Fayetteville Women Strike Back in Rape Prevention Class

The extra police presence is some comfort, but there is more people can do to protect themselves.

"We find that a lot of women have no idea how to even make a fist," self defense instructor Charles Grimes said. "We start our class with - this is how you make a fist - and work on through that."

Self defense instructors say paying attention to what is going on around you is one of the best ways to keep from becoming a victim.

"Awareness is 90 percent of prevention," Grimes said. "So go by what we call that gut feeling. If that gut feeling tells you somethings wrong, that hair standing up on the back of your neck, most of the time that is correct, something is wrong."

Women have to be especially careful because nine times out of ten they are attacked by a man, who generally is both bigger and stronger than the victim.

"Most women should get involved in this kind of stuff because a lot of women like myself work at night," rape defense instructor Bertha McMillian said. "I leave here at eleven o'clock, I go home. You don't know what's going to happen so you need to be prepared."

Rape defense instructors say regardless of what shape you are in, you can easily learn basic self defense.

"We don't try and teach them karate or judo or anything like that," rape defense instructor Felton Moore Jr. said. "We just try to teach them just enough to buy some time to allow them to get away from that person who's trying to attack them."

There are self defense classes taught at the Fayetteville Technical College about six times a year.