It's R.A.D.

On Sunday, my friend Carmen asked me if I’d like to take a free self defense class with her. In case you don’t know, we live in a REALLY unsafe area. One of the most violent cities in America kind of unsafe. I, of course, said “YES!!” because I have been wanting to take one for a long time. The class is  called R.A.D. That stands for Rape Aggression Defense.
You can check out their website here.
I LOVE this class. I am half-way through it, and I already feel so much more empowered. I have always been really alert when I go anywhere. But, even if I saw someone coming, I would not have known what to do. I have three kids to protect. I want to know that I can keep them safe to the best of my abilities.
It’s no joke. Last night, this big six foot something man put pads on his arms and was swinging at my face. I had to block the hits. He got my chin once because I wasn’t fully prepared for it. I am so glad that they don’t mess around though. He didn’t hit me hard. But, if I am actually being attacked by someone, THEY WILL!! I want to be prepared. This has woken me up to the fact that I need to work out a lot more than I do. I need to make sure that I have the strength to keep myself and my girls safe. I am sore from the 2 1/2 hours of learning to defend myself.
Next Thursday will be simulation day. There will be men wearing these full body suits. They are going to use 80% of their body strength to simulate an attack. Honestly, I am freaking out a little bit about that. However, I would much rather figure this out in a controlled environment facing this:

..than someone who is ready to attack me in real life.
If you ever get the opportunity to take a course like this, DO IT!! You are no weak. You can handle it. It is really unfortunate in our society to feel it necessary to learn these tactics, but I am so glad that I am. I already feel empowered and challenged.
They also offer these courses for men; YES, men can be sexually assaulted, too, and for the elderly. Our course happens to be free, but some do charge around $20 to take it. Once you take it, you can show up to another class with your handbook and re-take it for free. I plan to re-take it whenever I get the opportunity.
I am only writing this to urge you to take the class, not because I am being sponsored in any way by them.