Every month the Department of Campus Safety Center offers a Rape Aggression Defense, R.A.D., class to train women in proper self-defense techniques. It is a three-day long commitment course that focuses on physical training as well as prevention and risk reduction.
Held in the Evans building located at 2130 S. High St., the next available R.A.D. will be March 29 from 4-9 p.m., March 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and March 31 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This R.A.D. session will be given at no cost.
R.A.D. courses are offered on campus once a month and costs $25. If a group of five or more women get together, they can take it at any time for the regular price. However, if enough women sign up, they may be eligible for a reduced price. This is determined on a case-by-case basis.
“The $25 is more for a personal commitment and to pay for the course materials,” said Doug Hasty, Lieutenant of Patrol Operations for the Campus Safety Center and instructor for the course. “We are offering it for free in March because we want to make it available to everyone.”
Members of Campus Safety who are R.A.D.-certified instructors teach the course. Currently there are no R.A.D. courses available for men on campus.
“The most beneficial part of RAD, as a student, is definitely becoming more aware and also increasing your self confidence when it comes to defending yourself,” said Ashley Fish, a volunteer for the R.A.D. courses that are held at DU. She has taken the courses multiple times, both at DU and the School of Mines, where she attended college. “You really learn how hard you can kick and punch.”
The course begins with awareness on the issue of sexual assault. Each student is given a workbook that can serve as a reference for the course. R.A.D certified instructors discuss safety do’s and don’ts with the class. This includes tips such as using the buddy system when walking at night and never accepting a drink from strangers.
“The main goal of this course is to teach how to survive and escape,” said Hasty.
Despite the educational aspect of the first day, women also get into some techniques for self-defense, such as proper stances and blocking. This is done in group work to encourage women to get involved.
On the second day, women go over the rest of the techniques, which include balance, striking and how to get out of certain holds. Students are given as much time as possible to practice these techniques in a safe atmosphere in order to retain muscle memory.
According to Hasty, it is recommended that women do not practice these techniques at home with friends because they should preserve the element of surprise. He says if the techniques were widely known on campus then potential attackers would know what to expect when a woman gets into a certain stance.
The third day, students participate in a monitored simulation. Women, who are wearing protective gear, fight off an attacker using the techniques they have learned. The simulation is filmed so that students can look back and see where their strengths are and where they need improvement. The attacker wears a red man suit so the identity is unknown to the class, but they are certified in the course.
“I loved the simulation part, where I actually got to defend myself and practice all of the moves,” said Fish.
Once students have taken the R.A.D. system, they have the option to retake it as many times as they would like.
“The more you practice, the more what you do becomes second nature and you don’t have to think about it,” said Fish.
“I took it many times because I was assaulted. Taking the class, and now teaching the class, is very therapeutic for me. I feel that I can heal better when I help other people become more aware and learn new self-defense skills.”
To register for a course and to see when they will be offered visit http://www.du.edu/campussafety/.
