WARSAW — According to Department of Justice statistics there are roughly 237,868 victims of rape and sexual assault each year in the US. This is approximately one victim every two minutes.

To encourage communities to work together to reduce these statistics April is nationally designated as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. In support of this designation Personal Safety Unlimited is offering two free “Fight Back FAST” self-defense classes for women and teens in April. One class will be offered on Saturday, April 8, and a second class will be offered on Sunday, April 9. Both classes will be held at the Parkview Warsaw YMCA beginning at 1pm.

These “hands-on” FAST Defense classes will be conducted by Personal Safety Unlimited owner and certified FAST Defense instructor, Steve Zorn. FAST Defense offers Award Winning personal safety and empowerment programs. Fight Back FAST will specifically emphasize scenarios that are more common to women. We will provide a brief overview of the ABC’s of self-defense including: Awareness, Boundary-Setting, and Core Confidence. Then we will address physical attacks from the front, the rear, and those that can occur in various prone positions. At the conclusion of the class all participants will get a opportunity to defend themselves against mock assailants wearing padded protective armor.

“This is my way of showing community support,” said Zorn. “It’s about empowering women and teens with the knowledge and skills to avoid or escape violent altercations. It gives them peace of mind knowing they have options in these situations.”

Zorn has over 27 years of experience in self-defense, crime prevention, and personal safety. During the past 17 years he has been privileged to empower men, women, teens, and children with the knowledge and skills to keep themselves safe from crime and violence. He has taught Women’s Self-Defense courses throughout Indiana to corporations, non-profit groups, and other organizations.

Space is limited to only 12 per class. Please e-mail [email protected] or call (574) 269-7209 to register.