IC to offer women’s self-defense training starting September 4
Illinois College will offer the Rape Aggression Defense System (R.A.D.) self-defense course to women in Jacksonville and the surrounding communities beginning September 4.
“Our courses are taught by certified R.A.D. instructors and provide you with a student manual,” says Beth Capo, Illinois College professor and certified R.A.D. instructor.
The self-defense training course focuses on teaching women simple techniques to improve personal safety. The course covers awareness, prevention, risk reduction and avoidance with an emphasis on the basics of hands-on defense training.
“This course offers a practical, hand-on approach to self-defense,” Capo said. “Two and a half sessions are entirely devoted to defense techniques ― blocking, striking, kicking, escaping from wrist grabs and bear hugs, ground defense, etc. The final meeting is a simulation putting those newly learned techniques into practice against several ‘attackers’ in a mock attack.”
The R.A.D. System of physical defense is currently taught at many colleges and universities across the country. It is the largest network of its kind with over 7,000 instructors teaching at colleges, universities, law enforcement agencies and community organizations internationally. R.A.D. is endorsed by the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators and has a lifetime return policy. After completing R.A.D. training once, the course can be taken again to refresh self-defense skills free of charge.
The training will be offered from 6-9 p.m. September 4, 11, 18 and 25 at Illinois College. You must pre-register by contacting the Chesley Health & Wellness Center at 217.245.3254 or health@ic.edu. The course is designed for women and is suitable for all ages and abilities. The training, which is not for credit, has a $20 enrollment fee (discounts for groups of 3 or more) payable at the first session, and $10 is refunded upon completion of the course. The class will not run with fewer than 10 women registered by the deadline.