This is a machine transcription and is subject to error. Apologizes in advance. 

Hi, I'm Lexi Hargrave and I'm interning at the Health and Wellness Office with Just Greene. And today, I'm doing a podcast on R.A.D self-defense classes. Would you like to introduce yourself.
0:04
I am David Wordell and I am the chief of police here at the College, as well as one of the R.A.D instructors.
0:15
Okay. So first question is, what are the RAD self-defense classes?
0:23
So RAD stands for rape, aggression, defense. And they are a series of self-defense classes that empowers women to defend themselves against rape and abduction.
0:27
Okay, How would I sign up for them if I wanted to do them?
0:39
So prior to the classes go out, we tried to do some notifications from flyers, some e-mail blasts so that students know when they're available. So they'll have a date on them when they're around and then a means of contact. So usually some e-mail sign up. Okay.
0:42
What days and times are they?
1:00
So they'll be for the fall semester. We're going to have them Mondays, Wednesdays. The dates will be September 16th, 18th, 23rd and 25th. And each class is about three hours. So it's all about 12 hours of instruction.
1:03
Okay. So they're pretty early in the semester. Yeah. Okay.
1:21
What if my schedule doesn't allow me to take them? I have a busy schedule, That's during those times. Is there any other alternative?
1:25
Right. So we usually try to offer at least one class each semester. So if you can't make the fall one, we'll offer one in the spring as well. But if you have a group of friends I recommend like you, you get maybe six or seven girls together, maybe your your housemates, your suitemates or teammates.
1:34
If you find a time that is good for you. Then we can usually accommodate that. So we did that before for different sports teams. As long as you get a group, then we can we can find space on campus for you. Okay.
1:53
And how big are the classes?
2:07
So they really vary depending on how many kids sign up.
2:10
So they'll run them as small as like seven kids, eight kids, i say kids but, students, and they can get, as you know, 12, 13, 14. We don't really get too large because we conduct the classes over at the Holy Cross Library.
2:14
So we're limited by space, but also enables us to really do some one on one instruction with everyone we get we around, make sure the form is correct. Make sure that that you're comfortable with the moves that you're mastering them. So the small groups allow us to do that. Okay.
2:32
So they're taught in the Holy Cross Library?
2:52
Right, so that's where we usually reserve them for. We find it convenient. It's padded. You know, it's got carpeting private. We reserve the space. So that's a comfortable learning environment.
2:55
And I usually have usually least four officers that are helping out depending on how many students are signed up so that you'll have a lead instructor and then you'll have some supporting officers do it.
3:08
So the classes broken down where the first week we'll do a PowerPoint presentation where we discuss all sorts of safety issues. We can give a background of what RAD is. And then we discuss things such as safety at home, your shade, your shrubbery, answering the door bell types of that nature.
3:22
we'll talk about your vehicle, you know, situational awareness. Are you prepared to enter your car? Do you look in your car before you get into it? Do you park in the lighted area. We'll even talk about on campus. You know, make sure you use safety escorts, walk in pairs let people know where you're going when you're arriving.
3:44
we'll even talk about online dating. We talk about do you let somebody know who you're seeing, where you're seeing them, whether you know what you drive with the person or we suggest that you meet them. There you go in your own car. So we give some safety tips on that.
4:06
We try to stay up to date on the different dating apps. We all have stories from students who use dating apps, some good, some bad. We share those. So some of those experiences, some true cases just gives the students some heads up and safety issues they should be aware of.
4:19
Oh, wow. That's really interesting that it's not just self defense and it's a lot of things that you wouldn't actually be aware of. Right.
4:38
We tried to bring everyone's experiences in, you know. So like myself, I'm retired state police, but I talk about highway safety. So if you're broken down the highway, you know, what do you want to do?
4:45
Do I stay with your car? Do I stay outside your car? What happens if someone approaches if you have a flat tire. What do you think if someone is Following you.
4:57
We have safety tips on all sorts of stuff, so it's not just there's a physical self-defense part of it, but self-defense is so much more than just the physical part. There's definitely a whole range of things that you can do.
5:05
Being aware of situational awareness, having command of your voice is a lot of, you know, taking precautions. There's a whole list of things that go along with keeping yourself safe.
5:19
Besides self-defense. So it's like the steps before getting into that situation too. and how to avoid actually using self-defense I guess. Exactly. Oh, wow, very interesting. How long are the classes like? How many minutes? How many classes?
5:29
And so the officers are wearing padded suits. The students have a more safety gear on. And we put you in different scenarios where you have to use the tools that we taught you during last couple of weeks to get out of the situation.
5:44
So that goes from, you know, being aware of what's what's happening, you know, using your voice. And then ultimately using your defensive moves and ultimately escaping.
6:18
So the whole goal of RAD is to get you out of situation so we don't want you. Your defensive tactics is not offensive.
6:30
Tactics so you are once you disengage from the attacker. We don't want you sticking around. We want to be clearing out and getting out there. So we teach you, you know, how to get out. Make sure that we reinforce that because we want you removed from the situation.
6:40
OK. So it's like before, during and then after. Exactly.
6:54
You know, we we on the last week, we tape those scenarios and then we'll have like a like a pizza party and we'll watch, everyone gets to watch what you've done. So it's kind of enlightening because you don't realize all that you've done in those situations, all the moves that you actually were using.
6:57
Students are always surprised like oh I didn't realize I did that because now it becomes natural because we've reinforced that every week. We review what we've taught the week before. Before we move to the next things.
7:17
So we are constantly reviewing, making sure you guys are mastering everything. And then so when you get a scenario like why I really did that, I really was able to escape.
7:28
And so when you're doing these scenarios, it's just you and the instructors and the rest of students around the hallway and then. So. So the first time anyone watches the tape, your all watching it together, that's kind of neat because everyone has to see how they reacted to the scenario since it's a real bonding moment.
7:37
And that's one of the reasons why it's women only. You know, a lot of times I'm asking I'm asked why. Why is it just for women? Why don't we have men in this? And there's a lot of reasons why we we only have women in it.
7:56
One, of course, we follow the RAD rules because this is you know, we're teaching the RAD system. So a lot of people ask me, well, I've been involved in some self-defense classes or I teach this or I know this and say, well, that's great, but we're only going to use what we what the RAD system is.
8:10
And part of that is a women only environment. And one of the basic reasons is that when women attack it's totally different, then when men are attacked. Usually men on men or men on women. And so that attack on a man is completely different than attack on a woman. They found that, you know, man attacks another man. It's it's all about that attack.
8:26
How much damage that person could do to the other person. to the man. But when it's a man versus a woman, it's really about power and control. That's what he's trying to exercise over the women. It's a different type of a different type of defense mechanism that you have to use those type of attacks. Secondly, we're trying to build team building in there. We found that.
8:48
Women tend to bond much better when it's just women than women and men, you're more comfortable with one another. You're practicing moves as close contact. So we when you were teaching this, usually team up with a partner. So you're practicing your moves, another female.
9:11
So in a lot of it, there's you know, there's some chokeholds, all sorts of different were moves. Where you're in close contact? You're touching the other person. It's much more appropriate for a woman versus a woman. They learn Easier than having a man touch them, someone they don't know. So it just sets a better environment for it.
9:29
The question. We'll we'll talk about like disengaging from from from weapons is it's really just that's a whole different type of self-defense. So it's all about obviously the moves would work, but we don't talk about getting rid of a weapon. So we teach Alice, Alice.
9:51
We talk about getting her what, what you do with the women, how you engage with weapon. But in the RAD, if it's different type of guy.
10:26
If I'm not very physically fit or I have bad bones or something. Can I still take the class?
10:37
Absolutely. So all we do is we every class starts with like a stretching exercises. So we make sure that everyone's limbered up before we that we do it. So it's not I would say is highly cardio vascular. You're working, but you don't have to be in a great shape to do it.
10:44
And you can still have what we have, you still have past injuries. So if you've had, you know, maybe you had shoulder surgery, knee surgery or ankle surgery, we take that into consideration. You can still go through the training.
11:01
And so on the last day, when it gets really aggressive that we take the parts that are, you know, past injuries and we avoid contact. So we don't want to have more cause any more injuries to you to you.
11:15
So we've had people go through who've had concussions in the past, had knee surgeries, have dislocated shoulders because, you know everyone plays sports nowadays. There was no coming through with injuries. And we make sure that we don't cause any injuries while we're there.
11:28
OK. But if I have like a current broken ankle and I'm in a cast, I probably should wait till that's better to do it, right?
11:44
Yeah. So you have something where you're you're restricting your movement can't walk or, you know, you have a current injury. It's probably not a good idea. You're right.
11:59
Next semester makes a lot of sense. Anything else to add? Well, I think we've covered everything. That's good. OK. Thank you so much you're welcome.

This is a machine transcription and is subject to error. Apologizes in advance.