The ACU Police Department led a class for women’s self-defense at the Student Recreation Center on Nov. 11 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The class was open to women of all skill levels and focused on learning various self-defense techniques in potentially hazardous situations.

It has been almost a decade since the department began offering this class, which is offered once a semester or occasionally once a year. When police officers retire, new ones step in to fill their shoes.

This semester, the class was taught by ACUPD Lieutenant Matthew Fox to continue the university’s tradition.

“I don’t know if they’re going to walk away being martial arts experts or not,” Fox said. “They will definitely be given some good advice on how to stay safe, how to have situational awareness and that they can say no, and they can defend themselves.”

Elizabeth Peralta, freshman multimedia major from Fort Worth, attended the class in hopes of learning about signs of aggression and knowing how to combat them.

“Self-defense is important,” Peralta said. “I feel like this class will teach me the skills I need to know how to defend myself. If I ever get in a difficult situation in the future, I will feel more confident after this class.”

To learn more about these classes, follow ACUPD on Instagram and be on the lookout for emails from them.