Can women effectively learn self-defense online?

Yes. Research from the University of Oregon shows that women who complete empowerment self-defense training are both more likely to avoid assault if targeted, and less likely to be targeted in the first place. Online Krav Maga courses offer the same techniques taught in person, with the advantage of learning at your own pace and rewatching techniques as needed.

Why is Krav Maga recommended for women's self-defense?

Krav Maga was developed by the Israeli military to be learned quickly and used effectively regardless of size or strength. It emphasizes leverage, technique, and situational awareness over brute force — making it particularly effective for women. Techniques focus on real-world scenarios including grabs, chokes, and ground attacks.

Do I need any martial arts experience to start?

No prior experience is needed. The course is designed for complete beginners. The system breaks down techniques into simple, repeatable movements that build muscle memory over time. Many women start with zero combat experience and report feeling significantly more confident within weeks.

She Prepared › Running Safety

Female Runners and Harassment — Here's What the Safest Runners Do Differently

You love running. You also plan your routes around fear. You know which streets have cameras, which parks are empty after 5pm, which stretches have no phone signal. Multiple surveys paint a consistent picture: a 2021 Runner's World UK survey of 2,000 women found that 60% had experienced harassment while running, a 2017 Runner's World US survey reported 80%, and a RunRepeat study found 46%. These are self-selected surveys, not peer-reviewed studies, but the pattern is clear — harassment is widespread. And many runners change their routes, times, or stop running altogether out of fear. The difference between a runner who feels safe and a runner who feels hunted is not the neighbourhood. It's the protocol.

46-80%

Of female runners report harassment (Runner's World, RunRepeat surveys — not peer-reviewed)

43%

Changed their running habits out of fear (Runner's World survey, 2021)

84%

Of women have experienced street harassment before age 17 (Stop Street Harassment)

71%

Of women avoid outdoor activities they want to do (Gitnux Safety Research)

The Evening Jog That Changed Her Routine

Maria ran the same 5K loop every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30pm. Along the canal path, through the park, back via the high street. She'd been running it for two years. She knew every crack in the pavement.

On a Thursday in October, she noticed a man on a bench near the canal — unusual, because the path was usually empty by that time of year. She noted him without alarm and kept running. Three minutes later, she glanced back. He was behind her, matching her pace. Not running. Walking fast. But closing the distance.

Maria didn't speed up. She didn't freeze. She did what her training had taught her: she changed direction. She crossed to the other side of the canal path and took the next exit toward the high street. She glanced back. He had crossed too.

Now it was confirmed. She pulled out her earbuds — she'd been running with one in, one out — and ran directly toward the lit entrance of a Tesco Express. She stood inside for ten minutes, bought a water, and watched through the window. He walked past twice, then disappeared.

Maria never ran that loop at that time again. Not because she was afraid — because she understood that predictability is vulnerability. She now rotates between four routes and varies her departure time by 20 minutes. The awareness habits she'd trained — one earbud out, periodic backward glances, knowing her nearest safe points — were the reason she saw the threat early enough to respond without panic.

Route Planning: The Research on What Works

Vary your routes and departure times. Predictability creates vulnerability. According to Gavin de Becker's practitioner framework in The Gift of Fear, predatory individuals who target runners and walkers rely on pattern recognition — learning your routine, your timing, and your route. Alternating between 3-4 routes and varying your departure by at least 15-30 minutes eliminates the pattern.

Map your safe points before you run. Every route should have identified safe points: open shops, busy intersections, staffed buildings. The UK Metropolitan Police's personal safety guidance specifically recommends this practice for regular runners. If something feels wrong, you should know exactly where the nearest safe point is — not be discovering it under adrenaline.

Choose populated, well-lit paths — especially at dawn and dusk. Stop Street Harassment data shows that the majority of harassment incidents occur in low-traffic areas during transitional light hours. Parks with other runners, busy pavements, and paths with consistent foot traffic are measurably safer than isolated trails. If you prefer trail running, go with a partner or group.

Awareness While Running: The One-Earbud Rule

One earbud out. Always. This is widely recommended by self-defense instructors and law enforcement as a practical safety habit, though no controlled study has measured its impact on assault risk specifically. The logic is straightforward: total audio isolation eliminates your ability to hear approaching footsteps, vehicles, or verbal warnings. Bone-conduction headphones are the optimal solution — full music, full environmental awareness. If using standard earbuds, keep one ear free.

Run against traffic on roads. Facing oncoming traffic lets you see approaching vehicles and prevents anyone from pulling up behind you unnoticed. The CDC's injury prevention data confirms that pedestrians moving with traffic are significantly more likely to be struck — the same logic applies to personal safety.

Make eye contact with people you pass. Grayson & Stein (1981, Journal of Communication) found that convicted offenders identified vulnerable individuals based on gait and demeanour, selecting those who appeared unaware or submissive. Book, Costello & Camilleri (2013, Journal of Interpersonal Violence) confirmed that psychopathic individuals are particularly adept at this gait-based victim selection. Brief eye contact signals "I see you and I will remember you." It costs nothing and changes how you are perceived. Note: while confident posture correlates with lower vulnerability ratings in these studies, no prospective study has yet shown that training posture or eye contact reduces actual assault rates.

Carry your phone accessible — not in a pocket. An armband or running belt keeps your phone within reach for emergency calls without holding it. Programme emergency contacts for one-touch access. Many running apps — Strava, Apple Fitness, Nike Run Club — offer live tracking features that allow a safety contact to follow your run in real-time.

What to Do If You're Followed

Change direction immediately. Cross the road, take a turn, or reverse your route. If the person mirrors your change, the situation is confirmed — they are following you, not coincidentally going the same way. This is the single fastest way to distinguish coincidence from intent.

Head toward people — never toward home. Run toward shops, busy roads, other runners, or any populated area. Do not run toward your home — this reveals where you live and eliminates the one piece of information the follower doesn't have. Head toward the nearest safe point on your pre-planned route.

Make noise — specific noise. Shouting "Call the police" or "You in the blue jacket — stop following me" is more effective than screaming. According to the University of Oregon's Empowerment Self-Defense research, specific verbal commands create witnesses and social pressure. Predatory behaviour collapses when it becomes public. A 120+ decibel personal alarm clipped to your waistband achieves the same effect instantly.

If physical contact occurs, the same Krav Maga principles apply: break free at the structural weak point, strike a vulnerable target, create distance, and run toward safety. The Be Prepared course includes specific scenarios for running attacks — grabs from behind while in motion, the mechanics of breaking a hold at speed.

What Women Who Train Say

"I ran with both earbuds in for years. The first week I switched to one out, I couldn't believe how much I'd been missing — footsteps, cyclists, cars pulling over. I'll never go back. It's such a small change for such a massive shift in awareness." — Lauren, runner, age 31

"A man followed me on my morning run three times in one week — same time, same stretch of canal. I changed my route and my time. He never appeared again. Varying your routine isn't paranoia. It's what works." — Maria, runner, age 27

"I carry a personal alarm now. I've never used it. But knowing it's there changed the way I run — I stopped checking over my shoulder every 30 seconds. The confidence of having a plan is its own kind of safety." — Be Prepared student, 10K runner

Ready to Be Prepared?

The Be Prepared course teaches everything on this page — and more — through expert-led video instruction by David & Eytan, certified Krav Maga instructors.

Get the Be Prepared Course

Sources

Runner's World UK (2021) — Female Runner Harassment Survey: 60% of 2,000 women reported harassment (self-selected survey, not peer-reviewed)

Runner's World US (2017) — Reported 80% harassment rate (self-selected survey, not peer-reviewed)

RunRepeat — Reported 45.85% harassment rate (survey, not peer-reviewed)

Stop Street Harassment — National prevalence data: 84% of women harassed before age 17

Gitnux Safety Research — 71% of women avoid outdoor activities due to safety concerns

Grayson, B. & Stein, M.I. (1981) — Attracting Assault: Victims' Nonverbal Cues. Journal of Communication, 31(1), 68-75

Book, A., Costello, K. & Camilleri, J.A. (2013) — Psychopathy and Victim Selection. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 28(11), 2368-2383 (PubMed 23422847)

De Becker, Gavin — The Gift of Fear: practitioner framework on predatory target selection (not peer-reviewed research)

UK Metropolitan Police — Personal safety guidance for runners and pedestrians

CDC — Injury prevention: pedestrian-traffic directionality data

University of Oregon — Empowerment Self-Defense: verbal resistance effectiveness research

She Prepared provides self-defense education, not a guarantee of safety. Always seek professional in-person instruction alongside online training. Consult a physician before beginning any physical training programme.