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    A Dragon on the Door
    A Dragon on the Door
    A Dragon on the Door
    Ebook106 pages1 hour

    A Dragon on the Door

    By Simon Morrell

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Having read a multitude of books portraying the folk who guard the doors of the nation s pub and clubs, I noticed that was nothing in print about the establishment that sit on the North Wales Coast. I soon filled this void, giving the area the recognition it deserves in serving a potential melting pot of customers. From locals, farmers, townies and holiday makers, you will meet them all in A Dragon On The Door seen though the eyes of the guardians of such. Read on as I talk to World Champion Kickboxers, men bought up to fight, ordinary men just trying to make a living and uniquely, a husband and wife team. Their stories will make you laugh, cry and gasp as they tell it how it is. With an introduction by leading Security Expert Peter Consterdine this book may change how you feel about our Tuxedo Warriors.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon Morrell
    Release dateNov 10, 2018
    ISBN9780956560377
    A Dragon on the Door
    Author

    Simon Morrell

    Simon Morrell is one of the United Kingdom's leading Martial Artists and Inspirational Speakers but it hasn't always been this way and his success has been hard come by. As a young child he was badly bullied which grew into violent assaults as he approached early adulthood. An attempted stabbing took place by a vicious youth during a particularly frightening period and further beatings followed. Simon became agoraphobic and suffered from life changing panic attacks before deciding he had endured enough. He entered the world of Martial Arts to gain confidence and quickly surprised himself and his loved ones by excelling in it. Today he holds multiple Black Belts including 6th Dan Karate and Dan Grade Krav Maga as well as being a three time Hall of Fame winner. He has also twice been an award winner at the industry related Warriors Assemble including 2016 British Book of the Year. He uses his adversity as fuel for his books in the hope they will inspire others. His battle against alcohol abuse bought on by conflicts with hardcore gangsters and members of the IRA who pursued him for his father's debts is the subject of the book An Everyday Warrior. Again despite grave danger and life changing choices, he emerged triumphant and he hopes this book will show there is a way forward for anyone, whatever their circumstances. His childhood beatings and bullying inspired him the write 'Kia! The Karate Handbook for Kicking Kids!' the complete self defense book for children and his next book 'My Fear, Your Fear' is part self help and part discovery book for people struggling with their own fears. Simon's wife Julie manages his business affairs so if you would like to book Simon for public speaking events of self defense training the contact her at [email protected]

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      Book preview

      A Dragon on the Door - Simon Morrell

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Simon Morrell has spent the majority of his life studying fighting, self-defence, combat and other methods of ‘persuading’ people to do no harm to him or his.

      He has been very successful in doing so, obtaining 4th Dan Black Belt in Practical Karate and Kick-Boxing, and his coaching certificates in Wrestling, Close Quarter Combat and Self Defence. He has trained in Close Protection (Bodyguarding) and Surveillance and at the time of writing (June 2010) is about to take the test to become an instructor in Krav Maga, the official form of unarmed combat for the Israeli Military and Special Forces.

      He has made many good friends during his long, long tour of duty in the Combat Arena and many of these are from the sometimes murky, sometimes not so murky, but always interesting world of Door Supervisors.

      Now Simon sometimes exchanges his sparring gloves and gum shield for his desk and shiny pen and it is through this that he is pleased to introduce you to some of his friends and their stories in ‘A Dragon On The Door’.

      ‘A Dragon On The Door’

      Tales of the trials and tribulations from the Door staff of North Wales Bars, Pubs and Clubs.

      By

      Simon Morrell

      Introduction

      By

      Peter Consterdine

      8th Dan Karate

      Chief Instructor British Combat Association

      Former Manchester Doorman

      All photographs

      Copyright Simon Morrell 2010 ©

      Published by Blue Porch Publishers.

      Illustrations by Julie Morrell.

      All rights reserved.

      Printed and bound in Great Britain.

      No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, nor transmitted, nor translated into machine language without the written permission of the publishers.

      ISBN 978-0-9565603-2-2

      ‘A Dragon On The Door’

      Tales of the trials and tribulations from the Door staff of North Wales Bars, Pubs and Clubs.

      This version printed June 2010 (1st edition).

      All rights reserved. The rights of Simon Morrell to be identified as the author of this work have been asserted in accordance with Copyright, Designs Patents Act of 1988.

      Simon’s website is www.simonmorrell.com

      He can be contacted via email at [email protected]

      Simon is available for motivational talks, seminars and self-defence training as well as Mixed Martial Arts courses.

      A dedication.

      This book is dedicated to a Dragon who lost his life far, far too early;

      For Danny Patient

      A true ‘Dragon On The Door’

      `A Dragon On The Door©

      Tales & Tribulations from the lads and lasses on the North Wales Nightclub Doors.

      By Simon Morrell

      For the purpose of writing (making my job easier) I refer to the stars of this book in the male gender i.e. chaps, doormen, etc. This is not done to offend as there are some good female door ‘people’ out there. Please forgive the fact that I was too lazy to repeat or correct the gender difference and just ‘lumped’ them both in the same category.

      Acknowledgements and dedications.

      It goes without saying (but I will anyway) that I have massive thanks to say to all the people who participated in this book. They gave their time without hesitation and were both honest and generous with it.

      Also, as ever, a thanks to my wife Julie for both the illustrations and help putting this all together and for my great children who seem to have far more patience than their dad when it comes to waiting for the ‘end results’.

      Introduction

      By Peter Consterdine

      I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the very best and the very worst of human nature. Nowhere does this ‘culture dish’ of experiences occur with more regularity, than within today’s drink-fuelled leisure society, managed by the modern door supervisor – man and woman.

      There have been previous books from doormen in various parts of the UK, but there is a uniqueness and challenge in respect of the clientele for the doormen of North Wales, that you’ll be hard pressed to find elsewhere. From the local youth, and farmers to holidaymakers, ‘red in tooth and claw,’ the mix is eclectic and has produced for this book a range of stories – some humorous, some violent and some heart-warming.

      The tales from the door are all here, but, uniquely in Simon’s book, from both sides; the doormen, but also from their ‘clients.’"  

      Peter Consterdine 8th Dan Karate

      Chief Instructor British Combat Association

      Former Manchester Doorman

      Prologue

      As someone who has trained in the Martial Arts/Combat Arena for more years than I care to remember (its 30) I have inevitably come across fellow fighters who have, for one reason or another, taken their skills from the gyms and dojos into the world of the nightclub door.

      Call them ‘bouncers, door supervisors, chucker-outers’ or whatever you will, these usually strange, but also usually pleasant chaps have a job to do which sometimes upsets people. The people they are upset are usually under the influence of alcohol, substances or sometimes both. Not always, but usually. They are also, (usually) trying to knock seven bells out of another punter.

      Enter the door supervisor. Now I am sure they don’t always get it right, but I am equally sure they don’t always get it wrong. Their job is to quell the argument, fight or altercation supposedly without taking sides. Now the aggrieved party will argue until they are blue in the face (courtesy of a well placed choke?) that the doorman was out of order, out of control or just....well...out of it.

      Now given that the angry punter may be under the influence, their opinion may not be the most objective of all. And of course the doorman is now the subject of CCTV and all manner of laws, designed (quite rightly) to see that fair play is done and everything is all above board. At the end of the day, the preferred mode of transport home for all concerned is a taxi, not a police car or worse still, a wooden box (yes, it happens).

      So what is it like, to have to do your job whilst being scrutinised by the latest CCTV, governed by laws designed and written by people who have never seen or felt the ugly fist of violence, deal with the dark side of society and still try and keep a smile on your face and return home safely at the end of the night?

      Well you can either walk the walk of the brave and try the door yourself or you can find out from the comfort of your front room, a glass of wine in your hand, dog at your feet and the fire roaring. Because this book intends to find out for you.

      ‘We’ll keep a welcome in the hillside’

      I chose North Wales as the location to this book because I live there and it wouldn’t take me long to get home after I had interviewed our stars. No, not really. I did choose it because I live there but also because of the nature of the location and its modern history and relevance.

      The North Wales coast is very close to the big cities of Liverpool, Chester and Manchester and inevitably became a holiday haven for families from these destinations starting in the 1950’s. Many of these families later migrated from their cities during the 1970’s and it is as common now, whilst walking around Rhyl, Colwyn Bay or any of the other coastal towns, to hear a ‘scouse’ or ‘manc’ accent as it is a ‘taffy’.

      Usually, the mix of breed get along fine, sometimes they don’t. Especially when the World Cup is on and England have qualified and Wales haven’t, as is usually the case (my sense of humour is either going to get me seriously hurt, lead to me not selling any copies of this book, or banned from every night club in the region.  )

      Now before anyone takes me too seriously, I love the Welsh. My wife and children are indeed Welsh and extract revenge on behalf of all you Welsh people who suffer the brunt of my bad jokes. How do they do so? They talk about me in a language I

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