Harriet Pioquinto wants women to learn self-defense. As the coordinator for the Rape Aggression Defense (RAD) System, she doesn’t intend on turning women into black belts. She’s a believer in simple but effective maneuvers to protect them from attacks.
“Self-defense should be easy to learn and retain,” said Pioquinto, office assistant for FAU police. “Most importantly, it should be easy to utilize in a real confrontational situation.”
RAD is a women-only self-defense class that was created in 1989 by a network of instructors and police officers. Pioquinto is in charge of bringing the classes to FAU.
The first classes this semester will be held on Thursdays, Oct. 29, Nov. 5 and Nov. 12 from 6 to 10 p.m. The classes will be held in the police station on the Boca campus, across the street from Palm Beach Community College. Students are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing and athletic shoes. There is a cost of $10 for students to attend the class, but Pioquinto explained that this is only a deposit and will be returned after the completion of the third class.
Women signed up for the class will learn ways to escape dangerous situations that will increase chances of survival, rather than how to stay and fight. However, techniques will be taught for protecting oneself when a getaway is impossible.
The class begins with awareness, protection, risk reduction and risk avoidance, and provides hands-on defense training taught by national RAD instructors.
In addition, some FAU teachers are rewarding girls for their efforts in self-preservation.”There are even some professors who offer extra credit for the women in their classes who take the course,” verified Pioquinto.
Female students have the opportunity to learn self-defense skills that may benefit them later on in life.
“I have received notes from survivors of sexual assault who have taken the class and said that the class has helped with their healing and given them more control over their lives,” concluded Pioquinto. “We hope to see more women take the class in the future.”
According to Pioquinto, women interested in signing up for a RAD class should hurry. There are only 25 spots in the class, and with any more students, the instructors are unable to give everyone the practice time they need.
“I have definitely noticed an increase in attendance,” said Pioquinto. “When I first began as an instructor, we would have anywhere from three to 10 people in attendance. Now we have, as I said earlier, as many as 25 students. Unfortunately, this leads to me turning some people away every semester, which I hate to do.”
Go to www.fau.edu/police/rad.php for more information on how to register for the course, or e-mail [email protected] with any questions.
Costs for the RAD class:
-FAU students: $10
-Alumni: $20
-General public: $30
