Thanks to the self defense classes held at the police department, the women living in Coppell have felt more safe and secure for 16 years.

Classes are held every fall and spring and the dates and vary from year to year.

“It’s important for a woman to know how to defend herself or at the very least know the importance of being aware of your surroundings,” Coppell resident and second time attendee Audrey McNabb said.

Casey Sessions has been the lead instructor for six years and enjoys seeing women in the program improve through the course.

“My favorite part of the program is seeing the progression and the development of the ladies that take the class, seeing their confidence level build over the six weeks,” Sessions said.

During the duration of the six weeks, attendees learn everything from learning to hit the right places when being assaulted like the nose and pressure points to how to avoid dangerous situation altogether.

“The instructors are very supportive, they critique you, they take it very seriously, they’ll tell you when you’re doing something wrong and doing something right so you feel confident,” Coppell resident Kylien Tiehen said, “You’ll learn different strikes and different kicks. They’ll teach you the correct form, they teach you how to look at your attacker, how you need to respond to the attacker and different scenarios and combinations of the moves. It’s consistent practice every class.”

The classes run from 6:30 – 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and participants must be over 18.

“My daughter graduated from Coppell High School, she took the senior girls defense class and she felt like she really learned a lot and I think that even in a town that’s as safe as Coppell, it’s really important for, especially women, to be aware of their surroundings and to feel like they have at least the minimal amount of knowledge to protect themselves,” McNabb said.

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