More than 26 years after taking a job as a bouncer at a local club in his native Spain, Mesa still finds himself protecting club patrons and staff night after night. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It’s not for everyone, but it is for sure something I’m good at and take very seriously,” he says.
Though the 44-year-old still looks forward to his job every night, his true passion is in martial arts – specifically, anything Japanese.
With a 3rd degree black belt each in Aikijitsu, Nihon Tai Jitsu, and Daitu Ryu Jitsu in addition to a 1st degree black belt in Aikido and experience in other martial arts, it’s no surprise that it was Mesa who was called upon to give many of Seduction’s bouncers lessons on techniques to restrain rowdy and violent patrons if the occassion arises.
“We want to be different from other clubs. We want to fix problems with violent customers and make sure there are no repeat offenders. Of course, the last thing we try to do is hurt someone,” he says.
Every Friday, dozens of Seduction bouncers, all of whom are Thai, head to Fun Start in Kathu for lessons with Mesa – who is also an explosives expert and the former Head of Security of Pacha nightclub in Ibiza for 12 years. For just under an hour and a half, Mesa provides lessons on techniques that are specific to the crowded confines of a nightclub.
“We tried this for two months during the low season last year,” Mesa said, “to have bouncers try these techniques. The Seduction owners noticed the bouncers were working as a team so we continued,” he says.
“The difference between a serious fight with injured people is whether there is blood or not,” Mesa says. “When someone sees their own blood, in a club or in the street, that’s when trouble starts and, surely, there would be more injured people.”
Everything from joint locks to grappling techniques are used to make sure bouncers maintain control of the offender yet reduces their zeal for violent retaliation.
“What I’m trying to do is teach these guys how to work as a team, to intervene in less than 10 seconds, restrain people, take them outside, and have no blood spilled.”
“If you hit someone, it doesn’t do anything but get people angry. If you know how to work clean, teach someone how to defend themselves, finish things quickly and effectively, nothing else needs to happen. The guy might be on the floor, he’d probably be mad but he wouldn’t attack you. The thing we try to mitigate is injuries and blood. We eliminate it completely.”