The Rochester Police Department is proud to announce its upcoming Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) Basic Self-Defense Course for women. The two-day course will take place on Saturday, May 20th from 9 am to 2 pm and Sunday, May 21st from 9 am to 4 pm.

Attendance is required for both days, and an optional simulation will be provided at the end of day two. The simulation allows students to put the techniques they learned together in a scenario-based controlled environment.

The course will take place in the 2nd-floor program room at the Rochester Ice Arena, located at 63 Lowell Street Rochester NH, 03867. The cost for the course is $10 per person in the form of cash or a check made payable to the Rochester Police Benevolent Association. Financial assistance to attend the program is available by contacting Officer Elizabeth Turner at elizabeth.turner@rochesternh.gov.

Participants must be female and 16 years or older to take the course. Pregnant women are discouraged from attending due to the physical nature of the techniques taught. Students must bring/wear athletic clothing, water bottle/snacks, closed-toed running/athletic shoes, and a license/ID.

The R.A.D. Basic Personal Defense System is a national program of realistic self-defense tactics and techniques taught for women only. It aims to provide realistic self-defense options to women, regardless of their level of physical conditioning. R.A.D. is not a martial arts program, nor does it require students to be athletes to succeed.

The R.A.D. system will provide students with the knowledge to make an educated decision about personal defense. For more information about R.A.D., visit http://www.rad-systems.com/.

To register for the course, go to the Rochester Recreation Department office at the James W. Foley Memorial Community Center, 150 Wakefield Street Rochester NH, and complete a registration form with payment. A parent or guardian must fill out registration for participants under 18 years of age. This course has a 20-person capacity.

The money collected for this program helps pay for yearly instructor certifications and replace worn-out equipment so that future courses can be put on. Rochester Police Department will be hosting more courses in the future.