FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- Anyone who happened by Classroom C at Fort Campbell's Family Resource Center Tuesday morning might have witnessed some alarming behavior -- including grown women screaming, punching and kicking.
It was not a party that got out of hand, but rather a hands-on instructional seminar on self-defense, courtesy of Fort Campbell Army Community Service. Taught by Austin Peay State University police officers and Rape Aggression Defense program representatives Charyl Ramsey and Susana Bey, the class was designed to teach participants basic defensive and evasive skills to use in case of attack.
"This is in support of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month," said Leigh Anne Rugen, sexual assault response coordinator for Fort Campbell ACS. "Army Community Service decided to put on a self-defense class for women, taught by women."
In addition to defensive techniques such as hold-breaks, kicks and pressure point targeting, Rugen said the class delivered a message of assault prevention through situational awareness.
"It's more than just the physical part of self-defense -- a lot of it is also mental awareness and prevention," she said. "Sadly, no matter how many awareness events we do, sexual assault is going to happen. We need our women -- our daughters, wives and Family members -- to be armed and ready to protect themselves if something happens."
Rugen herself reached out to the R.A.D. representatives in hopes that they would visit the FRC and lead an interested group in learning the art of defense techniques. They were more than happy to oblige.
According to www.rad-systems.com, the group's mission statement is a simple one: " … to establish an accessible, constantly improving and internationally respected alliance of dedicated Instructors. These instructors in turn, will provide educational opportunities for women, children, men and seniors to create a safer future for themselves."
"We try to drive home the importance of being aware of your surroundings at all times," said Ramsey. "Be ready. You never know when somebody might be waiting to attack you. Awareness is the biggest key."
Using specially-designed padding and equipment, Ramsey and Bey walked participants through a whole series of basic maneuvers, including how to break chokeholds, effective kicks and punches and how to fend off attackers from lying down positions.
"We try and show them that no matter what size they are, the techniques we teach them are going to work," said Ramsey. "It doesn't matter if you're not big -- just let the technique work for you."
The methods and instruction proved to be effective for friends Angela Booska and Angelica Alcala, who decided to attend the class after finding out about it on the Fort Campbell Facebook page.
"We've had a couple of random people walking around through our neighborhood, so I decided that I needed to do this," said Alcala. "I know more now than I did when I first came in here. And I know it's important to be aware of your surroundings."
"We live on a military base, but it's not guaranteed to be safe," said Booska. "There is a lot that can happen in parking lots or gas stations, wherever you might be. I just felt that I needed to learn self-defense just in case."
Rugen said that anyone interested in R.A.D. can check the program's website or contact the Fort Campbell ACS office at (270) 798-9322. She said there will be a class similar to Tuesday's event in October during Domestic Violence Awareness month. Ultimately, she hopes information and education of this type will best prepare Fort Campbell's citizens to deal with crisis situations.
"The statistics are that one in six women will be a victim of sexual assault," she said. "We all just have to be aware and ready. Coming here and learning these skills can help us to be better prepared."
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