FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Franklin Police Department is offering free self-defense classes to help teach women skills to escape dangerous situations.

The Rape Aggression Defense course will be held over a span of three days: Sept. 16, Sept. 17 and Sept. 18. The 9-hour program — broken down into three 3-hour sessions — is designed for women with no background in physical skills training, according to the Franklin Police Department's website.

The class teaches women awareness-building and risk-reduction tactics. Lead R.A.D. instructor for the City of Franklin, Kevin Spry, said the goal isn't to teach women how to master fighting, but instead teach effective escape tactics. City leaders said they've had women 90 years of age attend the class, and it's open to everyone.

Citing statistics, the Franklin Police Department said that one out of every four college women report being sexually assaulted at some time during their four years of school, and 78 women are forcibly raped every hour in the U.S.

Previous R.A.D. instructor Lieutenant Amy Butler taught the self-defense course for 17 years. Butler said she looks forward to seeing women leave feeling confident they can overcome an attacker. Spry said that by coaching women through different scenarios, he hopes the class is a constant reminder of what to do when they're in trouble.

"It’s very rewarding to be able to teach people self-defense and ways to protect themselves," Spry said. "That’s one of the biggest things that I take away from it is just being able to go out and help people.”

The Franklin Police Department holds classes several times a year and women who don’t live in Franklin or Williamson County are free to participate. The minimum age requirement for the class is 14 years old. Franklin leaders encourage mothers and daughters to attend. If you want to participate, you can email Butler.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/fpd-offers-rad-classes-sept-2025/