Should Martial Artist work as Doorman or Security Guards as a final test of fighting ability?

You're going to go do door work with the expectation of regularly using your skills in fights? What if you are able to do things with a minimum of physical intervention..in fact, isn't that more desirable?

I can see this possibly being a good test of skills, but the motivation itself seems questionable to me, frankly. Maybe a value judgement on my part sure, but it basically amounts to doing a job with the sole intention of legally getting in fights..why not just go into MMA or something if you are concerned with your skill on that level, better yet why not just train well and realistically and have fun?

jmike, you might be interested in an earlier thread on this forum that discusses the same question:

http://iainabernethy.co.uk/content/should-security-work-be-final-test

@ Zack Zinn

I understand that avoiding a fight is the main goal of a doorman. That is a skill that would be tested. I'm not really talking just about physical skills.

I'm not wanting to legally get into fights. I don't want to hurt anyone actually.

It's not just the physical that I am concerned with.  I'm not very good at explaining myself, so I apologize if I wasn't clear before.

Yes, I am wanting to also test out the physical skills as well, but the physical is just a very small part.

I'm also hoping this will train my mental metel and fear control.

I dunno, it seems like weird motivation to do a job to me.

Then again, i've never done any door work or anything similar, so I don't know anything and probably have no real advice to give.

I wonder though, how much "proof" is really needed? If you are already training realistically as much as is possible, do you need/want the outside validation?

I understand the desire for it, but I feel sometimes as martial artists we get a little obsessed with always proving ourselves, alot of what makes good training is common sense, and unless you actually feel a desire to simply be a doorman, to work in that environment, I personally don't understand taking a job on just to "prove" your martial arts works to yourself. Shouldn't that stuff be a part of training if that is one's emphasis?

I wouldn't mind hearing a counterpoint from the people on here who have done doorwork. It just seems odd to me to take a job for these reasons. Unless of course you have a practical reason for simply being attracted to door work. I mean I guess that's one thing, if youw actually want to do it...but just doing it because you think you are supposed to to "prove" your training seems unneccssary to me. I always assumed door work is very much a personality thing, and like anything else you will either gravitate towards it, or not want to do it...not sure either one is going to make or break you as a martial artist.

In the other thread the point was also made that the role of a doorman or LEO is very different from civilian self defense.

My comments are up on the other thread but basically I started to woork on doors for exactly the same reasons that jmike states. I wanted to test my abilities in that environment. Although never my full time job, I eneded up doing 15 years on the door and personally, while I don't think it is essential, I do feel that it is something that most martial artists should consider at some point.