The officers demonstrate a block during a Rape Aggression Defense class.
Twenty-two students participated in Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) classes taught by St. Cloud Police Department’s three Campus Area Police Services (CAPS) officers in February.
Officers Ryan Sayre, Nancy Lang ’94 and Kelly Holden ’01 traveled to Michigan to learn how to teach RAD classes and brought the program to campus.
RAD teaches women defensive tactics they can use to keep themselves safe.RAD is an internationally-recognized self-defense education program with more than 11,000 instructors worldwide. The program has trained more than 900,000 women since the program began in 1989.
Alicia Solano was looking for a self-defense program when she learned that it would be offered on campus.
She had dealt with a stalker situation, and the experience had left her feeling shy and scared.
“This is helping me feel more confident and have that empowerment back again,” she said.
The course teaches women how to get away from someone who is attacking them and how to control their own power and strength.
A student prepares to practice a blocking move.
“It’s a great class,” she said.
The course is a total of nine hours of class time split into three different classes. The first class begins with a presentation about awareness, risk reduction and avoidance then moves into self-defense strategies, Sayre said.
“We’re empowering them to make their own decisions regarding situations,” he said. “It’s a very empowering class for women.”
The first day is a lot of stances and repetition. The students learn how to use their No. 1 tool — their voice.
The other two sessions go deeper into situational defenses and review.
The officers are now teaching second set of classes and will hold a simulation in early April where all the students who have completed the course in February and March will be able to put their skills to the test.
The course is fun and interesting and gives participants confidence, said Brooke Johnson, who completed the RAD training in February.
Students practice their kicks during a Rape Aggression Defense class.
“It’s been a great experience,” she said. “Hopefully I’ll never have to use any of the moves, but if I did hopefully I’d be prepared and be able to use them.”
Johnson said she’s gained confidence that she will be able to protect herself and others. It’s also made her more aware of her surroundings.
The Women’s Center, Office for Institutional Equity and Access, Campus Recreation and Academic Affairs and other campus organizations donated funds to help the officers receive the training and provide the classes free of charge to students, faculty, staff.
In the future the officers hope to offer the class for credit to students and to St. Cloud community members through community education. Anyone who would like to learn more about the RAD classes can contact the Community Area Police Services officers at [email protected].
