Defend University of New York Self-Defense Classes

Rape Escape Women's Self-Defense Classes

Rape Escape

Offered only through Defend University and the Women’s Self Defense Institute, the Rape Escape program is the premier women's self-defense class in the New York, NY area. Lead instructor and veteran police sergeant Steve Kardian may well be Westchester County's foremost women’s safety and self defense expert. Steve has been a police officer for 25 years and has investigated countless sexual assaults. He has dealt with both predators and victims more times than he cares to remember.

Unlike traditional women's self defense courses, the Rape Escape program does not depend very much on punching, kicking or biting. Instead, it depends on our unique Fight Like a Girl philosophy. While a favorite strategy of some well-publicized courses that you see offered, the "stun and run" and "keep hitting him until he is down" philosophy is nothing more than trying to "fight like a man" against a man. The fact that he is in range of your strikes means that you are in range of his! Plus, you have to remember that men operate off of their reptilian brain when fighting. Ever see two guys fight? One will throw a punch and the other guy will punch back or one throws a knee and the other guy responds with a knee. It is almost as if the first attacker "reminds" the second guy what range and what technique is appropriate. If you hit a guy, most likely he is going to hit you right back and his hit will be 10 times harder than yours. So we don't advocate many punches or pokes.

Evolution and genetics have caused men to become stronger and larger than most women, therefore, if you teach a woman how to fight like a man she will most likely lose the encounter. When you teach her how to fight like a girl, using her larger more effective body parts against a man’s more vulnerable areas the woman can come out on top. The Rape Escape program is reliant upon leverage, technique and timing “not” speed power and strength. If someone is going to kidnap you or violate you, he’s going to grab you and drag you to a secondary scene or grab you and place you on the ground. The Rape Escape program introduces women to real life situations that give you the edge in such a close quarter encounter.

Reduce the Odds Program (High School and College-Age Women)

Defend University and the Women’s Self Defense Institute, a community service organization dedicated to educating and training women in rape prevention and personal protection, have created the “Reduce the Odds Program” that was specifically designed to reduce the number of sexual assaults that occur in high school and college age women.

Women between the age of 12 and 34 are most likely to be the victim of a sexual assault. Within that group, those between the ages of 16 and 19 are four times more likely to be the victim. A woman in her freshman year of college is at the highest risk to fall victim to a predator between the months of September and Thanksgiving recess. This tells us that women in this age group are a little to trusting, a little too young and may have not yet developed the experience to deal with a predator.

The Women’s Self Defense Institute created the “Reduce the Odds Program” after Brad Parker and Steve Kardian examined the available statistical data and compared notes on information provided by sexual assault survivors. They concluded that ANY woman, regardless of age, shape or ethnic background can be the victim of a sexual assault, however, women in this age group (16 to 20 years) are extremely vulnerable and susceptible.

The Rape Escape program teaches young women elements of awareness, avoidance and self defense. The Rape Escape program can be tailored to meet the needs of the individual institution. The program can be presented in lecture, video, demonstration, hands on, or any combination thereof. The program can accommodate class period timetables of 40 to 50 minutes or be expanded to fit into a 2 or 3 hour seminars or school health fairs.

This program is taught internationally and has been taught in (NY,AZ, IE) at Columbia University, Pace University, Pepsi Co, IBM, Club Fit Briarcliff, Curves Women’s studio and various other corporations, high schools and colleges in your area. Our motto is “FIGHT LIKE A GIRL.” Most other programs teach women how to fight like a man. Using this mind set, most women will subsequently fall victim, however, when we teach women how to use their stronger body parts against the predators more vulnerable targets they can come out on top by relying on leverage, technique and timing instead of power, speed and strength.

For more information, please see our Rape Escape Web site or contact us. All information will be kept completely confidential, in accordance withour privacy policy.