Campus Life

Free self-defense classes offered to women students

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Certified instructors from Penn State Police will be offering a course to female students that teaches realistic, usable defense tactics.

The free course, taught in the White Building on the University Park campus, will consist of lectures and extensive hands-on training.

The course, which will give a basic introduction to self-defense techniques, will be offered in four sessions from 6 to 9 p.m. on March 14 and 23 in 50/51 White Building and from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on March 16 and 21 in 106 White Building. The sessions are open to all women currently enrolled at the University, and participants are encouraged to attend all four sessions.

The course is part of the larger Rape Aggression Defense [RAD] Systems network that trains instructors to teach courses at different colleges, universities and municipal law enforcement agencies nationally and internationally.

As part of the program’s free lifetime practice policy, participants will be able to return to RAD classes at any location in the future.

The March course is free for Penn State students who register through the Center for Women Students. This offer is funded by the Giardini Endowment for the Empowerment of Women Students. There is a $13 fee for female faculty, staff and community members, which will cover the cost of the comprehensive manual issued to all participants.

Women students and community members interested in participating in the sessions can sign up from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday in 204 Boucke Building. For more information, call the RAD coordinator at 814-867-6185.

Last Updated August 6, 2020