Friday, November 06, 2009
R.A.D. offers defense opportunities
Female students, faculty and staff at MSUM have the opportunity to participate in a free national self-defense program over the next month.
The Rape Aggression Defense System consists of a network of instructors trained in a course designed to promote the knowledge of self-defense for all women, regardless of age, size or economic status, according to the R.A.D. Web site.
MSUM Campus Security Officer Marc Baetsch is the only certified R.A.D. instructor in the F-M area. He will be presenting the women-only course in five class sessions over the next month.
Participants learn important self-defense basics like punching and kicking, and get the opportunity to put them into practice by working with an instructor in special protective gear. They also spend class time discussing issues such as date rape, domestic violence, online safety and safety at home and in the workplace, Baetsch said.
“(The program) empowers women of all ages and abilities by giving them the skills and confidence to defend themselves in a physical confrontation,” Baetsch said. “Along with physical techniques, we teach them to develop a mindset towards personal safety in their daily lives. The students who take R.A.D. are making a commitment to live safely, and the physical defense techniques are just one part of the big picture.”
The MSUM Security Department will be paying for all of the costs of this program, including books and safety equipment.
Eleven spots are still open for those who would like to register for the program. The classes are kept small to ensure that each participant receives adequate time with the instructor and has her progress closely monitored.
Participants should make every possible effort to attend all five sessions of the class, as the progressive training builds on techniques learned throughout the program, Baetsch said.
Baetsch will teach the classes from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 17 and 19 and Dec. 1, 3 and 8. The location of the classes will be private to ensure the safety and security of the participants.
For more information go to the programs Web site at http://www.rad-systems.com. To ask questions of register, e-mail Baetsch at .