Daniel Anokwuru
A bouncer is the first face you see when entering a bar, pub or night club. Bouncers’ duty inside the bar is to eject overly drunk people and trouble makers.
They also prevent people, who are not wanted in the club from going in. Bouncers, in more ways than one, have holy powers. They stand at your pearly gates; only they can let you and your squad into their heaven. And like God, bouncers can decide that you have sinned when you put on sandals on his dance floor, and can cast you out of paradise.
They can always see when you try to hide how drunk you are before coming inside the club.
Being big and strong is the first way to be an effective bouncer. If you are big enough, your mere presence alone, will be enough to prevent most confrontations.
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Bouncers build their body structure by lifting at the gym, which consist of bench press, squats, dead lifts, rows, shoulder presses, skull crushers and bar bell biceps curls.
The first reason that working out at the gym is so important, is because of the physical activity.
“Gym ensures us both mental and physical benefits, which help us to think and function better in our everyday lives. Most people believe that gym is only meant for those who want to gain more muscle. But we gain more in going to the gym. There, you do a balanced programme that includes both aerobic and strength training exercises. These promote heart health and weight loss, help prevent osteoporosis and improves muscle strength, balance and flexibility.
For many men, working out is a sport, and they do it because it is competitive. But for women, fitness is a superficial issue. They do it because it will help them remain in shape,” Sunday Godwin, a bouncer and boxer with over 14 years experience, said.
In recent times, women are found more in the gym than men. The fear of losing their husbands to younger girls, has forced many women to embrace the gym, so as to keep fit, lose excess weight and remain younger. But aside from the general knowledge of the benefits we derive from gym, there is also a relationship threat,associated with it.
According to Godwin: “The problem of some failed relationships and infidelity starts from the gym. The gym is one secret place, where both married and single ladies, compete for men.”
The father of one from Ogoja in Cross River State, added: “Owing to the kind of men the women meet at the gym, they find it difficult, resisting the temptation.”
Godwin said the men receive sexual overtures from both married and single ladies.
He maintained that he is very fulfilled in his career as a bouncer, but would like to go further into boxing.
On how he found himself in his current profession, he said: “I started my bouncer job in 2006 in Lagos State. I have the physical look, and my brother was into it already, so I joined him. I am also a boxer. I started my boxing right from my primary school days. After some years of continuous training, my body build improved. I became fitter and physically balanced. That was when I joined the work of a bouncer. And I have never regretted it since I enrolled the profession. That is why I put in more efforts to remain fit. But I still want to further my boxing career if I see help. I have worked as a bouncer in different hotels and event places.”
Talking about the secret affairs, associated with gym, the bouncer noted that it is a very challenging and tempting situation because some of the ladies are ready to spend their money on them.
“When we come to train, we receive a lot of advances from both single and married ladies. They all want to date you because we usually train together in one hall, but doing different programmes. Some would plead to take photographs with you. They would collect your phone number, promising you a job. But once they add you on WhatsApp, the story will change. They would be asking you to go out with them. The trend is very common at the gym because most of them cannot stand our body build, without feeling like to touch us. Sometimes, it happens at event centres. Women would be giving you sign, asking for your number. But I always hold myself. It depends on individuals. Me, I know how to control them. Many of them are ready to take care of you because there are many rich ladies at the gym, some married to wealthy men. So, if you do not discipline yourself, you will fall into their trap. A lady once told me that her husband is very rich, and always travelling abroad. She did many things to get me but I refused. I have a wife and a baby at home, I am okay with my family.”
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In the course of his duty as a bouncer, Godwin said he had heard and witnessed many things. He has received many threats too.
“I have received many threats from customers, but that never stops me from doing my job. People misbehave a lot when they are drunk. Some would tell you they are going to call the police. Others will threaten you that the owner of the place is their brother, that they will make sure they sack you. But once their eyes are cleared from the drink, they will come back, begging you to let them in again, that their friends are inside the club. But I usually refuse because letting them in is to cause more problems.
“We are always careful when it comes to night club. You catch people constituting nuisance, like sex in the bathroom, because they are drunk. So, we make sure we are at alert. But we have friends a lot because people see you and want to be friends with you.”
Godwin stressed that at home, he is a king. On the road, people respect him a lot, wishing to be like him, while some others get scared of him easily.