When you hear self-defense, what can it bring to mind? A woman at one of my classes, named Jane, told me that she had never thought of self defense as something that applied to her. Envisioning karate costumes and flying arms and legs. But recently while on a weekend trip, she said that she learned some things that caused her to realize that she needed to sign-up in a class to help her learn to be both defensive, and proactive in regard to her safety.

What brought about her change of mind? Well, riding with her on the trip was a real estate agent who had been in the industry for many years. She spoke to Jane about new real estate agents who were so eager to make a sale that they didn't think about following basic precautions. Two new agents had been raped in her office that year. Even though she had quite a bit of knowledge, she had recently taken a self-defense class that she found very valuable. As she shared some of the philosophies she had learned, Jane became inspired to take a class. After she did so, she learned how empowering it is for a woman to be able to defend herself. Following are some of the ideas she learned in the class:

The basic definition of self-defense is to "protect one's person/property/reputation". This is a very general meaning, however, and doesn't give much insight as how you go about it. There are two aspects of self-defense: PREVENTION, which is your attitude, awareness of surrounding and verbal skills. And then the OFFENSIVE, which involves knowing the physical skills that you will need to escape or create pain for your attacker in order to save your life.

When thinking about self-defense, keep the AAA (triple A) in mind: ATTITUDE/AWARENESS/ABILITY. These three things will contribute to your future safety.

Attitude is planning actions in case something happens. Having an attitude that something may happen and taking proper steps for knowing what to do give you an advantage over the average person.

Awareness that things happen all the time, and that you can become a statistic if you aren't careful, can help prevent any unwanted instances for using self-defense. Being aware of your surroundings at all times and knowing what predators look for will help you eliminate any weak areas you may have.

Ability is the set of skills you have to both avoid a confrontation (by being aware of your surroundings) and the physical techniques that you will need to know in order to get away or to hurt your attacker if ever you are in danger.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" should be the mantra of every self-defense course. Knowing what to do to avoid unwanted advances will prevent someone from approaching you most of the time. A strong self-defense course will give you options. You should learn how to be on the lookout for a dangerous situation, how to assert yourself more when someone speaks to you, and it should also teach you basic moves that will help you get away from a offender. Your class should also stress how to inflict pain if it is ever necessary.

So, just what makes a woman (or a man) an easy target? Women are primarily targeted because they are physically unable to defend themselves. This is not because they are not strong enough, but because they haven't been trained in proper techniques. Women will often appear more vulnerable.

Sexual assault is another concern for women. Dating situations can lead to inappropriate contact from a date, and as a result, there is a real fear for health concern reasons. Women need to be strong.

While self-defense classes are probably available in your area and may be quite good, taking an online course can be very effective as well. Online classes can teach you how to be aware and exude a confident attitude, to take charge and to control distance. You will also learn to know where safety is, and how you need to go about getting help if the first two plans fall through. Don't be afraid to make a scene - knowing what to say and do can save your life. The last resort is physically defending yourself, but you can learn this too. Find out vulnerable parts of the body and the stance you need to take if you are ever attacked.

No instructor will be able to promise to keep you safe … you are ultimately responsible for defending yourself. But being armed with knowledge puts the power in your hands.

So, where did the two women go wrong I was telling you about earlier? They just didn't take precautions. Both of these real estate agents were so excited about showing a house that they didn't take another person along or know the client they were going with. One of these agents didn't even call and let the office know where she was going to be. When the men raped them, they were powerless and didn't have any way to seek recourse.

You now have a choice. Take the power in your hands. With a few easy steps, these women wouldn't have to live with the consequences for the rest of their lives.