Erby pulls no punches for the stars

Erby pulls no punches for the stars

By K. Basrie

JAKARTA (JP): Guarding celebrities is still an unusual
profession here.

Many local dignitaries feel safe enough walking around, even
in big cities like Jakarta, without "Rambos" to fend off
bothersome fans and make sure they don't get hurt.

Why? Well, maybe city folk here are indifferent to fame. Or
perhaps celebrities just don't like hiring bodyguards.

That's why Erby Dwitoro, 33, specializes in guarding only
foreign celebrities, and providing security for major gigs.

He has "done" almost 100 stars since 1990: Diana Ross, Cindy
Crawford, David Copperfield, Color Me Badd, Michael Bolton,
Metallica, Natalie Cole, Steven Seagal, Phil Collins, Kenny
Rogers, Air Supply, Tommy Page and Jacky Cheung.

This is what he had to say when we interviewed him at his
office in Jamz, Blok M.

Question: What made you choose this profession?

Erby: It's a tough and challenging job. To be a professional
bodyguard you need more than just a fit body, sharp eyes and a
wide range of self-defense skills. You also need management
skills, you know. I use the management skills I learnt at
university.

Erby graduated from Jayabaya University in Jakarta in 1988. He
started working at a showbiz firm when one day in 1990 he was
asked to handle a crowd of teenage fans mobbing a star at a five
star hotel.

Do you think that bodyguards are necessary for local
celebrities or executives?

I don't think so, not for celebrities anyway, because fans
here are not as brutal as those abroad. They can be easily
handled and asked to cooperate, unless they're treated badly.
Anyway, you can't use firearms without special permission. That's
why nobody here has been wounded or killed by fans obsessed with
a star, convinced there's a mutual attraction. Not like abroad.
Remember John Lennon and Monica Seles? Look how many guards
Michael Jackson or Madonna have on tour... But that's no excuse
for locals not to hire security. We have had many reports of
harassment experienced by local artists here while touring. They
should have thought about it beforehand.

If fans in Indonesia are so friendly, why do foreign artists
need local bodyguards like you?

I not sure why, exactly... I think their managers just want to
make sure their charges are safe and know what's going on. Even
though they have their own personal security people, the managers
want us to be the main bodyguards because we know the situation
better here, like, what the fans are like, the city, the routes,
the security systems at the hotels and venues.

How many men do you have?

I usually divide my team into two or three groups with me as
the captain. The number of people in each group depends on the
"class" of the stars and the size of the venue. The groups, each
with its own leader, are located at the airport, the hotel and
the venue. Being the captain, I'm always close to the stars, from
when they get in until they take off again.

Where do you get your men from? Do you recruit people
especially for events?

No recruits. But I can provide as many as 1,000 men for a
venue as long as everything is right. Most of my people are
students and graduates with Army discipline, people who know how
to work as a team. If one of us makes a small mistake, the whole
team suffers, we all look bad.

He argued that ethics, brains and social skills are as
important as brawn. "They need to get on with the security people
of the hotels and airport who know every detail of the buildings
and alternative roads to and from the venue." They also need to
know about protocol and have dress sense. "Otherwise they're not
professional."

Would you say you're a professional bodyguard?

I keep learning, from the security guys the stars bring with
them, for instance. I got something useful from David
Copperfield. They taught me a lot, like how to carry someone with
one hand free through a throng, how to drag clients off fast.
Watchfulness and quick responses are mandatory in this business.

Erby, who practices the martial art of Merpati Putih, says he
knows nothing about guns and has not killed anybody yet. He
freely admits to not meeting the high expectations of his clients
all the time. "When I was guarding the magician David Copperfield
in a mall here and he asked me something, I felt like a dwarf,"
he said.

How much do you charge?

It's not major money, especially because this is new here.
Tell me how many local artists have their own bodyguards... None
of them. So our fees are still much, much lower than abroad.

At first, Erby did not want to say how much he charges. Later,
in a whisper he said it was around Rp 5 million per package,
depending on the client and venue.

How do you get your orders?

Through showbiz promoters, impresarios. Even though we get the
order from them, that doesn't mean we have to follow all their
regulations or requests. Before I sign the contract, I stipulate
certain conditions to avoid misunderstandings. For instance, I
want the agreement to describe that I can change the itinerary if
something unexpected happens.

How would you describe your job?

It's a multi-function job: bodyguard, guide, translator and
sometimes servant. It includes protecting clients from being hurt
by their fans, answering their questions about everything they
see heading to their hotel, organizing the security system at the
hotel and venue, accompanying them around and guarding them until
their planes take off again. I always try to do my best because I
want to give them a good image of Indonesia.

On the way to the hotel, almost all of his clients have the
same questions: about the traffic jams, the slums, the garbage
all over the place, the toll gates. "It's not easy to answer such
questions."

Do you ever get presents from the stars?

Sometimes. In the form of dollars or stuff. I once got a
jacket from singer Anita Sarawak.

What was your favorite present so far?

An unexpected kiss from supermodel Cindy Crawford.

Did it make your wife jealous?

Oh, come on. How could a woman be jealous of a supermodel like
Cindy? That's impossible.

What else do you get from this job?

The glamor of penthouses in five-star hotels which I wouldn't
be able to afford.

Any unforgettable experiences?

My first son, Mohammad Alvaro Adhana Koze, who is now two
years old, was named after saxophonist Dave Koz, who was on tour
here in May 1994. I was on duty guarding him when my wife was
rushed to a hospital to give birth. Hearing the news, he told me
to leave him to be with my wife.

Have you ever been asked for sex by female clients?

No... And if that happens, I'd do my best to get away from
them. I'm not that kind of guy.

How do you handle the teenagers, who are more aggressive than
the older ones?

Tell them gently to line up properly because the artists are
waiting for them, ready to give them their signatures. I always
carry pens in my pockets. It's simple but it works.

Bodyguards in Indonesia have no legal association. According
to the International Professional Security Association (IPSA),
there are currently 232,000 people in the industry worldwide.
Erby predicts that business will be sluggish next year with the
1997 general election. "Things will be quiet, because no foreign
stars will be allowed to perform here."