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 › Situational Awareness

How to Read a Room Before Trouble Starts

The most important self-defense skill has nothing to do with fighting. Situational awareness — the ability to read your environment, identify potential threats, and position yourself for safety — prevents the vast majority of attacks before they begin. Predators select targets based on perceived vulnerability. Awareness is the signal that says "not her."

80%+

Of attacks can be prevented through awareness and avoidance

7 sec

Average time a predator takes to assess a potential target

47%

Of women avoid necessary activities due to safety fears

Skill taught first in every serious self-defense programme

The Cooper Color Code

Developed by Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper, the Color Code system describes four levels of awareness that apply to everyday life — not just combat situations. Understanding where you are on this spectrum at any moment is the foundation of personal safety.

White (Unaware): Headphones in, phone out, oblivious to surroundings. This is where most people spend most of their time — and it's the state that predators specifically look for. A woman in Condition White is the easiest target.

Yellow (Relaxed Alert): Aware of your environment without being anxious. You notice who enters the room, where the exits are, and whether anything feels "off." This is where you should spend most of your waking time. It costs nothing in terms of stress and provides enormous protective benefit.

Orange (Specific Alert): Something has triggered your attention — a person following too closely, a car circling the block, someone whose behaviour doesn't match the environment. In Orange, you have a plan: "If he follows me past this corner, I'm going into that shop."

Red (Action): The threat is confirmed and you must act — escape, create distance, use verbal commands, or physically defend. The value of the Color Code is that by the time you reach Red, you've already processed the threat and have a plan. You're not starting from zero.

Baseline Reading

Every environment has a baseline — the normal pattern of behaviour for that place and time. A busy high street at noon has a different baseline than a car park at midnight. Threats reveal themselves as deviations from baseline.

Ask three questions when entering any space: What is normal here? What would be abnormal? Where are my exits? These three questions take seconds and transform you from a passive occupant to an active observer. A person lingering near the exit of a car park at midnight deviates from baseline — everyone else is moving toward their car.

Baseline reading is a skill that improves with practice. Within weeks of conscious effort, it becomes automatic. Women who train in awareness report that they don't feel more paranoid — they feel less anxious, because they've replaced vague fear with specific knowledge.

Pre-Attack Indicators

Research on violent crime consistently identifies behavioural patterns that precede an attack. Recognising these patterns gives you seconds to minutes of warning — enough to change your trajectory, enter a safe space, or prepare to defend.

Target glancing: Repeatedly looking at you while trying to appear casual. The attacker is assessing distance, your alertness, and whether you've noticed them.

Mirroring your movements: When you change direction, they change direction. When you speed up, they speed up. This is following behaviour, and it escalates.

Closing distance without reason: Moving closer to you when there's no social or environmental reason to do so — especially from behind or from a blind angle.

The interview: Approaching with a question or request ("Do you have the time?", "Can you help me find...") to test your compliance and close distance. Most street attacks begin with a social approach, not a sudden physical assault.

What Women Who Train Say

"The biggest change wasn't physical. It was that I stopped looking at my phone while walking. Such a small thing — but I notice everything now." — Be Prepared student, age 26

"I taught my 16-year-old daughter the Color Code system. She texts me 'Yellow' when she's walking home from the bus. It's our shorthand for 'I'm paying attention.'" — Mother, Manchester

"A man approached me in a car park last month with the 'interview' — asked me for directions. I recognised the pattern immediately, kept my distance, and gave a confident answer while moving toward the entrance. Nothing happened. But I was ready if it did." — Krav Maga student, 7 months

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

Cooper, Jeff — Principles of Personal Defense (Cooper Color Code system)

De Becker, Gavin — The Gift of Fear (pre-attack indicators and intuition)

University of Oregon — Empowerment Self-Defense research on awareness training

Gitnux Safety Research — Women's avoidance behaviour statistics

ScienceDirect — Meta-analysis on resistance and assault prevention

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.