I'm going to take it as a given that most of the membership here is too intelligent to fight in the club, but might have seen a scuffle or two over the years.
It's also my perception that fighting most often happens in clubs by military bases (natch !!).
However, where would you draw a line in the sand? What would be your rubicon moment that would cause you to cut loose and let some deserving asshole (or bitch) have it?
A few months ago, I saw a scuffle between two wanna be gangstas at the St James. It took awhile for management to intervene. I try to position myself in a club where I have a good view and do not have people behind me. I do not interact much w/customers so have never had the reason to let anyone have it. If it is a dancer, I just blow her off. In my 20+ years of clubbing I have seen few non dancers altercations.
Only seen a couple of "fights" when someone was escorted out of the club. I wouldn't classify them as a fight, however.
As for me, it would be no different in a club than anywhere. When I see something starting, I try to be a peace maker. If I know the "combatants, I can usually defuse the issue. Now if I see a man attack a woman or a youngster, THAT will set me off. Somehow, over my years, I've managed to keep things under control and only once really got into with a guy. When is was getting heated, I asked him to go outside so as not to mess up the place (we both knew the owner well), he wouldn't since it is well know that I carry. Perhaps that is a reason things settle down. In my neck of the woods, a lot carry, so it would be relatively stupid to start something, plus most know each other. Drink is most always a contributing factor, followed by women.
I have not and would not ever be in a fight in a strip club.
In my regular club a few years ago I never saw a fight, but I did see a couple of guys dragged out of the club by the bouncers. One in particular was a 30-something fireplug who was drunk and groping the girls. They complained; the bouncers asked him to leave. 30 seconds later, three bouncers were grappling with the guy and it took a couple of minutes to get him out of the club. The cops were called. In the intervening minutes, the guy suffered a variety of bruises and contusions. Then he argued with the cops. Last I saw of him, the cops were mobilizing on the sidewalk. There are many lessons in this; and most of us learn them in middle school.
I used to get in fights about every day with my brother when I was a little kid. Nothing too serious though. Except one day when he egged on about 9 other kids into attacking me. 4 came at me at once. One landed a partial kick on me. That triggered my berserk anger and adrenaline surge. I started spinning around hitting them so hard I knocked them down out of the air. Then I started feeling even angrier and almost felt like killing them. Luckily for them there was a total of about 9 of them and after the first 4 to 6 got knocked down pretty hard, the rest ran away. Actually they all did. I felt a bit frustrated as my anger died back down. I found out I knocked out some baby teeth (we were kids) and 2 or 3 were in the hospital and I only used one fist and only landed one hit on most of them. I know one of my grandfathers used to be a boxer. As far as fighting nowadays, I avoid it and don't want to ever get in another physical fight. I do have a concern for my own health but an even bigger fear I will kill someone and end up in jail if I ever get out of control again. Plus a lot of people use weapons other than their bare hands nowadays. I once had a number of dreams about killing people using different techniques along with many combat dreams. I'm not sure why because I was never in the military. I even had one dream that kept repeating. I kept getting shot by some enemy soldiers, one of the bullets kept hitting me in the heart and then I would wake up. After 4 times, I remembered and ordered my squad around the other side of the room the enemy soldiers were in. Weird dream.
As far as fights in clubs, I haven't seen too many. There are some rough clubs where I heard you could get stabbed, shot, or beat up on any given night in some towns I've been to but I avoided those clubs. I'm just a nice quiet guy. I did see someone's wife come into a club and she apparently hit the guy on the head with a beer bottle. He never saw it coming and he got knocked out cold. They called the paramedics to the club.
In my many SC visits, I have only seen two fights. It was between a really redneck looking dude and a mexican guy. They knocked over a table, but were seperated quick and both booted out of the club.
The poor lady on stage was pretty startled, though.
I guess I have not seen many fights in clubs because I usually go on day shifts/off peak hours. Usually more fun to be had that way.
I almost never visit when the club is close to full.
I thought about getting formal martial arts combat training. Both of my brothers have been trained. Everything takes time though. I once thought, I could get formal martial arts training 3 or 4 nights a week. Then I thought, I would rather just watch tits in a strip club rather than spend my nights practicing how to break bones in every limb of an attacker in only a few moves. I use a comparison similar to wanting to move out away from the center of the city so you can have more freedom to go bicycling outdoors. Then you look at a house with a really big yard. One of your relatives says laughing, if you buy this house you won't need to worry about bicycling, you'll spend all your time cutting grass! I try to avoid fights.
I really only recall two non-dancer fights, one involving who was supposed to be using the pool table, which could probably happen at any bar, and one in which one of the guys was apparently hanging out with the other dude's girlfriend. My favorite club, for whatever reason but probably because of the redneck element due to its location, is prone to fights, but I've never felt the desire to take part in any. For the most part, I don't know the other customers, and am only vaguely familiar with some of them.
Clubs in Detroit have recently experienced shootings, some fatal. It's stupid and reckless to get into a fight in a club, especially when there's an even chance someone has a loaded gun.
I had one close call regarding fighting in a club. I was sitting at the tip rail with my beer and a handfull of dollar bills when this guy come in and sits next to me. He's obviously a little drunk, but he's also built like an NFL linebacker.
Next thing you know he's leaning into me saying something, "I'm gonna whip your ass!" I looked back and said, "That won't prove anything. It won't even be the first time it's happened. Why don't you let me buy you a beer?"
Then he makes a fist and starts to draw back and I'm trying to determine what part of my face to protect when, without any warning, the waitress, who's a good-sized girl, slips between us and starts asking the guy wich dancer he likes best. He turns to point out a blonde, and she says over her shoulder to me, "Get away from this guy, he's crazy." I ask it she'll be okay and she says yes, so I over away.
A few minutes later the cops are there, taking him away. It wasn't the first time for this guy to be busted and the club had called the cops as soon as he walked in.
Yes, I bought that waitress more than one drink1
Same as any other place. Self-defense with no other option.
SD,
"It's stupid and reckless to get into a fight in a club, especially when there's an even chance someone has a loaded gun." It isn't the gun that you have to concern yourself with. It is that there might be an idiot on the operating end of it. Legally carried guns are rarely a problem, at least in Florida. I would bet that other carry states have nearly the same statistics.
The closest to a fight I have gotten was when a hot-tempered fave of mine would occasionally hit me with her scary stripper shoe if I did something that pissed her off. But it wasn't really a fight - it was more her hitting me, and me going into the fetal position to protect myself.
Never got into any skirmishes with fellow custies, although there has been a time or two I wanted to. Common sense (and sobriety) made me reconsider getting into a fight with a person twice my size and half my intellect. Just wasn't worth it.
One of the clubs I visit has been attracting a thuggish crowd. It's not all the customers, but lots of black guys with dreads and white guys who think they're black. They're usually not a problem, they just don't spend any money.
Last time I went, some white guy got into an altercation with one of the black guys, and went to the parking lot with a bunch of both of their friends. Well, the white guy was ready to fight but the black guy hit him in the face with a beer bottle. Guy's lip was split wide open and the fight was over. I had a nice time sitting there for an hour after close so I could talk to the cops.
Moral of the story? Don't go outside. Let the bouncer handle it.
I have seen some fights but they have all been between dancers. And usually gets started by a new dancer.
I have never been tempted to smack anyone in a club. OTC, Yes but it has never happened. I'm a lover...