day, arrange my staff and then at 10 am until 12.30 pm train with ASW next door in the fight-room. And then I continue with my daily work schedule. How lucky am I?

Interview: Lee Morrison

in Japans professional wrestling circuit of the 1970s], and Greco-Roman wrestling. But I realised that boxing and Thai boxing had the most to offer me in those early days. TT: What grades did you achieve and in what styles? LM: I always feel a bit cringey when talking about such things, as grades really mean nothing to me, but they are useful as a yardstick to progress, I guess, and so yes; I became graded to second Dan in Shotokan and first Dan in judo, also black sash in Wing Chun. Years later I became an Instructor in both the British Combat Association (BCA), and the Self Defence Federation (SDF), also a Combatives Instructor under ex-US Marine Corp. hand-to-hand combat instructor Charlie Nelson, as well as with Dennis Martin, whom my good friend Geoff Thompson once said was; ...the most credible instructor of real self-defence in the world today. TT: Tell me a bit more about your background and who influenced you at the time? LM: As well as my martial art training, at twenty-one years old I started strength training too, and over the following ten years became a competitive strength athlete. During this time I also started working the doors and quickly learnt what worked and what didnt work when it came to using my martial art skills on the street. Sometime later the reality based self-defense (RBSD) scene emerged with Geoff Thompson, who was to become a great influence for me, and a good friend. With reality based self-defense, I started to realise that this was much more about controlling adrenaline and emotion than simply collecting techniques or skills as with TMA. RBSD was also all about being first and using significant impact to disable, and on the doors I had plenty of opportunity to test and confirm these principles. So I decided to look for a more combative approach to my training. As a kid though, I remember reading and being inspired by a UK magazine called Fighting Arts, which covered a variety of TMAs, as well as other stuff including a regular section by Dennis Martin who back then was a Shotokan karate-ka, and is now a leading UK combative instructor. Hed write about things including WW2 Combatives and Defendu, a combat system developed by Fairbairn and Sykes [Editors note: William E. Fairbairn and Eric A. Sykes Defendu was based on practical experience mixed with jujitsu and boxing and was taught to Special Operations Executive members during World War II] Even way back then, I found these styles extremely interesting. Eventually I found my first combatives instructor in the late, great Pete Robins - who had genuine lineage back to Fairbairn - and then got to train with, and later become a first generation instructor under Dennis Martin. TT: What was it like working the doors? And how did it relate to your martial arts and combat training? LM: Working the doors taught me many things! Firstly it taught me a lot about body language and misdirection and deception, and how to read these things in other people. It also taught me how develop good communication skills and how to read precursors to violence. I wanted to learn how to control my emotions under the dynamics of fight stress, how to develop more selfcontrol and to forge my character, and the doors certainly helped me do that! The doors was much like a training laboratory insofar as it provided me with an environment where what I had learnt in martial arts had to be simplified if it was to stand any chance of working in real-time, and in a completely non-compliant environment. All violent confrontations begin and end in your head and that your mind-set, mentality and prefight perspective is everything! Working on the doors also taught me the simple lesson of how; less is more, and that under stress, the more possible options you collect the more time youre wasting in trying to make the right decision during a time when your

Interview: Lee Morrison

cognitive brain is on its way to shutting down anyway! And then you simply cant think rationally or react effectively any longer. I realised very quickly that even though the rules of engagement in the dojo were different from the street, the commonality of the need to develop a small gross-motor toolbox of skills and techniques which were mentality driven and adaptable to a variety of events, was extremely important for positive and effective outcomes. TT: Have you travelled and trained much? If so where? LM: Ive trained and taught all over Europe, as well as in the US, Moscow, Siberia, South Africa and Australia. I love travelling and networking with others and building Urban Combatives. One of my most memorable events was in Novosirbirsk, Siberia, going to a Russian Banya [sauna] and getting the shit beat out of me with branches of a tree, but it felt great after! I have trained all over the world with many great people and just loved to train and mix it under pressure! TT: How did Urban Combatives start? LM: In two ways really. Firstly I had always cross-trained and have good attributes in mixing styles and skills, and the guys I both worked and trained with, saw this in me and encouraged me to start teaching; initially by presenting modules on seminars and then eventually being given the chance to instruct on my own and before I knew it my profile and reputation started to develop. And secondly, at that time, I couldnt find a regular club to train with which had everything I wanted! So I got a bunch of like-minded guys together, we hired a hall and would just train! We trained hard - and sometimes dangerously - in our own animal type stuff! It certainly was not for everyone but there were enough of us for a small club. Once I decided to go in this direction, Geoff Thompson and another combat specialist and good friend Dave Turton were a big help, as were many others! Based on the conclusions of what we were doing as a club, and along with the experience I was getting on the doors and on the street, I then developed a more formal, structured curriculum. And that was the beginning! It took me a few years to really realise that; hey I can do this! but I had finally found my vocation in life and I am now on the International circuit doing it full time and Urban Combatives is going from strength to strength. TT: Thanks so much Lee, brilliant stuff, and I look forward to taking you down on the mat one day soon... or err perhaps not!!

Tough Talk caught up with Lee Morrison, close quarter combat specialist and founder of Urban Combatives; a no holds barred street system of self-defense. We chatted about his life, the road he took in combat and martial arts training, his mentors and how working the doors led to the development of his Urban Combatives.
TT: When did you first start training and why? LM: I saw a Bruce Lee movie when I was young, back in the early 80s, and thought that learning a martial art would be an extremely cool thing to do! So I joined a traditional karate club, starting with Wado Ryu, then Shotokan, and finally Kyokushinkai which, actually, was all that was around back then. It was also, in part, an attempt to try and focus my energy; I was a rebellious teenager growing up in quite a rough part of south east 20 tough talk magazine Spring 2013 London and learnt that people only treated you the way you let them. I experienced bullying at school and domestic violence at home, I was moved around from pillar to post, went to many different schools and lived in many different places. I never really knew the security of growing up in a loving, stable home and was therefore somewhat a product of my upbringing; I got into a lot of fights and had quite a fiery attitude! And so I guess, martial arts were a way to channel some of that energy. TT: What styles have you trained in since? LM: My early training was primarily traditional Japanese martial arts at first, starting with the several styles of karate as mentioned, and then judo and some Aikido, but over the following two decades I have studied and trained in most things; from Western Boxing to Chinese, aFilipino and Indonesian methods, along with some other Western martial arts and combat methods such as shoot wrestling [Editors note: shoot wrestling is a combat sport that has its origins

Contact Lee Morrison and Urban Combatives: Email: lee@urbancombatives.com Facebook: Urban Combatives group Website: www.urbancombatives.com

Spring 2013 tough talk magazine21

A Brief
On The

History Origins
Of The
by
just like their ancient counterparts, bouncers were still being recruited from the lower elements of society. Ex-cons, gun-fighters, pugilists, gamblers and bar-room brawlers, which of course all makes perfect sense; who else would be able to deal with the murders, thieves and violent drunken men but their own kind? And the tougher, the better.

Bill Carson
that the patrons paid up. If we now move on to the 1920s and 30s, many bouncers were associated with, and recruited from, the underworld. And even some famous gangsters started their careers as bouncers. Al (Scarface) Capone being the most famous/infamous of them all, was in fact a bouncer in his early days, and while working as a bouncer he acquired two scars on his face after an altercation with a punter. So bouncers in the old days were a very much feared and respected sect, and rightly so. We will now shoot forward to England during the 1960s and 70s, and take a look at London specifically. From what I have gathered most of the bouncers back then were still mainly ensconced within the shady realm of the underworld, and hired by real gangsters, and so a certain type of person was sourced; when they were not robbing trains or banks and killing each other they were employed as bouncers at the clubs run by the underworld. For example, the Kray twins and the Richardson brothers ran London at that time, and London was basically divided in two and stayed that way for many years. Back then there was much rivalry and the guys on the doors always felt that it was necessary to carry an equalizer, which would usually take the form of a clumping tool of some description, and there was always a prerequisite to have a firearm readily to hand too, which would have been hidden in some discrete cupboard or behind a curtain somewhere close to the door. The consensus was that it was just viewed as a necessary part of that dangerous line of business in those days. I took up this somewhat ignoble profession back in the early nineties, and at first it was just purely out of necessity in order to gain a little extra cash, but I kind of got sucked into it and stayed for longer than I should have done. Many of my colleagues at that time seemed to be recruited from the ranks of ex-boxers, ex-cons and martial artists, or just your good old-fashioned, bogstandard street fighter. When I worked on the doors I always stood up to be counted and my brethren and I had adopted a zero tolerance attitude, which would often get us into difficulties with the fraternity of the local hard men, and therefore we would inevitably fall foul off them and would be forced into fist fights to implement our policies and get our message across. Sometimes I was on my own out there and, with nothing or no one else to count on, I would often feel incredibly vulnerable; to know that you had a serious backup plan was reassuring, and to me entirely necessary. It was (and still is) total fantasy to believe otherwise, and back in that day many bouncers at one time

Bill Carson

or another would carry something with them in case of attack and to even up the odds. However many bouncers that I have encountered have carried weapons with them out of the fear of retribution, which is totally logical as you would without a shadow of a doubt, acquire a few enemies in this game and so it was all just part and parcel of the shady world of the unlicensed tough-guy bouncer of yesteryear. In the way that I approached this occupation back then, by todays standards I would be branded as oldschool; my way of acting or thinking would not be permitted in any way, shape or form, and would be totally alien in the modern era of door supervision. Today its different out there and the bouncer/door host/door supervisor in the modern era is licensed, and the industry has been sanitised and cleansed of the mind-set and image of the big burly, shaven headed, scar-faced, broken-nosed, cauliflower-eared, knuckle dragging troglodyte, Cro-Magnon type. And in doing so, the deterrent factor has now been greatly diminished. Today, we have a new breed of young fresh-faced men and woman who are all indoctrinated with the meek and mild-mannered approach, and are taught how to counter aggression by using passive conflict management techniques and who are also, by law, made to display their real names on ID cards shown on arm bands for all to see! When I worked the doors our identities were always a closely guarded secret and for reasons of self-protection, my compatriots and I permanently worked under pseudonyms - which was ultimately the name of the game back then. Currently though, from what I see on TV and read in the newspapers, the job is just as dangerous as it ever was and, compared to the past, is probably more challenging due to the restrictions that are now in place. In my day you had a good chance of getting away with clumping your way out of trouble, which I quite often had to do! For those of you who choose to work the doors in the modern era, I salute you! I say that simply because, if you have not done this job before, you have absolutely no idea of how problematic and tense it can get sometimes. And so, if you are considering embarking on a career as a door supervisor, then I say this; dont believe the hype about this type of work, it is not a glamorous or a praiseworthy profession. Nobody really gives a damn about you, except for the people that you are working with, and thats only because of its symbiotic relationship; they rely on you and vice versa. However sadly, as I have learned from personal experience, even the people that you are working with can let you down sometimes, and when that happens it can all end with terrible consequences, as it did one night for a good friend of mine. Lets face it;

this is a dangerous occupation, plain and simple. The way I worked was to treat people the way I would like to be treated myself, and I really did try and keep the scum-bags, bullies and drug dealers away from the ordinary punter. If you think along those lines you will not go far wrong, but you cant allow yourself to switch off and let your guard down, and assume that the people/punters are as nice and as pleasant as you may think they are; the old saying: Familiarity breeds contempt is very fitting for this line of work. The truth is there are a lot of extremely nasty, psychotic, cowardly bastards out there and some of them would think nothing of stabbing you or putting a bullet into you on the crazy premise of the often misused term disrespect. And to all those who think that way I say this; respect is something that has to be earned and cannot be given and to kill or maim someone on the flimsy notion that you have been disrespected shows that you are a psychopath and probably a coward as well. It was that great character and the King of the Bouncers, the late Lenny Mclean, who once said; many doorman of today are just posers and they dont know how to rough up a punter. Who am I to argue? But I know what he meant by it. The point is they are not able to do so nowadays as they would be arrested on the spot, and also because the approach/tactics and indoctrination of the modern doorman is now completely different and has distanced itself from the ancients and the old-school ways, and thats the way it is nowadays.

Bill Carson

he history and origins of bouncers, or gatekeepers as they were known in ancient times, goes way back. Its not the oldest profession, but it is certainly one of them. Through my research I have found that we can trace the origins of this occupation back to even before the ancient Greeks, and the guardians of doorways are even mentioned in the Old Testament. The duties of these ancient guardians were to protect the many temples from theft and to eject any undesirables; these gate/door keepers were used as a visible threat to any would-be trouble makers. The importance of the doorman as a person allowing - or not allowing - entry is found in a number of plays and stories throughout the centuries. There is even a mention that doormen were said to be used as guardians to the gates of the underworld in one Greek myth, and in Roman times, noble and less noble households employed what were called an Ostiarius which translated means doorkeeper, who were employed to guard the entrances of the wealthy, and disreputable dens of iniquity, and had the power to eject troublemakers. In the Old Testament it mentions that the Levitical temple had a number of doorkeepers on duty to keep individuals out of sacred areas, and to protect the temple from thieves. Another mention of a man guarding a doorway is in a play called Bacchides, which was written in about 200 BC by the Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus. He writes of a large and powerful doorman as a threat to get an unwanted visitor to leave. If we now quickly push forward the lever on our time machine and zoom to the eighteenth century, we find that the function of the bouncer is still pretty much the same; the modus operandi hasnt altered much over the past couple of thousand years and the modern doormans function has changed little from their ancient counterparts. And,

In the Wild West of the 1880s for example, bouncers were primarily employed to look after the saloons and brothels, and the girls who worked in them - the prostitutes - in turn saw themselves as a higher class of sex worker and were therefore able to charge a slightly higher rate due to their salubrious surroundings and because of their minders who guaranteed

Sometimes I was on my own out there and, with nothing or no one else to count on

Bill Carson is a martial arts expert and was one of the most well-known doormen in the UK at the time. He started his martial arts training in the mid 70s, when he attended a small Kyokushinkai karate club based in Chiswick, London. For many years he also trained under Sensei Frank Perry, 7th Dan Kyoshi Sensei, who worked with some of the first Japanese Budo and karate exponents who came to Britain. Back in 2005 Bill wrote his fist book Show No Fear, A Bouncers Diary recalling many of his experiences working the doors. Bill has retired from the profession, and is now concentrating on his writing.

Contact details:
www.billcarsonbooks.com Twitter: billcarsonbooks

22tough talk magazine Spring 2013

Spring 2013 tough talk magazine23

Chapter Extract: Charlie Bronson

Chapter Extract: Charlie Bronson

thats why I am what I am. What else can I be? What would you be after so long behind a door I wonder? A reputation can bury a man. It begins with the Jesse James Syndrome; the fastest gun in the West, or the fastest fist. Some young con waiting to knock out the old con, the old has-been. Thats what happens but its disrespectful to the old chap! Its the same as the old boxers in the ring; they went onto fight one too many. Its sad to witness such a beating, its not nice. Its cold, cruel and insane, however you look at it! Some young cons probably dream of taking me out. Thats why I salute all the doorman, bodyguards and heavies, coz theyre all the same, from the same firm. Solid, staunch and fearless. All have had to earn their respect and so many have ended up in jail, many over just doing their job, where they may of hit some prat a little too hard. Theyre soldiers, thats what they are. Fighting men in suits and shades. Inside we become a bit like social workers; sorting out everyday problems. A bit of collecting needs to be done, stop a bit of bullying, have a word here and there, sort this out, sort that out. Theres not enough hours in the day, its endless. On top of that you cant miss out on your workouts. A man must keep fit and strong (especially inside). The old jails were the best for a bit of bizz. The Scrubbs, Wandsworth, Walton, Winson Green, Durham, Leicester, Strangeways, Parkhurst, Hull. Those were the places where real cons earned respect. Proper jail birds. When porridge was porridge and cockroaches were cockroaches. Lovely memories! Treasured!

e ts very difficult to explain th massive changes to the world de. after spending untold years insi

t just blows your brain away. It really is another world thats moved on without you. Time stops dead from the day you enter, and you walk out thinking , hoping it would be the same. When I walked out after my first long stretch, I served fourteen years, thirteen years of that in solitary in punishment blocks up and down the country, the things I saw disgusted me; sadly the drug era had taken over our streets and out went all the morals and self-worth. Even some of my old buddies had lost their sparkle and self-respect. They looked sad and empty and sick of life. I was fourteen years older, wiser and fresh as a daisy. At thirty five years of age I felt like nineteen. I was fit and strong and ready for anything. It was through Reggie Kray I went into the prize fight game, and his old mate Paul Edmonds became my promoter. My first fight was at Bow, East London. All the chaps turned up; it was a villains paradise. Even Charlie Kray turned up and gave me his brothers best wishes. Thats when Bronson was born! The rest is history; in sixty-nine days of freedom I had four fights, three with men, one with a dog. I could not lose unless they shot me. Sadly nothing lasts, good or bad, and my freedom run ended as fast as it started. But, in the two months of freedom I also done my bit on a few doors and again I was shocked at what I saw. The world had truly gone mad. I had never seen so many lost souls with dead eyes. Young guys with haggard features, pale skin with bulging eyes, snorting all sorts of shit up their noses. They even smelt of stale sweat, or was it piss ? The young lads had no real buzz in them, no flare, no charisma; scruffy looking sods. My club life was not like this. It was so different. We didnt need drugs to have a good night out. I felt a deep loneness come over me, like I did not belong, like it wasnt me, I never fit in. Even some of the doormen were sniffing a bit up their nose and acting like schoolgirls giggling. This wasnt my scene any more, I really lost interest. Sure, there has always been drugs in clubs, but not like it was now. Those few weeks I worked the door I just never felt right. I never even trusted my fellow bouncers. To put it bluntly, they were a liability. A total disgrace to the trade and an insult to every decent doorman in the UK. Thats how it effected me. I couldnt do my job like I used to be able to. There was no respect. How can a guy run the

security when he cant even trust or count on the guys he works with ? Its impossible. A man needs to be in control of a situation. He has to know whose who and what action needs to be taken when needed. How do you do that when you are coked up to the eyeballs? I really was lost in time, it just was not me. If you live in a farm you smell of shit; it was time I left it all behind. So I moved on to a spot of minding and collecting. One guy I looked after was a serious jeweller who done a lot of bizz up north. So we made a weekend of it. I enjoyed that sort of job as I was in full control. I could weigh it all up; who was who, how safe it was, when to move, when to stop. And it pays well. Im just a natural minder. I can smell a rat a mile off. I can spot it coming, the way somebody looks at a watch or a chain or briefcase. How the creeps are, the way they move, the darting eyes, that glow of excitement just before the hit comes. The same way as they clock me... fuck it, I better not. This guys alert, hes onto me. Thats how it works. I can snap a mans leg with one kick. There can only be one outcome (unless you shoot me). Even then you would have to be quick and a good aimer, otherwise I would be on to you so fast. You learn only in lifes experience, not through books. Its like all these guys who work out in gyms and on punch bags. Real life is not a bag or a dumbbell. Real life hits back and it fucking hurts. Sometimes it kills you. When I arrived back in jail after those two months I dont really know how I felt. Obviously low and confused and very angry. I also felt a bit guilty that I had let myself down and my family. It also felt like I had never been freed. The prison stench soon takes over. The routine sets in. Its like its in your blood, meant to be, meant to happen. The prison world sucks away all your hopes and dreams and fills you up with hopelessness. But the truth is...Im still alive and kicking. Ive still got all my morals and self respect. So I must be winning ! Respect and Reputation dont stop when the prison gates slams up and cuts you off from the free world. Fuck me, it never stops till the heart refuses to beat. Even in death you reap what you sow; some are buried and

long forgot, others still live on. But prison is another world; cruel, cold and insane and the colder and crueller and madder it becomes, I love it. Did you know, back in the 1960s and 70s in jails like Parkhurst and Hull, we had cell parties with our own doormen on guard? Yes, hard to believe but a fact...A heavy is a heavy, in or out. Take the celebrity cons such as Jeffrey Archer, Lester Piggot, George Best, Tony Adams, Boy George, Jonathan Aitken, I can go on, theres so many. Most of them were like fish out of water. Lost and afraid so a heavy appears and makes sure theyre safe. And thats how it all works... smoothly. A bodyguard can be a very useful protection and every jail around the world will have one. Some faces may need a meet-up and dont want to be disturbed, so they put two heavies outside the cell door, problem solved. Ronnie Kray always had a couple of heavies on the scene at Broadmoor (not that Ron couldnt sort any shit out himself) but as you age, who needs it? Bare in mind Broadmoor is a mad house full of crazy people (a lot used to pester Ron), keep asking him for things, favours, tobacco, food etc., etc. Once or twice a day is no problem, but thirty times a day can drive you nuts, so the heavies would step in. And thats how it works, even in the asylum. Just because a guy is locked up, he still has to live by a strict conduct, morals and selfrespect. Unless, of course, you are a fucking Hobbit, or some crack nut snorting moron, with no dignity left. And sadly prisons are full of these Muppets; soulless characters. Its really quite sad to witness, but thats life. You dont get nothing from nobody inside, its the survival of the fittest. Eat plenty, train hard and lots of sleep. You will live to a hundred (if you want to). My reputation lands in a jail before I even step inside. My respect was earned long ago. Although the penal establishment hate my guts, but in a strange way they respect me. After all, my survival has been a very long solitary existence, there aint a prison governor or guard or convict that dont know me, or of me. A man cant spend nearly four decades in hell and not be the devils minder. Thats me, thats what I am; the devils righthand man. Since 1974, right up to now, I have been caged up all but three poxy months of freedom, so

So life inside can be very like life outside; the same code of honour, the same morals and the same rules. A heavy is a heavy and they do a fucking good job when needed. There a special breed of man. Most of them are decent respectful and honest guys, smart too. They know how to dress, they know how to behave, they love what they are; professional. They stick out wherever they go; I can pick them out a mile away. The walk, the posture, the look, that stare. The planet would be a mess without them and jails would crumble (they keep life neat and tidy). They do what needs to be done. They do what most guys could never do; they sort it out and fast. Sometimes just a little word can often stop a full blown riot. Most heavies are actually intelligent men, they have to be or they wouldnt last long in the bizz...whose going to employ a gorilla with no sense? Psychos are three a penny in jail, but a good heavy is worth his weight in gold. Bare in mind, the object of a prison sentence is getting out fast. I just lost my way, some fucker switched the light off; the darkness sucked me away. I should have known better, after all I am a professional heavy, but I make no excuses, Ive no regrets - my fall was my own doing. I fell alone. Thats what a good heavy must do, go alone; never take nobody down with you. Drowned alone in the insanity of life ! Years ago inside we had to wear greys; jacket and trousers with a blue and white striped shirt. I even had a red tie and shining boots. My shirts were starched collars, my trousers I used to put under my mattress to put the crease in. I was smart in prison rags. Respect and reputation must continue. If a man looks like a bag of shit, he smells like one. Sleep in a pigs sty, you become one. A bar of soap costs nothing. Cleanliness is Godliness (remember that). I used to march around the Wings and the Yard like a captain on parade. Some of the cons used to shout here comes the guvnor; it felt good, a sense of pride. You cant buy that. Youre born with it; pride, self-worth.

Taken from the book Respect & Reputation by Robin Barratt and Charlie Bronson Charles Bronson was born on 6th December 1952 and is the adopted name of Michael Peterson. Bronson was born in Aberystwyth, before moving to Merseyside, and later Luton, which is often referred to as his home town. Bronson states on his website that contrary to reports frequently made in the press, his name was changed by his fight promoter in 1987 and was not a choice he made in relation to the actor, Charles Bronson. Bronson has been in prison since the age of nineteen, for various offences. Initially jailed in 1974 for armed robbery, his sentence has been repeatedly extended and he has spent only three months out of custody. He has served over thirty-five years of his time in prison in solitary confinement due to repeated attacks on prison staff and inmates, including a number of hostage situations and rooftop protests. His dangerous behaviour has meant that he has spent time in over 120 different prisons. In 1999 a special prison unit was set up for Bronson and two other violent prisoners from Woodhill (HM Prison), to reduce the risk they posed to staff and other prisoners. In 2000 he received a discretionary life sentence (with a three year tariff) for a hostage-taking incident. His appeal against this sentence was denied in 2004. While in prison he has developed an extreme fitness regime and regularly performs 2,500 press-ups a day. In 2002 he published a book Solitary Fitness, detailing an individual training process with minimal resources and space. For the past ten years Bronson has occupied himself by writing poetry, producing pieces of art and has published over ten books. Chaz, as he is known to his many friends and supporters, is still a Category A prisoner.

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On the Doors

after pulling them apart and throwing them out of the club. No she said, I was before her in the queue to the toilet! She wanted to get there before me! And another time during a Hip Hop R&B party, we were pulling apart two black dudes fighting. They puffed their chests outward like a roosters! One of them screamed: Shes my bitch! His lady was smiling and looking proud at what was happening, and I think that for her the word bitch was a compliment - music to her ears! What a world! Sometimes tourists like to tell us about the doormen in their own countries and one time I remember was when we had a private party - guest-list only. A large group of drunk Indian or Pakistani-looking men wanted to come in, but we refused them entry because they were not on the guest-list. The head of the group told me: How dare you not let us in? I am a British citizen! And preceded to show me his British passport! I patiently explained him that is was nothing to do with his skin colour or nationality, but it was a private party and guest-list only. And then he said: All doormen in England are wankers, just like you! He continued to insult me until properly placed bitch-slap changed his attitude, and the group finally moved away screaming: All

bouncers are wankers! I guess we have some solidarity with other door supervisors from other countries after all! [Ed: yes Yuriy, we are all wankers, until the shit hits the fan and we are needed, and then of course we are brilliant... until it is all over, then we go back to being wankers again, Im afraid!] Here in Holland there is also an old-school / new school kind of thing. A few years ago, somebody caught sniffing cocaine in the restrooms would have had his head shoved in the toilet and flushed few times. But now, a doorman doing this would most definitely be sued, arrested, and would lose his license for sure. Like it is in the UK now, we in Holland also have a lot of stupid restrictive rules and regulations, and must be very careful in what we do or say. So the Charlie Bronson era is gone for good in Amsterdam as well! I must say though, that a big difference between the UK and Hollands nightlife is the legal consumption of marihuana or hash, which has generally made customers a lot less aggressive. Over all the years, and on all the doors I have worked here in Holland, no one smoking joints has ever said such things to me as; Do you know who I am! or I am fucking your mother or I am gonna kick your ass. Yet drunken people and people taking cocaine do it all the time!

But whatever we have to put up with and whatever happens to us on the doors, lets always take our job seriously, lets do what must be done, despite of our fear and stress and most of all, lets have some fun on the doors. And if you are in Amsterdam drop me a line and well have beer together! Cheers to all the bouncers around the world! *********************************

Here in Holland there is definitely less nightlife violence than in the UK. But of course, shit happens everywhere sometimes, especially on the doors! But I am learning how to effectively deal with violence from the books and videos of people like the great Geoff Thompson, Lee Morrison and Jamie O`Keefe, and others. The biggest problems door supervisors have to face here, generally come from young wannabe criminals from Morocco, as well as groups of British tourists... sorry my British readers! [Hey Yuriy, no worries most of the trouble in the clubs and pubs around the UK, in Spain and... well just about everywhere else in the world the Brits like to go, comes from us Brits]. When I say British tourists, I do not mean nice looking Sherlock Holmes type of gentleman, but scummy looking youths or even people in their thirties dressed in Adidas sport clothes, shaven heads, and some with a tattooed sparrow on their hands. These guys are almost always under the influence of alcohol, very rude and

obnoxious and you can often hear them say those wonderful words: Do you know who I am! or even: Do you know who my father is! [Ed: Oh yes, we know the type Yuriy! Nice sort of chaps arent they? At the end of this I have added a story I once wrote about this, you might find it funny!] Anyway, on a cold winters night a couple of weeks ago, one of these British scumbags had assaulted my Turkish colleague on the door. He had refused him entry because he was drunk, and the scumbag headbutted my colleague. But my colleague quickly recovered and gave the scumbag a terrific right-hook, which was so powerful that the scumbag flew few meters across the road and into the cold water of the canal opposite. And then, would you believe, my colleague had to pull him from the water, therefore saving the scumbags life! Some Brits like to celebrate bachelors parties and stag nights in Amsterdam, but there arent any clubs that allow group of ten

to twenty drunken men in their venue, and so you often see them walking around the good old Red Light district, angry and frustrated and looking for - and almost certainly finding - trouble. However, big groups of drunken women are welcome almost everywhere. Strange that, isnt it!? Actually bouncers in Amsterdam can really relate well to the things about the doors that Geoff Thompson, Robin Barratt [Ed: thanks Yuriy!] and Bill Carson write about; funny stories, drunken idiots, death threats, gun threats, fights, arguments, throwing out assholes, sad stories, disgusting stories, the adrenaline rush and struggling to show no fear and, of course, those bragging colleagues that are almost always cowards when the shit hits the fan! Sometimes things happen that really makes you think about the ways of the world! For example, a young girl violently smashing the head of another young girl on the toilet seat. Was it about a boy? I asked the injured one,

Yuriy is originally from Russia but now living in Amsterdam. He is currently working for The Bulldog Amsterdam company who owns few nightclubs, bars, hotel and coffee-shops (selling legal soft drugs such as marihuana and hashish). He has also worked the doors in the following venues: Club Up, Cafe De Kring, Club Rain, Strand Zuid, Rokerij, Euro Bar, Blends and Abraxas and has provided security services to various major events and festivals including the Amsterdam Fashion Week, Loveland and Chemistry. He has studied boxing, Aikido, JKD, Filipino Kali Eskrima, Russian Systema, Kapap Krav Maga and Hock Hochheim`s Scientific Fighting Congress. You can contact Yuriy via email: yuriyk71@mail.ru *********************************

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in

My name is Yuriy Kalistratov, I am originally from Russia and over the past few years . I have been living and working as a bouncer in Amsterdam Holland and just wanted to share some thoughts and feelings with my colleagues around the world reading Robin Barratts Tough Talk, about doing the doors in Amsterdam.

Amsterdam

Short Story

U KNOW O Y WHO DO
Stor t r o h y

I AM

Sometimes, while on the doors, things go a little less to plan, dont they?

STORIES
FROM THE DOORS
We all like good door stories... well, most of us do anyway, and in every issue of Tough Talk, veteran doorman Will Bishop takes us on a short tour of some of the pubs and clubs he has worked, with a story or two from them....
It was my first night on the doors in Manchester city centre. I had quickly learnt the word scrote and I already knew what a knobhead was, and these two black guys approaching my door certainly looked like both.
obviously alien scrotes and knobheads as well, and I was sure they had just arrived from the planet Zob - they looked as though they had. I looked at my colleague, who smiled and shrugged. Sorry? I said to them, confused. A laff, youre avin a laff. I turned again at Steve and quietly asked, What is a laff, as I am supposed to be having one soon? He smiled and shrugged again, Steve was not a man of many words. I turned back to the alien scrotes from the planet Zob and said, again as simply as I could; sorry buddy, I dont know what a laff is but I am sure I dont really want one anyway, but you are not coming in tonight. Do you know oohIam? the taller scrote then replied. Do I know Ooiam? No, never heard of him, does he work the doors too? I asked. There were many Asians in Manchester, a few I knew but I had never heard of Ooiam. Steve laughed. Listen lads, I said, I dont know who Ooiam is and I dont want a laff, whatever that is. I knew they were obviously not of this world and I simply didnt speak their strange language, so I thought I wouldnt try and communicate with them any longer. I was going to try sign language, or perhaps a few musical notes like Close Encounters, but decided to say, ...so just fuck off. Amazingly they must have had the very same word on the planet Zob, as they started screaming, waving their hands around and shouting in some strange, odd language. Steve looked at me and laughed. We are going to have to teach you a little Mancunian, he said.

looked across at my colleague Steve, who nodded to me knowingly as we instinctively moved closer together to block the entrance. It seems that all scrotes and knobheads are the same the world-over; they have a kind of walk that lends itself to severe constipation and they flap their hands and fingers about in various poses that remind me of the mentally retarded in a psychiatric hospital (no offence to the mentally challenged!). They also have this vacant look in their eyes, as there is little brain matter in their tiny skulls and even the most basic skills and actions for most scrotes and knobheads are complicated; they understand little and communicating with them is almost impossible. Sorry lads, you cant come it 1 said as plainly and simply as I could as they approached the door. Youre avin a laff in yu? the taller of the two replied. Now I know I am not the most educated of doormen and had previously worked the doors for many years in many towns and cities across the UK but I really didnt understand one word of what he had just said. They were

ometimes, while on the doors, things go a little less to plan dont they? And weve all had those nights, when youre just waiting for someone to light the blue touchpaper... for something to go off. And, also, as we all know, some people are just not cut out for working the doors; you cant always make someone something theyre not. Anyway, to be fair to the lad and to save him any embarrassment, Ill call him Bob. Bob had only had his badge a short while, but was let go from the Irish Pub just a few doors down from Lloyds in Watford (didnt ask why), where I was working. He then asked me to take him on, and help him progress and so, being a kind-hearted soul, I gave him a few shifts at Lloyds. After all, we all have had to start somewhere and I remember being given a few chances myself many years ago when I was a lot younger and first starting out on the doors. But things didnt work out for young Bob at Lloyds either, culminating on one Christmas Eve when a large group of eight drunk Asian guys decided to take us on. Lloyds are not known for being the best at security staffing levels and although we had a packed venue there were just the three of us working... yes three doormen on Christmas Eve, and one was Bob! Anyway, to cut a long story short, we had to ask the group to leave the

venue. Some were complying, while others... not so much. Its the usual story; some dont want the trouble and get up to leave, while others think you are not going to do anything anyway and just stay put and ignore you! Bob was being a little too loud with a couple of them - without really sounding convincing - and was shouting to some of the group who had already got up and had started to leave! Rookie mistake; if someone is up and leaving, shut the fuck up and let them leave quietly without giving them any other reason to stop. Anyway, we got to the back doors when one of the Asians reared-up, but I managed to quickly throw him out. But then Bob made another rookie mistake of trying to pull the doors shut with both hands and looking down at them as he did so... Bang, bang, he got hit by a few quick punches from the Asian guy and his mate. I rushed back and quickly bashed the two guys that hit him, noticing a bottle-bin next to the door full of empty Stella bottles. Not wanting to play headers and volleys with the bottles, I quickly shut the door, and then look at Bob who was huffing and puffing with a broken nose and a quickly blackening eye. We could hear the sounds of the Stella bottles crashing against the back door. Bob was still fuming when, a few seconds later, the sounds of the crashes stopped and, for whatever reason known

only to himself, Bob decided to go out and front them all again! Oh Bob! So he banged open the door, saw one of the guys and ran straight at him - proper tunnel vision - and grabbed the guy by the throat, not seeing the Asians mate standing close by. I was already running after Bob - as I could see what was going to happen - and sure enough, the guys mate whacked Bob in the head! As I reached them, I smashed one of the guys with a haymaker into the Mercedes parked behind him, and turned to throw the other guy that Bob was grappling with, to the floor. But then Bob decided to dive on top of him and started wrestling! As I tried to pull Bob off, from the corner of my eye I saw something large and silver heading my way. I looked up and saw an empty beer barrel heading right towards us. Luckily it bounced well short, but as I turned back to Bob I could see another barrel glinting in the light, this time being raised up over the head by another of the Asian guys, ready to throw at us. By this time though, our third doorman had joined us and popped the Asian a clean shot on the chin, and he was down. But the guy got up, and once again raised the barrel over his head, but no sooner had he got the barrel over his head, he was back on his arse... for good this time. I dont think Bob worked the doors again, certainly not at Lloyds. Spring 2013 tough talk magazine29

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Frank Gallagher: The Mission

Frank Gallagher: The Mission

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Protecting the Most Threatened Man in the World

By Frank Gallagher
********************************************************************************************************* opposed to taking the traditional route of recruiting and training organic resources. So, for the first time ever, this country saw the wide scale appearance of civilian contractors working, quite literally, alongside the military in a war zone; performing jobs traditionally performed by military personnel. These contractors included cooks, truck drivers, administrative assistants, advisers and, of course, security specialists. Regardless of their job, and not unlike the folks that Tom Brokaw wrote about in his best-selling book: The Greatest Generation, every single one of these people was willing to step up, make tremendous sacrifices and assume tremendous risks despite having no retirement benefits, limited health coverage, absolutely no guarantees of continued employment, no unions to negotiate on their behalf for better working conditions, or most of the other things the typical American takes for granted. And in doing so, these civilians enabled the military to function more efficiently and effectively. Thousands were seriously injured or killed, yet when all was said and done there were no celebrations, no parades when they came home. Hell, they were lucky to get a paragraph or two in the local newspaper. More often, they were criticized or demonized by people who knew nothing about what they had done and the sacrifices they made. Yet, in my mind, the overwhelming majority of these people are heroes in the same sense that the people described in Brokaws book are. No one forced them to go somewhere or do something they did not want to; they went because they felt a duty to this country. They knew the risks and despite them - not because of them they chose to put themselves in harms way because they believed that they could contribute something to the effort. Dont get me wrong, patriotism certainly wasnt the only factor that played into the decision many of these folks made. The pay was good and the promise of adventure was strong. Now, I recognize that to the average person this line of thinking is, at best, foreign and, more likely, bizarre. Perhaps thats because average people - those who make up more than ninety percent of the population - go through life attempting to avoid confrontation at just about every opportunity, and at almost any cost. There is a certain segment of the population that counts on this. They are the criminals and

The Mission:
What I will say in regard to the decisions the President and his cabinet made is that I wholeheartedly support those decisions and, more importantly, I am really glad they were his to make, not mine. In one of those rare instances where one of my predictions was right, it wasnt long after the September 11th attacks that the US invaded Afghanistan, followed not too long after by the invasion of Iraq. In relatively short order, the US was fighting two wars in two different countries, a scenario around which our entire military strategy was based. As often happens in the real world, the two wars doctrine barely survived first contact with the enemy, and it quickly became apparent that we simply werent prepared for the complexities of fighting two simultaneous asymmetrical wars - conflicts where a smaller, less organized, less wellequipped adversary has an advantage over a larger, more unwieldy force. While I cant say I was surprised by this turn of events, I found it maddeningly frustrating for two reasons; first, I had grown up in a military unit where the typical operating assumption was that the adversary, even those who were ill-equipped, ill-trained and poorly led, would have a huge tactical advantage - wed be operating against them on their turf. Secondly, in my civilian career as a protection specialist, more commonly referred to as a bodyguard; I had recognized, through both training and experience, that regardless of the resources you have at your disposal, the bad guy has a distinct advantage. Someone far smarter than me once wrote; we hold these truths to be self-evident, and in my little slice of the world the truths that are self-evident tend to be both simple and straightforward. Right at the top of that list is the fact that, regardless of how much money, how many guns and how many lawyers you have, a small handful of bad guys armed with superior knowledge of the terrain, enough time to plan and a little ingenuity will, given the opportunity, kick your ass around the block everyday of the week and twice on Sundays. And theyre more than happy to do so without the benefit of shiny new, high-tech weaponry, slick tactical clothing and cool sunglasses. From the outside looking in, there was little doubt the US military was learning this lesson the

eptember 11, 2001 will forever be a date that elicits a strong emotional response among Americans, from those who lost family and friends, the brethren of law enforcement and first responders to those crazy government conspiracy theorists. For some, it is the loss of a single life that triggers the response, for others its the loss of hundreds of courageous men and women who were simply, heroically doing their job that morning, while for others its the sheer magnitude of the loss of more than 3000 people. For many its the simple fact that the attack didnt happen in some foreign land whose name most Americans couldnt spell and fewer still could find on a map. It happened right here in our country, our own backyard if you will. In just a few hours on a clear fall morning the feeling that regardless of what was happening in some far off corner of the world, we were untouchable here at home was reduced to rubble along with the Tower 1 and 2 of the World Trade Center. The sense of safety and security that an entire generation had grown accustomed to - maybe even felt entitled to - was wiped away and replaced by something else. To varying degrees it was replaced by fear, anger and, in some instances, a vocal demand for retribution. As a former Recon Marine, I will readily admit that retribution was something that I took for granted. Not that I had any notion that it would be mine to dispense. Those days had passed for me and, quite honestly, my chosen career placed a significant emphasis on avoiding the sort of risks that are commonplace on the battlefield. But there was no doubt in my mind that retribution would be dispensed, or who would dispense it. Our armed forces are the best in the world, and the men and women who serve in them are the most capable on the planet; period. End of story. While its sometimes hard to admit that combat is best left to young Marines and their brothers and sisters in the Army, Air Force and Navy, I will readily admit that I am ill-equipped to debate the decisions that were made at the time by President Bush, his advisers and his staff. As the duly elected President of the country, it was his responsibility to make those decisions that he felt were in the best interests of the country.

hard way and, like most lessons in life learned the hard way; it was painful, embarrassing and costly. But learn they did. It didnt take long for some of the more forward thinking military leaders to understand the challenges they faced and come up with some viable solutions. They recognized that the decades of recruiting and investing in smarter, more capable troops could and would only pay dividends if these troops could be brought to bear on the enemy. This meant freeing up more troops from all the mundane, behind-the-scenes tasks that drive the military war machine and rethinking how units could best utilize their most precious resource - their people. While I am not sure what the ratio is these days, back in the day when I served it was generally accepted that for every Marine, soldier, airman and sailor serving in a combat role there were seventeen more serving in a support role, so rethinking and reshaping how we go to war was by no means a small undertaking. Here again, I am particularly glad that this was not my battle to fight. It wasnt long before the military began to adapt to the reality of their missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. In turn, it wasnt long before they recognized there was an urgent need to fill all of those vacant positions as troops were freed up for more critical missions. They also recognized that the traditional fallback plan, which relied on the use of Reserve and National Guard troops to step in and fill those voids wasnt going to work, simply because entire Reserve and Guard units were already being prepped for deployment and they would need all of their personnel to perform their missions. It was also obvious that recruiting and training more people a costly, time consuming endeavour in the best of times - just wasnt going to work. But somewhere, someone recognized that there were, in fact, a substantial number of people in the private sector that had the skill sets needed to fill those positions. In fact, many of these folks had developed those skills while serving in the military before heading for the greener pastures of the civilian world. When all was said and done, the folks that matter recognized it would be more cost effective to contract the resources they needed as

evil doers, and they are quick to prey on those who are willing to give things up in order to avoid a confrontation. Now, while I cant speak for the cooks, administrative assistants or truck drivers, I can tell you that the security contractors tend to fall into a third category, one made up of the one percent of the population that are willing to stand up to criminals and others who might prey on whomever they can. In a different place and time they were cops, soldiers and protection specialists or in lay-persons terms; bodyguards. They were motivated by all of those things already mentioned patriotism, adventure, a decent paycheck - but most of all they were motivated by the understanding that there are people in the world that need protection and those that have the capability to provide that protection. These are men and women that knowingly put themselves in harms way. And while I am not sure how a psychiatrist or psychologist might view their chosen profession, I do know that for thousands of years those whose chosen career was to protect others, to serve as bodyguards, were viewed honourably and treated with respect. It wasnt until these professional protectors answered the call to ply their trade in a war zone that they became looked down upon, called mercenaries and thugs. I am not sure how the hell that happened, but I can tell you that it couldnt be further from the truth. I say this because I have been a protection specialist for more than twenty years and have worked as a security contractor. I have more than a few reasons for writing this book, some of which are easy to articulate, others not so much. One reason is the desire to provide a realistic portrayal of the work that security contractors did, day in and day out, in Iraq. Not some sensationalized story, but the unvarnished truth, warts and all. Another reason is a desire to provide some insight into the courage and sacrifice that many of those contractors made in order to accomplish an extraordinarily difficult, very noble mission; keeping others alive in a country torn apart by war, decades of strife wrought by an evil dictator, and a general distrust of Western governments. But mostly, I am writing this book to dispel the myths and misconceptions about who these contractors were, for unlike the rest of the world I know them firsthand, and I know them to be hardworking men trying to earn an honest living in the face of tremendous risk, confusing and conflicting directives and competing political agendas. Right upfront I will tell you that the company I worked for was Blackwater, a company which was ultimately brought down by the tragic events that occurred on 16th September, 2007 in Nisoor Square, until that day one of those places that no American outside of Iraq even knew existed. Just to be clear on this; I was not in Nisoor Square that day, nor did I know any of the contractors involved in what would become one of the most highly

publicized, controversial events involving security contractors in Iraq. For those who may not be familiar with the incident; on that day a Blackwater convoy was moving through the Square when it reported taking fire and, in turn, fired back. By the time the media coverage died down the contractors, and the company itself, stood accused of killing seventeen innocent Iraqi men, women and children, Blackwaters reputation was in tatters and criminal charges were brought against some of members of the team involved. At the time I write this, the one man who pled guilty to charges of manslaughter and agreed to testify against other members of the team is in prison, the charges against the others have been dropped, Blackwater no longer exists and security contractors are painted with a broad brush of contempt, even by some in the protection profession. As for me, I am proud of the time I spent working for Blackwater, a company that was far different at the beginning then it was in 2007. I was there when both the companys foray into the realm of protective services and the idea of using security contractors to protect American officials were in their infancy. I also believe that, regardless of what happened to his company, Erik Prince should be applauded for his willingness to step up and take a monumental risk in support of US military and diplomatic efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the time he accepted the first-of-its-kind contract to protect the

highest ranking US official in a war zone, the risks were crystal clear and the stakes couldnt be higher; succeed in keeping Paul Bremer, US Administrator of Iraq - the man the Secret Service declared, in writing, to be the most threatened American official in the world, bar none - alive and your company will have accomplished something that no private company had ever achieved before. However, if Bremer gets killed your company will serve as a poster child for those who believe that a private company cannot possibly provide the level of protection required to safeguard government officials. And, oh, by the way, your company will, in all likelihood, never receive another government contract. Keep in mind that Mr. Prince was in no way, shape or form responsible for the failure of the two war strategy that led directly to the demand for security contractors, nor did he set out to create the conglomerate that Blackwater ultimately became. What he did do was recognize a need, develop a service model that would fill that need and then Spring 2013 tough talk magazine31

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Krackes Corner

Tough Words & Phrases

demonstrate that his company could deliver that service where, when and as needed. In doing so his company - and those that followed - provided the military with the flexibility needed to successfully fight an asymmetric war in two theatres simultaneously. None of this would have happened if he wasnt interested in supporting the war effort or if he was afraid to place himself and his company at risk. But he was, and he did. So for that he should be applauded. Ultimately, the Bremer Detail was a success. Blackwater contractors kept Mr. Bremer safe and secure for the entirety of his year in Iraq. The detail became the standard by which all other Protective Security Details were compared and the successful execution of the Bremer Detail earned Blackwater a reputation as an exceptional service provider with the ability to get the job done, even under the most difficult circumstances. What some readers may find astonishing is the fact that, until that time, there was no doctrine for this type of protection operation, there were no tactics, techniques or procedures commonly referred to in the industry as TTPs - to study and rehearse; they were developed over the course of the contract. What others may find even more astounding is the fact that Blackwater contractors managed to keep the highest profile American target in Iraq alive for nearly a year without ever firing a single shot! ********************************* Frank G. Gallagher has over twenty five years of international experience providing personal protection, intelligence gathering, counter-terrorism operations, surveillance detection, threat analysis, and security training in both the private security sector and the United States Military. He has recently founded Gallagher Security Advisors, LLC to provide those services to an impressive list of VIP clients. Since 2006, Mr. Gallagher has worked for the US Department of States AntiTerrorism Assistance (ATA) Program where he trained foreign protection agents in VIP protection and VIPP-TST (Tactical Support Team) courses. He helped to rewrite the PNL (Protecting National Leaders) course and is recognized as a subject matter expert by the US Department of State. Prior to the ATA Program he served Blackwater Security as their Lead Instructor for the Protective Service Details (PSD) portion of the State Departments Worldwide Personal Protective Services (WPPS) High Threat Protection Training program. Taken from a book Frank is currently writing about his time in Iraq. You can contact Frank directly via email: fg0321@gmail.com

A regular column by Fred Kracke, a U.S. based Executive Protection Specialist and Security Consultant. He has extensive experience in the Celebrity, Political and Corporate worlds. In addition he spent over four years living in Southern Africa.
Youve trained and sacrificed in the gym and at various academies. Youve given your blood, sweat and maybe even a few tears. Youve had training details and stood post in an empty hotel at the oddest hours of the night. But, do you have that real-world experience that can be applied when things go real bad? Everyone likes to think that they will step up to the challenge and achieve their objective in a violent encounter but the sad fact is that its not always the case. Its a whole new level when real bullets start flying at you. When you are in a violent encounter with a criminal who has no rules in their tactics. If you are not ready in mind and body, the sad truth is you are going to get hurt... or worse. Our egos try to make us believe that we are all unstoppable, but the truth is that no matter how good we are, its a very real possibility that you can get hurt or worse anytime you are on duty. So how is it possible to prepare for something that is eventually going to be an unavoidable reality? Yes...Know the threat! Whatever job you are working, there is going to be a bad element of humanity involved. If its an EP detail; what potential gang affiliations does your principal and or his handlers have? Are they prevalent in the city you are working? What is the organizations habits when they take care of business? Run good intelligence. Not just your route cards and building advances, but truly know what you could be coming up against. Nightclub and event assignments create some very potentially challenging situations. Cultural gatherings, for example. Find out who will be attending and from what regions. If you are not aware of who is mixing in your crowd, you can unknowingly find yourself in the middle of a riot that stems from issues taking place on another continent. Its happened! You are in a situation where a use of force is required. Did you train properly? Because you will react like you have been trained. Are you carrying a weapon or weapons? If you are not absolutely proficient and competent with your tools, whether its less than lethal OC Spray and telescopic baton or your firearm, it can be taken away from you and so you had better be absolutely proficient with the tools you carry, as well as your hand-to-hand technique. You are facing one - or worse - multiple attackers who have bad intentions, can you get rid of your inhibitions of an extended time training in the controlled environment of the martial arts gym? If you attempt to have honour in your conduct on the streets, you will be run over like a freight train! You must realize that in a violent encounter, everything in the bad guys tactics is in play; groin shots, knees, glass and champagne bottles. Anything can be used against you, can you handle it? Can you handle being outnumbered and having to weather the storm till help arrives? In club work especially, this is a very real possibility. Do you have the training? Can you keep a cool head and maintain defense, despite the odds and the blows being landed? Can you... really? These are just a few of the realities we must prepare for as protection and security professionals, door-staff and students of combat. Prepare... not only in body but in mind and acquire the survival mind set. So that no matter what the odds and the situation, we, as protectors, will dominate against not only superior physical skills but a superior mindset.

Tough
NO HOLDS BARRED
Meaning:

Words & Phrases

In every issue we will briefly look at some interesting words and phrases and find out where they came from. In this issue: NO HOLDS BARRED and FUCK!
engaged in a wrestling match at the opera house here tonight. Gibbs was strangled into insensibility and may die. The conditions of the match were best two in three falls GrecoRoman style; no holds barred. Forms of contemporary no holds barred wrestling in which rules are thrown out the window are Hardcore Wrestling and Cage Fighting. Hulk Hogan starred in a 1989 film No Holds Barred based on free-form wrestling. Its tagline was; No Ring. No Ref. No Rules.

Without restrictions or rules.

Origin: The holds here are wrestling holds and thats where the phrase originates. Wrestling has long been an Olympic sport, administrated by FILA, the sports governing body. There are sets of rules for each of the various styles of wrestling. Prior to the formation of rules, wrestling was a free-form affair. There was no need to mention any such phrase as no holds barred, as that was taken for granted. It wasnt until after the sport became regulated that bouts where those rules didnt apply were billed as such. The earliest reference to the phrase no holds barred probably comes from Manitoba Daily Free Press, February 1892: Wm. Gibbs, the Kansas man, and Dennis Gallacher, of Buffalo,

FUCK
Meaning:

...Errr, well, you know...!

Origin: The word fuck did not originate as an acronym as was originally though, but it crept, fully formed, into the English language from Dutch or Low German around the 15th century (its impossible to say precisely when because so little documentary evidence exists, probably due to the fact that the word was so taboo throughout its early history that people were afraid to write it down). The American Heritage Dictionary says its first known occurrence in English literature was in the satirical poem Flen, Flyss (c.1500), where it was not only disguised as a Latin word but encrypted - gxddbov - which has been deciphered as fuccant, pseudo-Latin for they fuck. According to Sheidlower, [Editors note: Jesse Sheidlower was the Editor at Large of the Oxford English Dictionary, specializing in English linguistics and lexicography and author of The F-Word, a detailed history of the word fuck ...bless!] the earliest published claims of a supposed acronymic origin for the F-word appeared during the 1960s. For

example, an underground newspaper called the East Village Other printed this version in 1967: Its not commonly known that the word fuck originated as a medical diagnostic notation on the documents of soldiers in the British Imperial Army. When a soldier reported sick and was found to have V.D., the abbreviation F.U.C.K. was stamped on his documents. It was short for Found Under Carnal Knowledge. Two more variants appeared in a letter published in Playboy magazine in 1970: My friend claims that the word fuck originated in the 15th Century, when a married couple needed permission from the king to procreate. Hence, Fornication Under Consent of the King. I maintain that its an acronym of a law term used in the 1500s that referred to rape as Forced Unnatural Carnal Knowledge. Undoubtedly the most famous instance of this etymological travesty was its use as the title of the 1991 Van Halen album; For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.

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Short Story

Short Story
He s life for her. hero, to risk hi r he ze ga be s to hi g n concentratin barrel of the gu d away quickly, ke ked down the loo loo in by s ab nd Sh his ha uble-six. t of it; keeping g urge to raise on the face-up do lved, staying ou and felt a stron s do on the telly. im not getting invo ct vi en se d wed, the an. s pride surrender, as he the raider bello his new slate cle ation because hi over here now, pt et m ing to G te em e se th d ice te vo sis ery intention of volume of his thunderous tes onto the He re ev d no ha nk t ba bu lders g it, ho in ss to e with bottles in their the would not allow George finished was told, in lin red amongst e the upturned he tte ak at flu sh wh ey tly th ac e d ex ing still an table, wher . for breath. doing above her head ch to life. Remain sat back to fight ed on the ffing his new approa us dominoes, and stu foc ls, d fu an nd ad ha tracing he s bed it up in black mascara d t, he lowered hi The raider grab rst into tears, es marker boar bu sure thats all silen re e u white Th Sh Yo & th g. s oo ba ve sm Fi da As of brass-topped across her d began it into a plastic threatening tilt spidery lines towards minoes table, an a p do th e ste wi th e d, of iv at pe ge nt ap ed s, te at the ok a of it? he sn marker-pin r cheeks, and to tle holes for the unsteady on he counting the lit el-platers him. She looked fragile and the head. ste m iu in m alu t. omen actually llapse at any m eak, round which were rm rows. feet; likely to co , unable to sp ly set out in unifo George nodded pop-rivets, neat r by the arm. red. ed, grabbing he Janice cheeks flaming Move it, he rant the bar pushed nd hi be er , bb The ro ider snarled cast till-money from at fuck, the ra d anguish, and ept the pile of It better be yf cked it, She screamed in pain an sta an inch of aside and sw d was in e ha th e sh wi sh as e to face look at Shabby unter-top wher thrusting his back cowered under one last, hopeless his clothing with the co d e h ke Sh ug loo g. ro ba th He . g tic te in as fa y Georges and rifl into another pl in front of pulled towards her grisl nds upon it, s, hands clasped d placed his ha al iv an , rv his free hand. the shorts optic su ble ta e s th by to ab Sh . . th up ou od m s, but took a deep breath, and sto the bar with her quivering t and motionles er was behind en bb ro sil m nd hi co s pt se hi e ke in t Th ipped instinc he saw the sensation, blonde hair gr away but when d not recognise Janices long last, to Raider 1 had turned till, he shouted, although he di th his at g wi in n d ck ga fu un be e ro th lin ck n meaty fist. Ope ne, as if fight or flight adrena d react, spun ba hi ar ac m gu abby e e th Sh th s . er rd ad towa his veins. wboy gun-sling pushing her he course through headbutt. right stol up like a co y ick pi av qu a he a th th wi wi it the mouth at she might open punched him in obber shouted he staggered ight Get over here, the till-r br shot back and g. r in ad he ak he in sh s or Hi ly . rr sib te nd vi e ha th d e an ng dominoes se d ki d ce oc ul fa Shabby co r hands as Janice, waxento the table, kn in . he s us of ay th ew ng wi e bli sid off. The m rid tre d the gun went with Youre comin for a little blue eyes, the Georges lap, an ion, fumbling us to ross it nf in ac co ng in di d sli re l they flutte l and her eyes raider hit the floor, pisto contorting her gir in e pa th of like he at e e d ac ke nc rror. rner. George loo rfect O, Shabby stole a gla the keys, a grim d his n of absolute te to a neutral co en forming a pe he in sio op tc es th clu pr ou ex by m ab an Sh ce pretty fa a seizure and rescue her, . She emitted met his in ng ck to vi sti m rd, ha hi lip s wa d th wa re for wi d rk ed de da nic. The guard mov emphasized in She silently plea y as oulder in agony. rical shriek of pa ftl sh ste de hy g in ar ck ne du d, the bat, a strangle both hands on ass marker esmerised by up the heavy br m ed ll, ck sti pi ly ct by ab rfe pe Sh ed ain m re ell . Shab . The sm d it at him ding before him board and hurle the drama unfol sily with the ea ed ix m hatchway om ro tine, me out of the of fear in the nices captor ca le beer and nico Ja sta eyes met of r a He om . ar m lingering ndows from her behind hi wi g en gin op ag e dr th ed, but h ug as he approach wafting in thro bys once again de. ab tsi Sh ou n tio ta g-s the smokin ? snarled you lookin at What the fuck the three, of st , the bigge the first raider s winnings last of George cramming the ing around ov m d ng bag an into the shoppi shouted at lking to you, he the table. Im ta e contact. ey oid av ntinued to Shabby, who co ck fu in hard Think youre a Ybig palooka. case do ya? into Shabbys heel of his hand He slammed the e imitationth in him back chest, knocking nt talk or Ill ont move and do leather seat. D ded, poking ad he g head off, blow your fuckin ans face. to the laundrym the handgun in

SHORT STORY

n was Shabby Pearso self. pleased with him

e corner, just around th Hanks chippy session t ng fla ki cil in un dr co e one-bedroomed to sleep off th en th . The lts s su hi re walk from his m by the football arranged for hi after watching d off, he s hi itc on Quay Road, sw m fro en be ay levision had It was well aw by parole officer. le who pub te tary replaced mostly by peop ed ccato commen us d sta an e ts th un ge was e or lik Ge old ha d g ul Bi . wo ce st at lea pt, eerie silen w for nearly worked for a living, or alised an abru unting every no self out of trouble jobs. He had re y his winnings, gr an g for re He had kept him tin ry we nd un e co lau er erable e id th e th if ns th at co to r s job te hi af his e ed ld im tty-cr as he shift six months and he e seventeen that he slipped into pe to his many ents and again Hed taken hom up by governm wads of notes in lls sh ba s l sta ur cia to nineteen weeks. ho an lk an fin bu t th en g wi rr in and washed cu em ild s th bu ble of ta e o d th t one and bankers wiped out wage packets, tw ets. Janice wipe en ck sp po t no it. d of evening ha th sh d slip, an ing for the ru hood along wi overtime on the glasses, prepar pe. He was industry, and his liveli do t a trayful ge en ng ev to di or ed loa k em un ac se s mers. She wa penny of it on cr Salford But the lads at the Platers sto g cu vin the bar, lea ve nd ce ha hi , sin d been the sink be two at weekends cleaner than he of pint-pots into d three ean earlier, and had by, enjoy a pint or s rs en ar ho op ye h n w tc ve fle wa se the front door Comprehensive t stay a laugh with their mates, en or asks sh wh s i-m Hi sk . th es g wi in ett it cigar rst in wear place bets on even cut down on burly figures bu sed the d helped him racing on telly and n, clo ha ow in tel s t Ho er las s at e Pl ay Th e th tton gloves. in the Strangew oked more Big George; renowned as legal - and co od in front of it, new convicts sm gh not quite ou d th hind him and sto he be with that. Most t d t or bu en do e nd pe tim ng de st bli in fir m e side to side an ga th ; m te for fro pa d ici - or even starte ning the room ercising bookie. Shabby didnt part an nt ex sc fro gin up n t be lle d ba fa ll r an down that hed neve lid wood baseba st so rt a lea g ca at managed to cut in th d ld ce Ca ar vi ho e gu e dg was on . Obviously on on the edge of as soon as Ju e it could be seen again, because , hed prey to, but was happy to sit her inside for a spell -natured wher od ing to himself. Anot go go s s e ab th wa Sh up he t g gh told him rushed int of his life so proceedings, soakin n- duty, thou ird po t no th e es e th th low d e th an th wi r s ng towards the ba decided that wa es not want banter and laughing alo nuendos. went e fright-filled ey he desperately did es, jibes and in s Big George, whos jok ing to far. It was a point of th er m at ov ea th , which lf str t lly se p en be sto nt him s co d hi ise p, as ou om de gr the ost as wi to be at, and pr termination He was not part of from were alm irt to bursting change. His de apart, watching his striped sh , tly ed wn gh were going to ch do sli et en med str at ain be m t to re d he often fel lars did now es. The raider jam lapsed at times an chart the periphery, but the regu t at several plac in ce. life fa po his ty g ea on tin sw ine ee s h-l gr ie e grap nod or word of n into the book d gu od but generally th nd e fat th ha u a ge yo an t exch them, bu ing up. sh on the table s accepted by was steadily head et the fucking ca G g th him. He wa in wi oid av ent, led. at he felt still able to remain independ bastard, he grow benefit was th ed arguments, ell fu en olAn immediate wh oh d alc di t e beerhe uble. the frequen hier, more like shed Walter to th ar of potential tro fitter and healt second raider pu cle urs at e ll ho Th gents, we g e ng in th lli er of ue t ste gr and those as he came ou hed spent all spattered floor e heavy bag floor and th at e g d th in ye on er sta m et m G he . , ha 2011 ttoning his fly Paddys Gym, r did and when On Staurday 18 June one of still bu he hissed. Walte g the speed-ball, usual, because an th ere you old fart, th wi and pummellin th er y rly lat sta ea b n pu a rt. e iso hu in th pr un m m hi ed d fro ar ge d pe enga ardly, but ap he was release inued his the locals, Walter, had enty so, awkw record, he cont y he had put tw wh t ou ed ab lik a good-conduct n ll tio sti d fumbled sa conver and puffed an fourth in the estyle. True, he George huffed they quid on a horse that came rejuvenated lif en ev the robber t as bu d sh d, ste ca en re e week pockets for the abby wasnt inte s Sh hi . ry rk in nd a few pints at th Yo lau of it, he at e ll ce th last ra s something nt of him. A ter sweating in hovered in fro tasted better af them in the explanation which wa th a flick ng yi wi bu g ble d ta rin an e pi , week d, indicating th r tipsters cons pe we t pa llo no be ws steam-room all ne and left, lf e se ht th m about d earned hi d gone against of his pistol, eyes flicking rig with money he whod against him just because he e. And e nc re els y rfe s od te wa in eb t y m bu m so to deal with an week and won, y s or ad . iou re money taken fro r.. ev he pr ot e th an them on. use of the it one way or n politely beca t a fuckin move maybe earned content to liste young ge e th ; ck ba s t. ng no d hu maybe hands on knee main reason he ed his smile as Shabby sat rigidly still, rn tu nk ns re t oo bla rn e las te th at af barmaid had ontact aight ahead at ed to go out ore d returned eye-c and staring str He now preferr crime and when hed be m served him, an e gs sh seen plenty of in d en ev He . an en re sc be d TV rather th in the an ies twice since. but never been into his old cron still do, if violence before, likely to bump , to ld at or wh rw e re de th su un of un to the camp. He was 30 pm. Most 5. s r im of te ct with af vi sucked back in ce d st rfa ne ju su er s It wa just below the for tea or to anything, and was mostly conc seething away rnoon regulars had gone home te af ay rd tu Sa ed the normality. He lik ms, a short the Platers Ar in e er ph os m at

GH U O T S E M T
By Robert MacGowan

the Shabby could see t terror in her brigh ng bli blue eyes, the trem of her hands as they fluttered in confusion

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Short Story
with a oaned Big George , theyve gone, gr oney ye m A y m e all th n in ke ta r the bench seat e. And theyve de ey un ry m te fro wa d re cove charity box re ad. with em. ed up an RNLI corner, at his he by ab Sh the raider pick . m hi at it g un clearing up sw wn d do an l want a hand in to od that trickled from the bar-top Suppose youl and then back wiped at the blo d Shabby, ad by it, ke re ab as oid sp Sh av d s? rt an to t leaned ou e head wound, ich sent the e the rush sta th wh for m , be nd fro ha ce hy fa ht W s . rig hi he said ce. deliver another nts toilets, got the money, turning to Jani towards the ge his hands. You e the cops get for He be it y. raider lurching th wa and wi e n th nt you just ru swered, smiling old Walter on r and do please, she an th tripping over ba e s clo th sh Ye di nd a hi be th here? nice back bloody face wi then pushed Ja , just as the dabbing at his ay hw tc ha e th d thing. turned to defen ad with his They stood still and said no from the sink. him over the he d ele re guard whacked he him hard on as Shabby added. and she kissed nice screamed dge to Youre not taking the girl, He smiled back wooden bat. Ja r-e ital, that is. ba sp e th ho to for en reaching After youve be s. ed lip e e low th from the blow, th fol r in t de us with a bulle ng. The bat-wiel rvices, and again. How you gonna stop stop himself falli e emergency se h, and swung tc an. ha e nm th gu e h th ug e telephoned th d Sh ed ke her fakeas nd ss ? ou up, thro ro ad ac t-w it he lle d s head as he lai hit Shabbys bu hi he led e ad d cr tim hen the an W is , . Th in pain r to the list. the back room g him to grunt u can add murde nned thigh in yo him to ta ed en ed sh ni Th ru shoulder, causin pa m ce co ni arrived she ac d backwards Ja ce ble in lan m th bu ered a , stu isp am lip he wh en d as e smiled an r licked his swoll ort him. ctant owing hospital, where sh The pistol-packe lu all re e r for he forward to supp be d , ge in an ch nd, and ch striping his iling. You and held his ha t the way. line of blood tilt up at the ce gasped. Keep ou to he er. el ev n, rr Ja for ba e ck nlif ba gu s p e ro th he Kee id. sa he , ole sh d gs as te one lucky she shou ught but as thin , you bastard, s were never ca er , bb o ed ied to ro pl e ch t re ar Th sn Leave him alone m wa by an lucky, Shab abby Pearson lder as batm dont feel too eding. turned out, Mr. Sh s. I over his shou ble ice e pl th m co ch ac un o lder to sta that. ed by his tw gripping his shou bothered about forward, follow a by for ab r Sh he , lder d at each ot head and shou s The two men looke and boxer robber Bleeding from a from the optic nuckle fighter dk ye, before the vo o-e of e e-t ttl ey bo t, Former bare-k en om iter and m ed m wr g ck hi a t ba lon w grabbed a full hi o It on and the tri MacGowen is no and threw it. ap rt ll, we be wa s Ro hi e th e Lusty, ed d tta et on Th pock rack advance, an the fuck ou s Grandad: es, halting his thor of Jessica door. Lets get au e th graphy. s . rd bio oin to wa gr to Au between the ey e Heartbreaking with a kick to th d. al, up de ut lu ed Br nc work, low co fol e he , , here Shabby his stick le for freelanc over, dropping He is availab ed gg hu s d hi an to f Batman doubled in lie c. ut iting, et gasp of re ped an upperc biographies, ed nice exhaled a on the and Shabby loo the arms of his Ja . Walter sat up to nd in hi ck be ba m m fro hi by via email: face, sending ssed off at last, od in a line, Shab Contact Robert Christ theyve pi k ld him and sto an he Th ey in . rt Th or googlemail.com . sta flo 9@ s nd ies budd macgowan559 l hidden behi e. My back wa ac gir im e gr th a d th an wi he said facing Shabby Beretta 92, down there. der levelled his to sieze up again him, and the lea

Profile: Peter Ellis

Profile:

International Close Protection Officer and close quarter combat specialist

training and the need to develop a close quarter combat style to suit his career in close protection. My system is hard to describe exactly, as it is always evolving, but generally it is a system which can be adapted to suit almost any conflict situation, as well as a system that will suit almost anyone; whether a trained martial artist or someone with no experience and training at all. As mentioned, Peters path to Sphere Combat Systems started when he was just 12. He enjoyed all kinds of sports and took part in most of the sports activities at school and initially taking up martial arts was just another way to develop his fitness. For the first eighteen months he studied traditional karate and then went onto semi-contact karate for five years, and then, subsequently Peters love of martial arts saw him go on to train in many other styles including Kung Fu, which he holds a 7th Degree Black Sash (Master Grade), and Black Belts / Sashes / Instructor grades in: Karate, Aikido, Jeet Kune Do, Thai Boxing, Krav Maga and ICPTA Close Quarter Combatives, which he is a co-founder and head instructor. In 1996, Peter went overseas to train with the late Larry Hartsell, author, martial arts teacher, bodyguard to Mr. T and one of Bruce Lees original students in Jeet Kune Do. I like all of the martial arts I have trained in and found that all of the systems suited me well because I always give 100% in all that I do. But my goals were always to ultimately develop my own combat system utilizing all my years of training. And so, through a combination of hard training and dedication, and a process of analysing and adapting everything I have studied and trained in, as well as utilizing what I believe is useful to achieve my aims and goals, my Sphere Combat Systems was founded. Not only is Sphere Combat Systems popular with Special Forces Units and Close Protection Operators around the world, but with the general public too as it can be modified and developed to suit just about everyone, which many other martial art and combat systems cannot. For example, with Tae Kwon Do, students have to be very flexible and if a person isnt naturally flexible which many are not - they find training in this style difficult and eventually they quit! But anyone can learn my system, whether they are naturally flexible or not. Sphere Combat Systems can also be adapted for use by females keen to develop their personal safety skills. Peter regularly runs women only classes, when he is not away on close protection assignment. Progression is always on-going in my system; I am always training and developing both myself and Sphere Combat Systems and by that I mean my system doesnt become stagnant, it is always evolving. The future of Peters training system is looking very good; he is always evolving developing the system which is increasingly being taken up by professionals around the world. He is also in talks with various film producers with regards to consulting and advising on combat film sets. And on top of all of this, he is also writing a book!

eter has been training in martial arts since he was just twelve years old, and began instructing in his early twenties, but he didnt start his career as a Close Protection Officer until much later. He had a UK Military career of thirteen years and after leaving had a few, monotonous jobs including delivery driving, factory work and carpet fitting, and was once even a manager of Reids, a carpets and beds store! However, around 18 years ago, when he was 33 years old, the chance of a much more exciting life drew him towards the close protection industry. I was teaching martial arts and combat part-time - which I loved doing - but felt something was missing; I wanted to take what I had learnt a stage further and use my skills within my career, and close protection seemed an exciting and rewarding job. Peter had done his original close protection training with the military, and when the SIA came along, he went through the procedure of obtaining SIA accreditation and, through a good friend and comrade, he got his first close protection job protecting a Saudi Prince visiting the UK on business. Since then Peter has never looked back; his career has seen him go onto protect film stars, corporate clients and Saudi Royalty, both in the UK and abroad. I like the variety in the job. For example, one day I might be protecting a prince and a few days later tasked to protect a corporate businessman or a film or sports star. It is a job of variety and challenges, and actually there is nothing I dont like about the job, aside from people in the industry that dont do their job properly and are unprofessional; there is no room for error in the close protection game! Peter started teaching close protection before Security Industry Association licensing came into force, and once SIA was established and licensing for training providers mandatory, he then studied for all the appropriate teacher training qualifications and progressed onto a SIA accredited close protection instructor, and currently teaches with his own company Sphere Protection Services Ltd. Like all good close protection operators, my career has been built on reputation. I have a bunch of good friends and comrades in the industry and we all look out for each other in work, as well as in life! Peters Sphere Combat Systems was an evolution from his traditional martial arts

You can contact Peter on: T: + 44 (0) 7904 604956 E: spherecombatsystems@gmail.com W: www.wix.com/spsltd/scsa

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Dale Easom

Dale Easom

By Dale Easom

Bodyguarding, close protection, executive protection, the Circuit; call it what you will, this profession has many titles.
Glamorized by Hollywood movies such as The Bodyguard starring Kevin Costner and the late, great Whitney Houston, many people, seduced by the notion of red carpet premiers, private jets, and big fat pay cheques, spilled from the cinemas with one thought on their mind; I want to be a bodyguard. And so the 1990s produced an abundance of bodyguard training companies, promoting their courses with promises of protection work for successful students! How many actually ever got offered any work is difficult to say, however I am sure it was very few. Which leads me to one of the most common questions that I am asked when people see me at work; How do I get into protection? And my honest answer to them is always... dont!

This is truthfully one of the hardest professions in the world to break into, and even if you are lucky enough to get a foot in the door, its still extremely hard, if not impossible, for most people to make a good living. I compare the life of an aspiring bodyguard to be much the same as an aspiring actor. Let me explain; as a BG you are constantly looking for that next job, you can never stop hustling and networking and often chasing promises of fictitious work. And when a job does come along, it is often for a few short months or even weeks, then you are back to square-one again; chasing the next job. Its a real dog-eat-dog business. Dont get me wrong though, there are a few guys and girls out there who are indeed making a really good living from the profession, but most have been around for a very long time, have established themselves with clients and, often over many years, have been lucky enough to have made the right contacts. Which leaves few opportunities for a newbie. I probably receive over fifty resumes a week from people who cling to the belief that a life of a jet-setting bodyguard is just around the corner. I have a wake up call for them... their CV is one of hundreds that companies receive every single day; many for positions that have already been filled by experienced operators who are known and trusted by the company and / or other members of the team. Consider this; if a person gains his pilots license, is he immediately qualified to fly an Airliner with passengers? Or when a person passes their driving test, do they automatically become a chauffeur? Of course not! So why then does a person think that, after attending a 14-Day Close Protection course, they are now a bodyguard? The fact is that if, as a newly qualified BG, you are indeed lucky enough to actually get onto a security detail, the chances are, that you might possibly have many, many months ahead of you of staring down hotel corridors, because you will be assuming the role of the Static, which - in laymans terms - means standing outside and protecting you clients hotel room for twelve-hour stints, day and night, and checking access of hotel personnel. Put basically; you have become a static security guard...in a suit! Lets assume that you stick-out this mind-numbing experience and you then get to join the actual Protection Team, prepare yourself for long hours, dehydration, hunger and often awkward clients who sometimes dont even want you there.

Dont get me wrong; I have worked for some great people over the years, who have really appreciated my loyalty however, I have also had the misfortune to have been placed with a few celebrity prima donnas, as well as the occasional princess who thought that my only reason for being there was to spy on her for her husband! What about this fat pay cheque idea? Well, if anything wages in protection have gone down over the years, not up! You are usually on call 24/7, and your usual working day could be between fourteen and sixteen hours long and you might be spending many months away from your family. And for this, typical wages for a BG with a low-risk client now ranges from between two-hundred and three-hundred and fifty British pounds per day. But dont forget... these wages might only be for a few weeks or months while on contract! Moreover, I do know a few unscrupulous music managers who have very lowly qualified security staff working for their clients for as little as onehundred and fifty pounds per day (I wonder what they are charging their clients?). Because there is so little work around, and so many applicants per position, the problem now is that many newly licensed BGs are prepared to work for more or less nothing; they are being taken advantage of and actually, could probably earn just as much doing a normal and much easier nine-to-five job. As a twenty-year veteran of the close protection industry, I can assure you that my life has definitely not been filled with the glamorous lifestyle you see on TV shows! Yes, I have travelled to some great places and have worked for some fantastic clients, but I have also ended up in some real hot-spots like Congo, where I spent four months protecting IT specialists. Those were the times when you are sitting in a guarded compound listening to the distant pop of automatic weapons and thinking to yourself; Mum was right, I should have got a proper job! I really dont want to piss on anyones parade, and I am a great believer in encouraging people to go for it and to follow their dreams but I do want people to come into this profession with their eyes very much open, and understand that its a long, hard climb before you can get yourself established at any level, and certainly before you can call it a career. Have a long, hard think before parting with your two and a half grand for a close protection course, and dont quit your day job! However, given the right attitude, a great deal of luck and a hat-full of ambition, there

is no reason why you cannot eventually make it as a professional BG. I wish you every success with your journey.

************** Dale Easom works as Team Leader on all UK visits of Saudi Arabian business tycoon HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, and for the past twelve years has worked one-on-one with the Prince. He has also done world tours with Iron Maiden, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and has worked for Mr. John Travolta and his family in London. Dale also ran the security team on Octopus, the yacht belonging to Microsofts co-founder Paul Allen, during the final stages of completion and handover in Germany. You can contact Dale via his Facebook page: www.facebook.com/daleeasom **************

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Simon Morrell

Simon Morrell

Conquering Your Fears

By

Simon Morrell

A regular column by 5th Dan martial artist Simon Morrell on overcoming and conquering the fear inside you, and achieving what you previously thought of as impossible.

rom my own experience I have certainly had plenty to be afraid of. This has ranged from my school-days when I was bullied, threatened with knives, spat at and beaten up, to later on in life when fear was brought on by the thought of - and taking part in - tough martial art gradings, fullcontact sparring with professional boxers, hard training courses and grappling with European champions. Fear! For me, the kind of fear I had as an adolescent, manifested itself in later life as an anxiety disorder known as agoraphobia; resulting in me staying in-doors for much of my early life and shrinking my comfort zone to the four walls and garden of my house. However, after some years, and plenty of research and help, I was eventually able to conquer the fear I had of the outside world and embark upon my martial arts journey! And in time I then went on to teach at seminars and opened my own gym, and applied for membership as an instructor with possibly one of the most prestigious self-defence associations in the world, with some of the worlds top instructors; things that would most definitely not have happened to me had I not overcome my initial fear of being out there in the open - for everyone to see! But then the fear of being out there changed other fears; fear that the association wouldnt accept me as an instructor, and then feeling of fear that if they did I would have then to prove that I could instruct, travel and train with some of the best instructors in the world. There is always fear! Throughout life, fear manifests itself in many ways and in many situations and circumstances, but in order to survive and move on, fear must be conquered. I remember the fear I once had when dealing with and defeating a drug dealer and his company of friends, after a dispute lasting over two years. The drug dealings were his - not mine - and my dispute against this man was unconnected to his drug activities; threats were made to me and my family by him, and yet his threats were overcome by

me. Face-offs were instigated by him and his gang, yet by controlling my fear, not showing fear, and by instilling fear in him and his gang, those same face-offs were won by me. I do not wish to sound clever about this, as it was certainly a very scary time for me but, with great difficulty at first, I was slowly able to disguise my own weaknesses and fears - of which there were many - until things eventually came to a head and a full-scale showdown became inevitable. One evening they came mob-handed to my house; to the tune of seven to my two - my two being me and my wife. My fear was at an all time high, and all my training in controlling it was ready to leave me! But I couldnt afford to let this happen; this was MY house with two young children inside! So I stood my ground and in return was much more aggressive and much more threatening to them and it was quickly apparent that not one of them had what it took to be first. Their safety-innumbers philosophy back-fired when they a) realised that they couldnt rely on each other, and b) they could see that I wasnt bothered about them (although, in reality, nothing was further from the truth!) and when none of them met my challenge, they went away with their tails between their legs. The outcome of this conflict was that the dealer and his gang fell out with each other and separated. The main dealer tried to face up to me on his own... which caused him to swiftly move to the other side of the country, leaving no forwarding address! Fear! This show-down was never won by not feeling fear - everyone feels fear! But the sooner fear is accepted and recognised, the easier it is to start learning how to control and overcome it. The message of this story is not to try to impress anyone with my bravado; there was not one day when I didnt want the conflict to end and there was not one day when I didnt wake up scared. The message is to show that if you can be strong and can control and hide your fear, unavoidable conflict is often won. Face-to-face situations can be resolved by

controlling fear, taking the initiative, letting opponents know that any threats would be met equally, and by not allowing adversaries to gain the upper hand. It is always best to avoid confrontation, of course, but if avoidance isnt an option, deal with it quickly and move on with your life, drawing from the experience. The purpose of this regular column in Robin Barratts Tough Talk is to demonstrate that with a healthy respect for fear, and by not allowing it to dominate you and your life, and linked with the correct hard training, confrontation can often be won - maybe not always easily, but won nevertheless. The situations that you create to better yourself will always create feelings of fear. You will tell yourself you are not good enough, or you dont have the skills or experience, or you are just not ready! But you are wrong; if you are willing to try, to dare to step that bit further, to work that extra hour, to train that bit harder and generally put yourself out there, then the rewards are yours. All the time, every time! And even just by trying and daring to be better, you have already passed more of lifes tests than most people will ever bother taking. And the results of me conquering my own fears have lead me to being a 5th Dan black belt and owning my own full-time gym and dojo where I teach people every single day on how to defend themselves, compete, spar, wrestle, but most of all how to over-ride their own fears. I have taught men, women, children, police officers, professional boxers, wrestlers, doormen and security personnel and have made some great friends. And if I can do it... anyone can. But I still feel fear... every time!

imon Morrell spent most of his life suffering in a dark cave of anxiety. As a child and into his early adulthood, he was the victim of bullies which escalated into unprovoked violent assaults. This led to Simon developing full blown agoraphobia, panic attacks and a nervous breakdown. Scared of his own shadow, Simon turned to the martial arts and karate for some solace, and it was here he found his path in life. He became a very successful martial artist and his qualifications include being a 5th Dan black belt, a qualified wrestling coach (BAWA), a Registered Senior Self-Protection Instructor with The British Combat Association and a national competitor. He has attended and successfully completed training in close protection, surveillance and close quarter combat, and is the Chief Instructor at Fight Fortress. He is also a member of The Global Network of Professional Reality Based Fighting Instructors and in September 2013, he takes his test for 6th Dan under Alfie Lewis, one of the worlds most famous martial artists that has ever graced the semicontact mats. Simon is also the author of From Bullied To Black Belt and An Everyday Warrior. Both books are based on his life story and are currently being made into a feature film. All his books are available direct from his website: www.simonmorrell.com

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Reviews
Books
Forty-five quid for a book sounds expensive, but it is definately worth it, as this is by far one of the very best and most comprehensive books on close protection ever published. Written by Richard Aitch, who has over twenty-five years of significant military, government and commercial close protection, surveillance and security experience and has served in both the Parachute Regiment and the British Royal Military Police Close Protection Unit. He has managed and led close protection operations as Team Leader in 48 countries across six continents - in all threat environments - and in addition managing covert surveillance operations worldwide. Richard certainly knows what hes talking about and is not frightened of telling it as it is; this is an open and honest account of the protection industry which is both relevant and accurate, and contains a great deal of advice and guidance gained from operating at the pinnacle of both Government and commercial CP operations around the world. Close Protection is an extensive manual of procedures covering just about everything you need to know as a protection officer; whether just starting out or a veteran of many years, there is tons of interesting stuff for just about everyone in the industry. It is impossible to list all the chapters, but they range from a fascinating Historical Development of Bodyguarding & Close Protection through to What Makes a Good Close Protection Operative, Composition of a Close Protection Team and Operational Planning, and absolutely everything inbetween including; royalty and diplomatic protection; roles and responsibilities of the bodyguard and the CP team; threats, risks and vulnerability assessments; residence and estate security; fitness and unarmed combat training; communications; reconnaissance, surveillance and counter surveillance; walking drills skills; vehicles and tactical driving; travel including security for aircraft, super yachts, mega yachts and giga yachts; equipment and weapons; medic training; administration and a lot, lot more there are thirty-three comprehensive chapters with over 181,000 words in total and weighs almost 1.7 kg; it is a big tome of written work. This book should be read by just about anyone in the industry; Government protection units and commercial security companies and training providers alike. If you are serious about the protection industry then add this to your security library; you wont be disappointed.

Closer Observation Of The Protection Equation By: Richard J Aitch Hardback 33 Chapters / 565 Pages / 452 Images & Diagrams Price (includes postage and packing): 45.20 UK / 52.61 EU / 64.99 International Reviewed by Robin Barratt

Close Protection

DVDs
In one of Jakartas slums stands an impenetrable high-rise block; thirty floors of hell to be avoided. But for many of the citys most dangerous killers and gangsters, including the areas notorious crime lord Tama, it is a safe-house protecting them from the law. Even police officers consider it a nogo area. An elite SWAT team is tasked with infiltrating the building and raiding the apartments, floor by floor, taking out anyone who stands in their way. Once inside though, it soon becomes apparent that the real problem is surviving long enough to be able to get out again! An early highlight is a pitched battle in a black stairwell, another highlight sees Rama - played by Iko Uwais - an expectant father and rookie officer, part of the 20-man SWAT team, ripping at throats left, right and centre with his truncheon. The violence throughout is not for the faint-hearted. The criminals are ruthless with repeated gory scenes involving bullet wounds to the head and hammer blows to the neck, as well as some inventive death scenes. On and on the bloodshed goes; firing guns, flashing blades, thrusting and jabbing elbows. People dont just get stabbed, they get stabbed several times and then - to add insult to injury - have their throats ripped out. They are thrown and have back-snapping landings; have their heads smashed against walls or against the floor; have their chest bones broken by elbow strikes - by this stage it is a swift mercy for somebody to get shot in the head; that happens also, and with an equal amount of lethality. This is a movie not for the squeamish. Iko Uwais makes for a lethal lead hero, relying on his fists to do the talking - his signature move is to spin his opponent around and slash his neck from behind in a hook motion. Uwais is a talented martial artist; at times it feels like hes faster than the camera can capture. Dont blink. The ultra-violence isnt just glorified for the sake of excessive amounts of gore; it ups the threat level significantly. It shows Silat [Editors note: Silat is a collective word for indigenous martial arts that originates from Malaysia and Indonesia. It is traditionally practised in Malaysia, Southern Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines] in its uglier form; kill or be killed. No ones safe and no one remains unharmed. The Raid is one hell of a butt-kicking, bonecrunching, skull smashing movie; its nonstop action from start to finish.

Whilst in the Middle East, your hard working editor Robin Barratt spent a day in form idable company with the Dodge Challenger SRT8 one hell of a tough car!
The first car that carried the Challenger name was the two-door limited edition 1959 Dodge Silver Challenger a six-cylinder or V8 model available, unsurprisingly, in silver paint only. However, it wasnt until 1970 that the first generation Challenger went into production as a direct rival to the Ford Mustang, the original pony car so-called because of the Mustangs galloping pony logo. This, the third, and current generation of Challenger was introduced in 2008 as a rival to the evolved fifth generation Ford Mustang and the reintroduced fifth generation Chevrolet Camaro. Challengers can be found in the UK, but only from a very few US import companies for example: GT Autos in Bedfordshire, American Car Centre Ltd., in Fulham, London and Newport Imports (USA) Ltd., in Kent. When I had a call to say I could test drive one, I was standing salivating in the showroom before they had time to hang up. Ill be honest though, I am a bit biased as I have always loved the Challenger; I love the look of the car; its classic and timeless and completely captures what this style of raw motoring is all about. Its a muscle car through and through; if you want refinement and luxury, and to blend in and to be anonymous then the Challenger is definitely not the car for you, instead go for something... err German, but if you want to stand out and turn heads and make a statement... and be different, then this is just about as good as it gets. A friend, quite rightly I think, compared a Challenger driver to a Harley rider its a lifestyle choice and so much more that just driving a car. I had a magnificent few hours with the Challenger. I didnt care that there were not many buttons to press, gadgets and gizmos... who wants them, and they would only confuse me anyway! The seats were big and comfortable which, for me, was important, and the dash simple and easy to use and with the 5-speed AutoStick meant I could concentrate on driving this beautiful beast. The sound system was brilliant too, with a USB port for you to download all your favourite sounds onto the 30GB hard drive, iPod Control with Audio Jack and CD/DVD and Bluetooth Streaming Audio. In the USA, an SRT8 starts from around 46,000 USD, which is about 30k, but sadly with UK taxes and customs duty, here a new SRT8 will set you back around 45k new, so they are not cheap! And in the UK they lose money like no other; you can buy a two year old car for a little over half this price! And with the ridiculous petrol prices and even more ridiculous insurance costs here too, they are not that cheap to run either, but who cares; this was undoubtedly one of the fastest and most powerful and fun cars I have driven for a long time. If I had the money would I buy a Challenger SRT8? Most definitely! I loved it and is unquestionably my kind of car; big, fast and different (like my women). All I need now is to find a kind-hearted sponsor of Tough Talk that will provide me with a Challenger as a company car!

f anyone tells you that a 50 year old shouldnt be driving a Dodge Challenger; firstly I dont care what they think and secondly, quite frankly they have no idea what they are talking about either; everyone should be driving one! Im not one to use superlatives that often, but the Dodge Challenger SRT8 is f**king brilliant and undeniably one of the most exhilarating and exciting drives I have had in a very long time. Before I go into detail, let me just give you a few facts and figures to whet your taste buds. SRT stands for Street Racing Technology. Nuf said really? It has a V8 6.4L 392-cubic-inch engine, which sounds unbelievably gorgeous and delivers a thumping 470 horsepower (350 kW) and 470 lbft (640 Nm) of torque. It goes from 0-100kph in about 4.7 seconds. Its top speed; well lets just say that there are very few cars on the road whose top speed is in excess of 180 mph, which means at full pelt you can drive from London to Manchester on the M6 in just under an hour (not that you would of course... ahem, just an example!). All this power is linked to a highperformance suspension with rear stabilizer bar, performance-tuned steering, antilock 4-wheel disc performance brakes, and whopping 245/45ZR 20-inch performance tires. Aside from my local pizza delivery man, there are very few vehicles on the road faster that the Challenger SRT8. Oh, and it turns heads like you would not believe.

The Raid
Cert: R Action Adventure Starring: Iko Uwais Directed by: Gareth Evans Reviewed by: Peter Ellis The award-winning action thriller The Raid, already being hailed as one of the greatest martial arts action movies ever made.

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CLASSIFIED SECTION
Please mention Robin Barratts Tough Talk when contacting advertisers below!

TOUGH TALKS
INSURANCE
CAMBERFORD LAW PLC are members of The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) and the International Professional Security Association (IPSA). We are perhaps the leading Insurance Brokers to the Security Industry. We have been handling Insurances for Security companies for over 20 years. W: www.camberford-law.com

SECURITY TRAINING
BLUE SQUARE GLOBAL is a specialist operational and training provider of covert surveillance and intelligence gathering solutions. W: www.bluesquareglobal.com ISS TRAINING LTD are providers of specialist covert surveillance training courses and publications to the security and investigative industries, enforcement agencies and specialist military units. W: www.intelsecurity.co.uk RAVEN SPECIAL PROJECTS for the full range of security training including: Joint Surveillance And Bodyguard Course, Maritime Security & Open Water Certification, Survival Training, Operational Flight Training, Parachute Training Course, Anti Terrorist & Driving Course, Hostage Rescue Techniques, Operational Skiing Course, I.E.D & Mine Reconigtion, Bodyguard Paramedicine Course. W: www. ravenspecialprojects.com RONIN (SOUTH AFRICA) was established in 1995 and has obtained international acclaim as a provider of progressive high risk close protection training to the fast growing international industry. Ronin provides progressive PSIRA (SA) and SIA (UK) compliant High Risk Close Protection & Firearm Training W: www.ronin.co.za RST SECURITY TRAINING are one of the UKs leading groups in security training, employment and support services to the manned security industry. For courses including Level 2 Door Supervision, Manned Guarding, CCTV, PI and Level 3 Close Protection, our Academy in Central London offers outstanding value for money and well as career support. W: www.rstsiatraining.com

BOOKS
CLOSE PROTECTION: A Closer Observation Of The Protection Equation. By Richard J. Aitch. Arguably the most relevant and accurate interpretation of one of the worlds most unusual and secretive professions. A must-have for anyone working in the security and protection industry. W: www.cpbook.co.uk THE NEW BODYGUARD - A Practical Guide To The Close Protection Industry. By Kevin Horak. Over 350 pages, 240 photographs, 60 illustrations over 24 chapters. Following critical acclaim for his first edition; this second edition is a full rewrite and expansion, covering more detail and more insights into the Close Protection Business. W: www.bodyguarding.co.uk

MARTIAL ARTS INSTRUCTION

BOB HONIBALL for quality Martial Arts and Self Defence instruction. Bob has been training in the Martial Arts since 1967 and has been instructing since the early 1970s. As a martial artist, Bob is respected for his experience, skill, ability and depth of knowledge. As a teacher Bob is renowned for his sincerity, clarity and open approach to teaching; his objective being to develop and refine the skills, physical capabilities and character of the students he teaches, to the highest possible standard, taking into account their personal expectations, physical capacities, needs and goals. W: www.bobhoniball.lt/en/ WILD GEESE MARTIAL ARTS, Dublin citys premium martial arts and personal training facility is host to some of the countrys finest instructors and personal trainers. W: www.wildgeesema.com

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T A W S r e b A U.S m e team m
A British Unlicensed Boxer

www.ToughTalkMagazin e.com

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CLOTHING & SECURITY EQUIPMENT

NITON 999 A huge range of clothing and equipment and alongside our own brand products we are also proud to stock internationally renowned brands like Bates Boots, Safariland, and Magnum Boots. Because of our reputation in the police and security industry we have also been given the privilege of stocking items you wont find anywhere else in the UK. W: www.niton999.co.uk

SECURITY SERVICES
JKM NATIONAL SECURITY in Doncaster are security consultants and providers, providing security to many blue chip clients throughout the UK. JKM specialise in providing manned officers, mobile patrols / officers, gate house duties, event security, retail guarding, and key holding. W: www.jkmsecurity.co.uk RADIUS SECURITY, the north west of Englands security experts and providers of door supervision and event security across the region. Radius aims to become a market leader in setting new standards for the security industry and to comply with fast moving legislation changes in order to be ahead of the competition. W: www.radiusuk.net RED CARPET SECURITY is a leading provider of Reliable, Experienced and Diplomatic specialist security for individuals, event companies, SMEs and blue-chip businesses. We also work closely with all our clients providing tailored security solutions. W: www.redcarpetsecurity.co.uk

FITNESS & GYM EQUIPMENT

POWERHOUSE FITNESS is one of the largest internet retailers of Fitness Equipment, Gym Equipment and Sports Nutrition products in the UK. With over 2000 high quality products - from the latest Treadmills, Rowing Machines, Exercise Bikes, Cross Trainers, Strength Training Equipment and Weights, youre sure to find the product that meets your fitness needs at the right price. W: www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk

TRANSPORTATION
GOODEGE CHAUFFEUR SERVICES is the market leader in secure, chauffeur-driven luxury transportation. We use only the finest vehicles and employ only the best-trained drivers in order to deliver a genuinely luxurious, security-assured chauffeur-driven vehicle experience. W: www.goodege.com *********************************
Just 1.00 a word, send your classified advert to ToughTalk@ToughTalkMagazine.co.uk for inclusion in the second issue. Or write your ad out and post it to our mailing address: Robin Barratt, Suite 56, 3 Courthill House, 60 Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AJ, UK. Well then get back to you with confirmation. Deadline for summer issue: 31st May 2013.

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GYMS & HEALTH CLUBS

NO LIMITES, Rugbys longest running gym having the largest range of free weight and free weight machines and a good selection of cardio- vascular and selectorised machines. Also a fast tan solarium. T: 01788 535200

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