UMW’s Police Department is now offering the R.A.D. Basic Physical Defense Program to Students, Faculty and Staff Women.  R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) for Women is founded on four basic principles:  Risk Awareness, Risk Reduction, Risk Recognition, and Risk Avoidance. These principles are the basis for 90 percent of self-defense education.  R.A.D. for Women is a female-only class.

The R.A.D. Basic Physical Defense Program is a self-defense class designed for women of all ages and taught by men and women to teach methods to defend against potential attacks as well as to educate women about risk awareness, risk reduction, risk recognition, and risk avoidance.  The R.A.D. Systems Basic Physical Defense instructional objective is “to develop and enhance the options of self-defense, so they may become viable considerations to the woman who is attacked.”

R.A.D. Basic is a three day course (three hours per day) offered to female faculty/staff/students of the UMW community FREE of charge. It is taught by Sgt. Bobby Somers, who is the R.A.D Coordinator and a certified R.A.D. Instructor and Advanced R.A.D. Systems Instructor. Sgt. Somers serves as a Law Enforcement Defensive Tactics Instructor and a former U.S. Army Special Operations Self Defense and Survival Specialist.  Sgt. Somers is currently a Patrol Sergeant and Field Training Officer with the UMW Police Department.  Sgt. Somers will be assisted by Dr. Nicole Surething, who is the Director of C.A.P.S and also a Certified R.A.D. Basic Instructor and Officer Kelly Ernst, who is also a Certified R.A.D. Basic Instructor.

The class dates are September 17, 19 and 24, 2012, 6 to 9 p.m., held in the University Tennis Center, Second Floor.

If you interested in taking this self-defense course, please contact Sgt. Bobby Somers by email at wsomers@umw.edu to register.  Spaces are limited.

James DeLoatch, VCA
Police Department Business Manager