Rochester Self Defense Class Empowers Women

All it takes is an instant for an attacker to strike – and a life to be changed.

However, the Rochester Police Department’s popular self-defense program is teaching women just how to respond during those unexpected moments, turning potential victims into empowered defenders.

Running in its seventh year, the police department’s classes – which teach safety awareness and self-defense skills at no cost to women 14 and up – continue to fill up and attract immense interest in the Tri-Town and beyond.

Specifically, classes of about 15 to 20 women learn the Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) System, inclusive of realistic, self-defense tactics and techniques. The comprehensive course – which consists of four three-hour long classes at the Old Colony campus – imparts information on awareness, prevention, risk reduction and avoidance, while progressing on to the basics of hands-on defense training.

“Attendance has been really good, especially for a town as small as this one,” said Police Officer Robert Small – the RAD-certified instructor who has been teaching the course since its inception. With a waiting list of 20 for the next round of classes, the department is planning to schedule more soon.

“It’s a really good opportunity for women to get to utilize forms of self defense,” said Officer Small, who co-teaches the course with RAD-certified officer Elizabeth Rich.

Rochester resident Julie Bangs, who participated in the last round of courses, said she came away enlightened in how to protect and defend herself.

“I didn’t really know what to expect,” she said, talking about some of the course basics – including how to behave in different circumstances like when a stranger is at the door or in a parking lot.

“You learn practical things most people don’t think about,” she said.

The exercises of practicing self defense, including how to throw and block punches and different situational tactics, left a strong impact on her. Participants fight against the perpetrator – played by a police officer dressed in a special “aggressor suit” – in a simulated attack.

“It was very, very scary. Your adrenaline gets going. I can’t even imagine an actual event, the fake event was scary enough,” Ms. Bangs said. “You learn how to hit someone with your most powerful punch.”

The opportunity to practice these skills is one of the key functions of the course, Officer Small said.

“It’s a good change to utilize these tactics in a controlled environment. People don’t usually have the opportunity to use these skills,” he said. When a participant is put into a simulated attack, she is not informed of the scenario that plays out.

“Surprise is part of the process,” Officer Small said.

Ms. Bangs said she was indeed “surprised” how she reacted to the fake attack, and especially by comments from fellow participants about her toughness and strength.

“A lot of women didn’t realize what they could do, the power they had when they needed it,” she said.

Officer Small echoed these thoughts. “These women have more ability than they realize,” he said.

Although attacks may be uncommon in smaller towns, they do happen, he said.

“Every town has them, but they usually don’t get publicized unless it is extraordinary,” Officer Small said. “Everyone is at a certain risk.”

“I’ve heard from women who have felt better about situations they’ve been in. We’ve had tons of positive feedback… Everybody is happy with it, and I love teaching it,” he added.

“I highly recommend it… it really makes you aware of the possibility of something happening, even in the small town of Rochester,” Ms. Bangs said.

To register, or for more information on future classes, call 508-763-5112, ext. 109

By Laura Fedak Pedulli