3 Reasons Why Women Should Learn Self-Defense

Every day it seems there is yet another report of a woman being attacked in some way. Whether it’s a robbery or sexual assault, women are victimized regularly. The statistics can be frightening sometimes, but they all point to one fact: most women are not properly armed to defend themselves. And no, this doesn’t mean that every woman needs to carry around pepper spray or a handgun (though those are an option). This simply means more women need to take the opportunity to learn self-defense. Here are 3 reasons this is so important for every woman to do.

Protect Yourself

This is the first and more obvious (and, arguably, the most important) reason to learn self-defense. Statistically speaking, the average man is larger and stronger than the average woman. This means that, in most cases, women are easier targets for acts of violence and can have a hard time defending themselves if attacked by a man. If the woman is familiar with self-defense methods, they can fend off an attack.

Self-defense classes are aimed at teaching women fast, effective ways of disabling or disarming an attacker. A variety of situations are addressed, including being attacked from the front, side, or behind, as well as attacks with or without a weapon. Women are also taught how to use items they have in their possession as weapons if necessary, such as using their car keys to scratch at the face or jab at the eyes.

These kinds of classes are extremely valuable to women, as they focus on helping a smaller victim to overcome a larger attacker—the most common setup in a violent attack against a woman. Defensive maneuvers are focused on using the attacker’s height or weight against them, targeting the most sensitive parts of the attacker’s body, and using the hardest and most effective parts of your own body to strike. In this way, even the smallest woman can learn to fight back against a much larger assailant.

Have Confidence in Yourself

Mastering a self-dense technique like Krav Maga can give you an incredible sense of confidence. It can make you feel strong, capable, and fierce, even in situations that may have made you feel timid before. But improved self-confidence is about far more than just feeling good about yourself. Self-confidence can also protect you.

When an attacker is choosing a victim, they tend to look for individuals that they think will be easy targets. Often, they choose people who look timid or uncertain — people who walk with their head down, who are not paying attention to their surroundings, or who appear lost or distracted. When you feel strong and confident, you’re more likely to walk with your head up, eyes forward, and with an air of strength about you.

In this way, those self-defense classes can help to prevent you from ever becoming a victim in the first place. It will be evident in your carriage and disposition that you are not an easy target, and would-be attackers are more likely to steer clear of you.

Be More Disciplined

Every variety of martial arts is focused on self-discipline. You learn to check your emotions, stay calm in stressful situations, and be more aware of your surroundings. All of these skills can be translated for use in your everyday life, from the work environment to personal relationships. When you learn to control and channel your emotions, as you do in self-defense classes in NYC, you’ll be better able to communicate with others and tackle any obstacle thrown at you.

If you’re interested in women’s self-defense classes in NYC, stop by the Krav Maga Institute to learn more about this particular martial art, and how it can help you.