Photos courtesy of City of New Albany
Statistically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than 1 in 3 women have experienced some sort of sexual violence; and the National Domestic Violence Hotline found that nearly 1 in 4 women have been victims of severe physical violence by a domestic partner. To help counteract this problem, the New Albany Police Department is providing resources specifically for women to better protect themselves.
New Albany Police Officer Leland Kelly will lead a free Rape Aggression Defense self-defense class designed for girls and women (from ages 13 to senior citizens). Probation Officer Amy Boyd will assist Kelly with the class, which also teaches situational awareness to reduce the potential of experiencing defensive situations.
Kelly will teach this four-class RAD course July 23, 24, 30 and 31 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. To register, email Officer Kelly at lkelly@newalbanypolice.org and let him know everyone in your party who plans to attend. Below, Kelly answered questions for people who may be interested in taking the class.
Why do you personally teach this class? I like to empower women to learn self-defense techniques. Many of our participants are skeptical at first, but they quickly realize these simple techniques aren’t hard to learn and they work. By the last night of the class, it is great to see the confidence they have in being able to defend themselves. I also love having Amy Boyd be a part of our class. She is very relatable and she can address questions as a woman in a way that I can’t as a man.
Why should someone take this class? Is it different from other self-defense classes?We not only teach self-defense techniques, but we also teach situational awareness – things to look out for in various environments to reduce your potential need to defend yourself in the first place. The great thing about a RAD class is, once a woman has taken one, she can keep her signed manual and take another RAD class anywhere in the country for free (New Albany classes have always been free but some have a fee).
What age groups can participate? We’ve had ages from 13 to 74. I would encourage anyone 13 or older to participate. If you have physical limitations and can’t do some things, you will still get something out of the class.
Can mothers and daughters take the class together? Absolutely, and we encourage this! This class is great for any young woman in high school or heading to college soon, and moms and daughters who take the class together can practice together. We often hear that it’s a great mother/daughter bonding experience.
Can daughters and dads go together? Our classes are only for women. We want to make sure all participants are comfortable and some prefer the presence of only women. There are classes out there like this, but we don’t teach any.
What is the time commitment? There will be four classes that meet for three hours at a time. Three hours may seem like a long time, but we split the sessions into two weeks and the time goes by quickly. We encourage participants to attend all classes to learn about environmental awareness and maximize their ability to practice the self-defense techniques to lead to muscle memory.
What should participants wear to class? Dress comfortably. We realize some may be coming from work and we will have changing facilities if participants need to change prior to the classes.
