Self-Defense class for adult

Hi, can anyone recommend a good self-defense class? I don't know where to begin looking. I know there are various martial arts like tae kwon doe, aikido, karate, etc., but I don't have a specific style in mind. I just want to learn how to defend myself if someone tries to attack me. Thanks! Anon

I haven't taken any other martial art class, but this class focuses mainly on self defense against a single unarmed attacker. The class is broken up into two sections: physical and verbal techniques. The physical techniques are taught by women and you practice them over and over again. You learn how to ID vulnerable points on an assailant and more importantly you learn how to make it a reflex. I learned that even though I'm small (about 5 feet even) I can floor a big man based on body mechanics. The verbal skills are fantastic. They teach you how to spot and avoid manipulating situations, how to de-escalate violence, and how to trust your instincts. Often an attacker ''tests'' his victims verbally. I took the class because I was getting a lot of street harassment (''hey baby!'' kind of thing). Now I know how to deal with it.

It's a great class. I've taken it twice plus the advanced classes. The teachers are fantastic and the all-women atmosphere makes it so safe. PLUS, it's a lot less expensive than the ''full body attacker classes'', which unfortunately don't always teach the verbal things and don't let you practice knee kicks (because the guy in the puffy suit can get hurt). HTH, Janki

After taking their class, I checked out a martial arts tournament that included self defense using a padded attacker to see what other people learned & how they reacted to similar situations. Studio Naga swept that event so I felt like my money for self defense was well spent. cinthia

Modern Combatives has a great women's self defense course, taught by Lily Pagle. For the ''graduation'' class the women fight guys in padded suits. I was very impressed with the skill level all the women showed after just 10 classes. In fact, before seeing the results of this course, I was quite skeptical that much in the way of practical skills could be taught in 10 classes. The classes include not only training in techniques but also education about situations. The classes are small and allow for discussion and questions. In addition to this short course, there is an introductory training program for adults and regular martial arts classes (which is what I take).

In my opinion, the two biggest benefits you get from studying martial arts are not the self defense skills, which you hope you will never use. The first big benefit is the better physical condition, which helps you defend yourself from other sorts of deadly things, like diabetes and heart problems. When you have that extra something in your walk that comes from being in shape and the self confidence to hold your head up, you are far less likely to become a victim of crime.

The second big benefit is the awareness that comes from understanding how physical conflict works. The criminal mind looks for signs of weakness and moments of opportunity. If you are more aware, you may avoid parking your car in a dark place, you may notice and avoid that suspicious looking person and, if there is a person near you, you might get on the other side of something like a shopping cart so that the person doesn't have a chance to start making a problem for you. The idea is to avoid the problem and, if you cannot avoid it, to deal with it quickly and effectively and get away safe. ddm