Universities strive to provide a safe environment for all students. This means campus police patrolling the campus continuously, lighted pathways throughout the campus, a multitude of boxes set up to press in case of an emergency, and so forth. However, there is no way to prevent all forms of danger on a college campus. Unfortunately, there are people out there that do bad things and will try to take advantage of a woman walking alone back to her dorm. By taking a self-defense course these women walking alone at night back to their dorm after a long night of studying can feel safer knowing they have the knowledge and tools they need to stand up to any attacker. There are a plethora of other courses available to women, but it is important that women build the knowledge and capabilities it takes to stand up to potential attackers and protect themselves.

At UNCG, I took a course known as R.A.D. which is set in place to "provide educational opportunities for women, children, men, and seniors to create a safer future for themselves." This course on campus was designed specifically for women. It did not solely include sessions on physical defense tactics. In fact, the first day was spent entirely only the knowledge one needs to know when having to use self-defense. Self-defense courses are not meant to strictly teach you how to fight back, because as R.A.D. taught me, if you prepare yourself for the worst you can many times prevent any attack from happening at all. This includes paying attention to your surroundings, maintaining a buddy system, and ensuring that you do not put yourself in positions that make you vulnerable, meaning avoid walking down the dark path even if it is a shorter distance to your destination.

Not only does a self-defense course install the knowledge of how to prevent potential threats or attacks, but it also equips people with the understanding that there is a point when self-defense has ended and you become the attacker. The instructors of the R.A.D. course informed us all that there are still laws in place even when using self-defense. Most significantly, that one has a right to use the force necessary to retreat from imminent danger. Now each state has their own laws and it is the duty of the self-defense instructor to equip the student with the knowledge to ensure that are aware of how to not just protect themselves but to lawfully protect themselves.

Finally, self-defense course teaches women how to arm themselves with the abilities necessary to protect themselves in the case of assault, rape, or other heinous crimes. Instructors do not take this time to teach you how to be just as violent as your attacker, rather, teach you how to fight smart and effectively in order to maximize your chances of escaping safely. This includes equipping students with knowledge on how to throw a punch that will not break your wrist/hand, how to escape a choke hold, essentially how to use your body to the best of your ability.

We are all different sizes, ages, heights, and so forth, but it is with the correct knowledge found in a self-defense course that any woman can possess the capability to protect herself. During this course, I learned not only how to protect myself but how to feel confident in my strength and abilities as a young woman. Which is why I encourage women, not just college students, but all women to learn how to protect themselves. Part of the R.A.D. mission is to "challenge society to evolve into an existence where violence is not an acceptable part of daily life."

Check out R.A.D course for more knowledge on their mission and self defense classes.