I’m often asked what “What tools should I buy if I want to be safer?” The truth is that there’s no one tool that addresses every potential threat. A danger may be within arm’s reach or on the other side of a door or fence. So the best course is to have a set of […]

There are SO many blog posts and YouTube videos about the “Self-Defense Moves Every Woman Needs to Know.” But is it true that if you just learn some moves you will magically be protected? That you’ll be fully equipped to keep yourself safe? Unfortunately not. It would be awesome if it were true, but the […]

People are often afraid of firearms, and often have false beliefs about them. A common belief is that if you get shot you will die. This belief is one that enables perpetrators to intimidate the victims they target. The truth is that you MAY die but it is not inevitable. There are many incidents in […]

“I Want To Run By Myself But… Dammit I Don’t Feel Safe!” The frustration with even having to think about safety while we go about our daily lives is common with women I work with in my self-defense programs. It pisses me off too, and yet I know that the “but I shouldn’t have to…” […]

Is it true that taking a self defense class or learning what to do if I get assaulted/attacked means I’ll attract violence to me? This question comes up a lot from people who are firm believers in the law of attraction. They believe that what they think about and what they focus on is what […]

My courage is something that both grows and diminishes. It grows when I navigate through a situation where I feel fearful, and it diminishes when I give in to my worries and concerns and don’t even try to deal with something scary. Moving out of the suburban environment of Silicon Valley and up to my […]

I made a special stop Saturday evening to pick up some Arnica. I used to carry some in my training bag when I was going to martial arts classes multiple times a week, but I didn’t think to bring any with me to the 2-day training I went to last weekend. Self-defense coach Tony Blauer […]

I recently received an inquiry from someone looking for a class for her daughter. Her primary goal was physical fitness, but her daughter wanted to learn self defense. Here’s how I explained the differences.   There’s a big differencebetween fitness classes, martial art classes and self defense classes. There are martial arts schools that offer […]

In his video about preventing child abduction, Coach Tony Blauer of Blauer Tactical Systems(BTS) talks about life being like a rose. The flower is beautiful and the thorns can hurt you, just as life has both its wonders to delight you and its dangers to harm you. The important thing is that you (and your children) […]

  How’d I end up doing this? As my four children have grown up and faced the prospect of starting careers, I’ve told them to find what lights them up and fills them with enthusiasm and joy.  Of course they have challenged me to do that myself as my role as full-time mom comes to […]