These days, just living, working, or traveling in urban areas can be dangerous for women. With so many instances of physical assault in the news every year it is no wonder so many people have become interested in women self-defense training. If you are one of those people, here is everything you need to know before taking your first class:

What Do Self-Defense Classes in NYC Teach?

You might think you know what goes into learning self-defense, but there is more being taught than just how to fend off an attack. Here is what you can expect from your lessons:

• Learning basic techniques. These involve using minimal strength and maximum leverage of your opponent’s own body weight, height, or other factors to neutralize an attack and allow yourself to safely get away.
• Gaining situational awareness. This is a crucial skill that teaches you to survey a room or open space for potential threats and keep your senses tuned to this purpose while outside of known safe spaces.
• Practicing verbal techniques. Sometimes, using an assertive tone and the right words can deescalate a dangerous situation. Other times, it may be possible to neutralize a threat by calling attention to someone else’s actions. These and other verbal techniques are taught during self-defense training.
• Boosting preparedness, both physical and psychological. Being ready to face a potential attacker may sound frightening, but getting past that fear and learning to apply your skills is one of the most important aspects of learning self-defense for women.

Why is Women’s Self-Defense So Important?

Learning self-defense techniques has obvious benefits, but these are more varied and numerous than you might imagine. Just a few of these include:

• Enhancing situational awareness. While you might think self-defense training only helps you learn what to do once a situation arises, it is also valuable in helping you learn to avoid danger by recognizing threats and being more aware of your surroundings.
• Improving physical fitness. Regular practice of women self-defense techniques can improve your physical fitness, improving muscle tone, sharpening reflexes, and enhancing flexibility.
• Empowering participants and improving self-confidence. Self-defense training can make participants feel stronger and more prepared for everyday risks, which in turn makes those who practice the techniques feel empowered and confident in themselves.
• Relieving stress and improving mental health. – Exercise does wonders for mental health. It relieves stress, especially when that exercise involves learning valuable techniques that can keep participants safe in dangerous scenarios. It is stress relief now – and peace of mind later!
• Fostering community. Many people who take self-defense classes in NYC do so with friends or meet new ones there. That community of women supporting other women is invaluable. Applicability in the real world. Few sports or forms of exercise are as applicable to everyday life as self-defense. Not only can it deliver the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of exercise and team sport, but it can also be used to keep participants safer and offer them more flexibility and freedom as a result.

Busting Myths About Self-Defense Training for Women

Given how popular self-defense training for women is these days, it only makes sense that some misunderstandings have arisen about it. Thankfully, these are easy enough to debunk. Here are just some of the things people mistakenly believe about self-defense training – and the truth about each:

• Myth: Only young, fit people can learn self-defense. Truth: Self-defense techniques can be adapted to work for any level of physical ability, body type, age, or level of fitness. This is because self-defense relies on leverage, strategy, and other factors – not brute strength or agility.
• Myth: Learning self-defense promotes fighting or violence. Truth: Self-defense is just that – defensive. It does not promote violence and the techniques it teaches are suitable only for defending oneself.
• Myth: Once you learn, you do not need to attend more classes. Truth: Learning self-defense is a bit like playing a sport. Once you learn the proper techniques, you need to regularly practice to build muscle memory, ensure quick response time, and make calling on the knowledge you have easy in stressful situations.

Getting Started with Self-Defense Classes in NYC

Now that you know the benefits of self-defense training, how can you get started? Here are a few steps to help you ensure the best possible results in your training journey:

• Research locally available options. Major cities like New York offer many options for self-defense training, but there are options almost everywhere. Find a location that is within driving or transit distance to make it more likely that you will attend.
• Decide which style works best for you. Not every style of self-defense for women is suited to every body type, ability, or other personal factors. Talk to your instructor about which option might be best for you.
• Commit to regular practice. The only way to improve is to practice. Proper techniques should be practiced again and again to create the kind of habits that will truly protect you in emergency situations.
• Join a community or attend with friends. Women’s self-defense can be a great way to stay fit, be prepared for dangerous situations, and enjoy time with others. Take friends with you to class to catch up before and after or join a defense learning community to make new ones!