Home / Fall 2015 / VSU offers RAD class to women on campus

VSU offers RAD class to women on campus

Photo Illustration: Kayla Stroud/THE SPECTATOR

Written by Niamani Carlyle-Hollis, Staff Writer

One in four college women report surviving rape or attempted rape at some point in their lifetime. In one year alone over 300,000 college women, which is over five percent of women enrolled in college and universities, experienced rape. Rape Aggression Defense System is a self defense system designed specifically for women in order to make them more aware and prepared if they are ever faced with a situation in which their life may be in jeopardy.

It is a comprehensive course that offers realistic self-defense tactics and techniques, and it is the largest women’s self-defense network in the United States. Participants in the class are provided with a plethora of information that would be deemed necessary if a situation ever presented itself that required self-defense. The classes are based on “The Four Risks of Personal Safety”, which are risk awareness, risk reduction, risk recognition, and risk avoidance.

Lawrence N. Nadeau, founder of the R.A.D. Systems describes the programs mission for women as a way “to develop and enhance the options of self defense, so they may become viable considerations to the woman who is attacked.”

R.A.D. is a nine hour course that is available for free to all women that are interested. Those that choose to participate will get the opportunity to learn in a professional and safe training environment. On Tuesday, Oct. 28, an array of women of all ages came together in an effort to become more aware for their own safety.

R.A.D. instructor Chelsea Holcombe said that the class not only teaches women self-defense, but it is also a way to help women become more empowered and confident.

Classes are usually divided into three 3-hour courses that allow the participants to not only get an abundance of beneficial information, but participants also get the opportunity to practice certain defensive moves. This is in order to ensure that they receive a better understanding of the material that they are presented with and so they can begin to become more comfortable with performing the moves learned.

Participants are informed of predicaments that they may unknowingly put themselves in that causes them to be more at risk for being assaulted.

“A lot of the stuff that I learned today, I never would have thought would put me in danger, said Kristina Petty, a freshman VSU student. “Watching the power points and going through the packets we received really opened my eyes to things that I never thought of.”

Studies show that the highest sexual assault risk situation for college women is after they become voluntarily intoxicated. This is an example of the types of situations that participants are taught to stop and think about before act in order to make them less susceptible to any harm or danger. Instructors hope that participants are able to get the word out and help inspire other females to come out and register for the course.

“We really want to get the word out there about the course and hope more women choose to sign up,” Holcombe said. “We are always looking for more instructors as well. The bigger the turn out, the more women there are that become empowered and that’s our goal to make as many women aware and able to defend themselves as possible.”

With a group of about 20 participants and four instructors, many wished that more would have felt the need to show up and be a part of the training.

Many share these sentiments with Holcombe, wishing that more people felt the need to show up and participate. Currently, the group only has 20 participants and four instructors.

“I think that this course would be beneficial to every female student here, because not only did they give a lot of information that was an eye opener for me especially, but they showed us new defensive moves that I would have never thought to use or even know how to do,” said Arrienna Coleman, a VSU freshman.

Whether you choose to sign up as a participant or as an instructor, R.A.D could be a big help. Women of all ages are urged to sign up. To register, students can visit HERE

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