Rape Aggression Defence
What is the duration of the course?
What will you learn during this course?
Comments from previous participants
Rape Aggression Defence at uOttawa : Learn to protect yourself
Protection Services has now trained more than one hundred women in Rape Aggression Defence (RAD) on campus. The RAD course has its foundation in awareness and technique training, and is designed with the philosophy that self-defence training should be accessible and affordable to all women. Indeed, to register for the course, all you need is motivation and energy. At the present time, only women can register.
What is the duration of the course?
The 12 hours of instruction are offered, always on campus, starting on a Friday night, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and continuing on the Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The course runs in English, but the instructors are bilingual.
What will you learn during this course?
The Friday-night portion of the course deals with preventive strategies you can apply in your daily routine (traveling, coming to school or work, going out, being at home, etc.).
On Saturday morning, to get your blood flowing, the instructors don their protective gear and let you practise self-defence techniques using full force. Releasing stress and anger never felt so good! In the afternoon, after a review of the techniques taught in the morning, one instructor puts on the “aggressor suit” and becomes the “attacker.” You also put on protective gear and experience simulated encounters to practise your newly acquired self-defence techniques under more realistic conditions. You can again hit hard, because the red suit protects the “attacker.”
Some participants have actually been victims of sexual assault, and going through the course, especially the simulated attacks, can bring back horrible memories. However, attending the course helps in the end. If you yourself have been sexually assaulted, we do encourage you to take part, emphasizing that our instructors are specially trained to show the empathy and sensitivity you need. They take the time to sit down with you and listen to your story. They can also direct you toward special campus services, such as counselling, designed to help you work through and manage all of the emotions caused by your ordeal. What's more, from our experience to date, the other course participants also display tremendous empathy and understanding in these circumstances.
When is the next course?
Here are the dates for Fall 2012
- September 28th and 29th - FULL
- October 12th and 13th - FULL
- November 9th and 10th - FULL
- November 23rd and 24th - FULL
- January 18th and 19th - FULL
- February 1st and 2nd - FULL
- March 1st and 2nd - FULL
Registration fees
FREE for registered University of Ottawa students. To reserve your place on the registration list for the dates requested, a 20$ deposit will be required. The deposit will be returned to you on the Saturday portion of the course.
If you are a staff member of the University of Ottawa, there is a 20$ fee.
If you are from outside of the University of Ottawa, there is a 30$ fee *(please note: priority is given to the University of Ottawa students and employees).
Cancellation Policy: a 48 hour notice is required. Any cancellation past the 48 hours will result in loss of deposit or course fees.
If you’re interested, you can register by contacting Martin Grégoire at Protection Services either by e-mail at martin.gregoire@uottawa.ca or by phone at 613-562-5800 extension 6654.
Comments from previous participants
"This course improved my self-confidence a lot. Very well done, very respectful!"
"Really good course! I will now walk with my head high and be confident!"
"Very, very interesting!"
"The care and concern of the instructors [...] was obvious."
"I feel more empowered as a woman."
"The instructors were very professional and knowledgeable."
"This course exceeded my expectations. I am very thankful for having the opportunity to participate. The atmosphere was very comfortable."
Our Instructors
Coordinator and Instructor-Martin Grégoire
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| Instructor-Valérie Séguin A graduate of La Cité Collégiale’s police foundations program, Officer Séguin has been with Protection Services as a full-time Patrol Officer since 2005. She brings valuable experience to the team. Valérie is a Coach Officer, meaning she leads her team of patrol officers when her Team Coordinator is unavailable. During high school, Valérie was a jiu-jitsu instructor, and being able to improve both the confidence and self-esteem of students proved very satisfying. Now, as a RAD Instructor, she's passionate about helping participants feel safer and more empowered by teaching them not only self-defence techniques, but also prevention strategies they can readily apply in their daily lives. In her spare time, Valérie has another passion that keeps her plenty active: ice hockey. |
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| Instructor-Ian Mainville Ian joined Protection Services in 1996 and he is one of the original Rape-Aggression Defence instructors and has to date helped hundred of women on campus learn valuable self-defence techniques. During the warmer months, you can see him wheeling around campus as a member of our bike-patrol squad. Since the Fall of 2006, Ian has also been a Coach Officer, which puts him in charge of his team of patrol officers when the Team Coordinator is away; training new recruits is now part of his responsibilities, too. Furthermore, Ian is a Protective Safety System instructor with his colleague Martin Gregoire. His motivation for becoming a RAD Instructor is his long-standing belief that women should be empowered to protect themselves. Women’s safety has become even more important to him now that he has a wife and a daughter. |
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| Instructor-Olivier Cousineau At Protection Services since 2003, Olivier is a Bike patrol member as well as a Coach Officer on his team. Olivier is a motivated person and takes pride in helping new Protection members achieve their full potential as a Coach Officer. He graduated from La Cite Collegiale in 2003 and started working for Protection Services in the following months. Olivier is a proactive and conscientious officer. Looking for a new challenge within his work environment, Officer Cousineau decided to join the RAD Instructor team in 2008. Since joining the RAD program he believes the course is a must have for females of all ages in order to feel safer and be prepared in case an unwanted situation occurs. |
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| Instructor-Martin Charron At Protection Services since 2007, Officer Martin Charron is a highly motivated and efficient individual. Martin is a graduate from the Police Foundation program at La Cité Collégiale. Following his graduation in 2005, he worked in law enforcement as a constable in the northern community of Nunavik for six months. Furthermore, he worked as an intervener in a halfway house for over a year. Martin was looking for a new way to make a difference within the university community, therefore, he decided to apply for the RAD Instructor position. Shortly after that, he joined the Foot Patrol Service as a volunteer. |
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Instructor-Luc Bilodeau |
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Stay safe!
The R.A.D Team
