TIFTON — Twelve local state employees took a self defense class as part of their annual safety week.

The class was taught by Garfield Rhaney, a fourth-degree black belt from Taekwondo USA, a local taekwando school.

Rhaney, who is also a lieutenant and certified defensive tactics instructor with the Tifton Police Department, said that everyone needs to know some type of self defense these days.

“The first past of the class was going over safety tips,” he said. One of the things he taught the class was to be aware of their surroundings.

The second part of the class was hands-on instruction in basic self defense techniques.

Rhaney showed the women who took the class how to get out of several different situations, including someone grabbing them by one arm, both arms and someone choking them.

“This is just an introduction,” Rhaney said, adding that all the attendees will get a two week pass to the taekwondo school.

The techniques he showed them relied on using leverage against a potential attacker, which would allow someone smaller to get away from a larger person who is trying to overpower them.

Follow Eve Guevara on Twitter @EveGuevaraTTG.