GIVING BACK: Defense class teaches safety tactics for all ages

Published 12:14 am Wednesday, August 2, 2017

LAPLACE — About a year ago, Lori Bailey’s mom took a self-defense course offered by the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office.

“She would call me and say, ‘You should have seen me,’” Lori said. “She was always bragging about it.”

Now Lori can brag about all the moves she has learned.

Better still, so can Lori’s 10-year-old daughter Brea.

Lori and Brea were among more than a dozen women who recently completed the Rape Aggression Defense class offered by the Sheriff’s Office.

The free class is offered several times a year by Sheriff’s Office staff, including organizer and instructor Lt. Denise Bertrand.

“Sheriff (Mike Tregre) wanted to do a program that would help promote female self defense, not only in our parish, but it’s open to any female who wants to attend,” Bertrand said. “He wanted them to know how to protect themselves.”

Bertrand has seen women of all ages and walks of life become more confident through the 9-hour class, which teaches women to be aware of their surroundings, risk prevention, reduction and avoidance before moving to more hands-on defense training.

“It makes you feel more confident,” said Lori, who attended the class solo before enrolling her daughter. “I wanted that comfort, so to speak, just to know that if I am ever somewhere, I can possibly get out of a situation. I don’t feel as vulnerable anymore. I feel like I can get away. And that’s the whole point of the class — to be able to get away. I loved it so much, I really wanted to make it a point to bring my daughter.”

Brea was thrilled because she thought it would help her take on her brothers. She enjoyed it for other reasons.

“I wanted to be strong,” she said. “It was very educating.”

The lesson, Bertrand said, is not just to fight. It’s to fight off an attacker and get away.

“It’s not to stay and fight,” Lori said. “It just boosts your confidence so you have a fighting chance.”

According to Bertrand, one of the eight certified instructors, RAD is a nationwide program of self-defense tactics and techniques for females offered by many police departments and some colleges.

The St. John Sheriff’s Office offers the free class several times a year for women 17 and older. Females 16 and under must have a signed release form and must attend with a family member.

Bertrand trained for the class at the University of Florida in Gainesville along with four other deputies. Others have obtained their certifications at various locations.

She has been teaching the class for a few years now. The most recent was the department’s eighth.

“We’ve had them as young as 8 in the class and as young as 70 in the class,” Bertrand said. “We always ask them to introduce themselves and tell us why they came. A lot of them would say, ‘Oh my mom was coming so she made me.’ For the most part, they all want to learn how to better defend themselves if they’re ever put in any type of situation.”

The class covers such topics as home safety, the routes taken to and from work, breaking from routines, lighting and shrubbery around the home before moving into the actual physical part of the lesson.

“We do show them several defense moves,” she said.

Participants, who are given a signed class book, are eligible for a free refresher course at any RAD class anywhere in the world with their book.

Bertrand said she encourages all women to take the class and especially those about to head off to unfamiliar colleges.

“They say statistically the most vulnerable time for a female freshman in college is the first six months on campus, because of not knowing the area, meeting new people, being on their own,” Bertrand said. “We encourage all senior girls to take the class. Ideally, we’d like to teach it in the schools one day.”

The next class will be held Sept. 16 and another Nov. 18.