By Christa Keele
Using maneuvers such as head butts, the hammer fist, knee strikes, and sweep kicks on police officers is not generally considered appropriate behavior; however, in one class at BYU these techniques are not only taught, but also encouraged.
The half-credit class, offered under exercise science, is called Rape Aggression Defense Systems or R.A.D., and teaches awareness, prevention, risk reduction, risk avoidance and hands-on defense training specifically designed for women''s self-defense.
'Through the statistics gathered by police, rape crisis centers and women who have been attacked it has been found that men attack women differently than they do other men,' Sergeant Ryan Judd, regional director for R.A.D. said. 'We not only provide physical techniques for females to protect themselves, we teach a defensive mindset to help students develop a plan of action for avoiding dangerous situations as best they can.'
Once a week for two hours, female students meet with R.A.D. certified police officers and instructors who teach various safety techniques such as verbal warning methods, key chain defense and keeping homes and apartments secure.
Numerous veterans of the R.A.D. program, which has about 4,000 instructors nationwide and over 300,000 trained, have successfully used their training to evade dangerous situations, Judd said. One previous student was attacked in an elevator in a high-rise apartment in Chicago and was able to escape the situation without harm because of her instruction.
Another veteran of the class, which has been offered for ten years, found the experience so beneficial she took a three-day R.A.D. course and test in order to be certified as an instructor herself.
'I loved it, it made me feel more confident,' Ashley Buckner a BYU sophomore, who is now a certified instructor. 'It (the course) didn''t make me feel like I had a right to be outside alone at night, but if I ever had to be, I knew I wouldn''t be scared anymore.'
At the end of each semester, class participants use their newly acquired skills to out maneuver police officers from BYU, Springville and Orem police departments who act as aggressors standing between the students and a safety zone.
'It''s as close as you can get to a woman getting attacked safely in a controlled environment,' Judd said. 'You can literally go 100 percent; the women can demonstrate the techniques they''ve been learning for three months.'
The aggressors and students suit up in protective gear and the female students are given different scenarios such as walking through a park or getting money out of an ATM. The police officers then attack the girls, allowing them to demonstrate the verbal and physical defenses they have learned. The class watches and critiques the videotaped simulations afterward.
While many of the 42 students enrolled in the class this semester were nervous for the simulation, not knowing exactly what to expect, their impressions of the class and the mock attack were clear after the event.
'It was awesome,' said Kelli Gailan, a BYU staff member enrolled in the course. 'This class has been really effective, it has given me a really good perspective on how to protect myself and how to keep myself safe using preventative measures as well.'