"Hey, do you have the time?"

"When's the next bus come?"

"Sophomore? Well, I'm a senior, which means you have to do what I say."

"Stay away!"

I turn to walk the other direction, and am abruptly grabbed around the waist from behind. I fight back, yelling "No!" and trying to remember all the skills I've learned in previous weeks.

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Thankfully, this was all in a very controlled setting. I'm taking a 5-week self-defense course, and tonight was the "simulation". A couple men--it turned out to be an English professor and a philosophy professor from our university--donned full protective gear and attacked us one by one. The situations were set up to replicate real-life situations we might encounter in our everyday: the first two involved us simply walking along an area meant to be a sidewalk, and the third at an ATM. In all the situations, we were grabbed from behind in a bear-hug (after some length of time spent faux-taunting us in order to make it more realistic and so we wouldn't know exactly when the attack would come) and had to fight our way to a safe zone, using the techniques we've learned.

Each situation became increasingly difficult (from one main attacker; to both; to a situation where we were grabbed, fell to the ground, had to fight our way up, and then had to take on the other in order to reach the safe zone), but I noticed that self-confidence among all the young women rose. Though I truthfully cannot speak for anyone else in the class, I felt that after the first two attacks, there was a general realization that we really could do this: we could defend ourselves, we could defeat our opponents and reach safety. Going into the third situation, I felt stronger, more confident. 

This feeling of self-confidence, knowing that you have the skill, strength, and tenacity to fend off any would-be attackers, I believe is certainly a goal of the program. It's terrible that there is even a need for programs such as these (this particular one is R.A.D., or Rape Aggression Defense), but I am so glad that they exist. It's a somewhat comforting feeling knowing I have an arsenal of techniques at hand that I can use should I find myself in a situation that requires it. Granted, every situation is unique and there is ultimately the chance that when faced with one, I would freeze up, but I hope that even with this little amount of experience I would be able to defend myself to a degree.

I strongly encourage any woman to seek out such programs or classes in their communities. It's an empowering experience, though after simulation one might feel a little unsettled (in the words of my instructor. Three hours after the end of class I'm still feeling a little rattled, to tell the truth), but the benefits greatly outweigh this small cost. You really have nothing to lose.