The University Police Department hosted a program to help young women learn defensive strategies to avoid an assault.
More than 20 students went to Irving Gym to learn what they could from an hour-long Rape Aggression Defense class Thursday night.
What the students learned was just a preview of the free four-week class that the police department offers for students.
Psychology major Meghan Jansen said she is taking the course because she is interested in learning self-defense.
"If you are at a party or in a bad situation, it's great to know
defense in case you get attacked," she said.
Officer Kent Kurtz and Cpl. Matt Gaither teach the women ways to get out of a dangerous situation or fight to stay alive in the course.
They know that often times when girls are put in a victimizing
situation they may not remember everything in the course, but they hope that some of the methods will stick with them in a fight.
The four-week course covers punching in the first week, kicking in the second week, what to do if an attacker grabs their arms or tries to choke them in the third week and what to do if they get knocked down during the fourth week.
During the last week the women will try to defend themselves in a realistic fight to practice what they learned.
The goal of the course is to help women lower their chances of being attacked, the officers said. It makes them realize what not to do that could cause them to be an easy target.
"There are a number of people who have never been in a fight or never been in a situation like that so hopefully it shows them a little bit of awareness," Kurtz said. "Besides the awareness, it shows them that they do have options. They have options out there for them other than being the victim."
The full program is free to all students and will take place at UPD after Spring Break, but exact dates are not yet known.
To find out more information about the classes, contact UPD at 285-1111.
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