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by BRITTANY PENLAND
News Reporter
Kicks, blocks and punches are all a part of the schedule for the Rape Aggression Defense System classes offered for women at Appalachian State University this fall.
The first session will begin Sept. 15 in the Bernhardt Room at the Broyhill Inn & Conference Center.
Classes will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will meet once a week for four weeks.
 Sophomore technical photography major Anita L. Tingle strikes a Kokutsu-Dachi back stance in Shotokan Karate. Appalachian State University police will be offering courses teaching basic self-defense techniques. Photo by Holt Menzies |
Second session courses will begin Oct. 29.
“[Women]
are going to learn a lot of skills, they are going to [gain] a lot of
knowledge, not just about strikes and kicks, but a lot of mental
knowledge as well as physical knowledge,” University Police
Detective and RAD instructor L. Darrin Tolbert said.
RAD classes are designed to teach women self-defense techniques and martial art skills, said Tolbert.
Each session is taught by one of six certified RAD instructors.
There is
a $10 registration fee, which includes the 12-hour course, a student
manual, a RAD t-shirt, and a lifetime return and practice policy,
Tolbert said.
“A lot
of women don’t know how to defend themselves and are not strong enough
to defend themselves so taking a [self-defense class] is important,”
sophomore accounting major Brittany A. Halsey said.
The first night of class, students will start with bookwork and discussions about awareness.
Then, instructors will lead a warm-up and begin teaching basic striking skills, Tolbert said.
“It’s
basic knowledge that you should have, but we just try to instill on our
students about not being alone, not walking alone after dark, not
leaving parties by yourself, not leaving parties with strangers and
using the buddy system,” Tolbert said.
He said
the last night of the course is called “fight night” where instructors
wear suits called “red man suits” and act as potential attackers.
Tolbert said students particularly enjoy the last night of the class.
“It’s no
holds barred—[students] kick, they punch, and I’m so sore the next day
that I can hardly move, but I love it,” he said.
The RAD courses are sponsored by University Police, Tolbert said.
This year is the 10th year Appalachian has held self-defense courses.
“They
were looking for a self-defense class for women and they came across
the RAD System,” Tolbert said. “It’s a nationally recognized course.”
According
to the University Police annual crime report, there were two reported
forcible sex offenses on campus in 2007 as well as 24 burglaries and
142 larcenies.
On a
national level, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National
Network Web site, college- age women are four times more likely to be
sexually assaulted.
In the United States, every two minutes someone is sexually assaulted, according to the Web site.
“Women
are often a lot more vulnerable than they think they are, and taking a
self-defense class heightens the awareness that women constantly need
to be prepared to handle dangerous situations,” junior political
science major Anna M. Cardwell said.
Registration for spring semester defense classes will begin early next semester.
Students interested are advised to register as soon as possible because classes fill quickly.
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