Students in the self-defense class at Missouri Southern are learning to spot problems and “nip it in the bud.”

“In addition to learning fighting skills or protection skills, students also learn medical, legal and tactical considerations to avoid problems,” said John Karriman, tactical specialist for the State of Missouri and adjunct instructor in Southern’s Police Academy.

The class will earn students credit toward their physical activity requirement.

Karriman said the University has tried to hold the class during the spring semester for the past 20 years.

“We get quite a few requests (for the class) through the course of the year,” Karriman said. “When we go ahead and put it on, we only get a smattering of students who sign up. We’re working on adding to our numbers.”

Karriman said students can still enroll in the class for two more weeks.

He said the class started out with eight students but dropped down to four due to scheduling conflicts. In the past, the class has had 30 students in it.

Karriman said the reason for the fluctuation in the numbers is because interest in the class falls off from time to time.

The class teaches selections of techniques and principles from Kokoro Ryu Aikijutsu, which is a modern adaptation of the Takeda clan’s Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu. Karriman said the students learn more than just fighting skills in the class.

Karriman said the class is not taught completely in the multi-purpose area in the Anderson Justice Center. The class starts in a classroom where the students are taught the different practical implications of protecting one’s self or another individual.

“We talk about a number of awareness and assertiveness issues that keep a person safe,” Karriman said. “If I were to teach them fighting skills alone and turn them loose into the world, it would be like handing a child a gun. That’s ridiculous. We have to premise everything and keep it in the proper context.”

Some students in the class think it will help them when they get out of college and while they are still in college.

“It could help me out with my major,” said Raven Bartell, senior criminal justice major. “With me being a small girl and all, it helps me out.”

Matt Brown, freshman criminal justice major, said he does not know if the class would benefit all students, but he knows it will benefit him.

Bartell disagrees with Brown.

“I think it would be a good class for anybody to take,” Bartell said. “It doesn’t matter how old you are, male or female, or age or anything. It’s just a really good class.”

Students wishing to enroll in the class may call continuing education at 625-9577. There is an additional fee of $248 for the class. The class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.