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Step 1
Request to meet the instructor. When you're visiting self-defense schools, it's not enough to just talk to the manager or take a tour. Ask to meet the instructors who're teaching the classes you're interested in so that you can get a feel for their personalities, how they teach and how you interact with each of them.
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Step 2
Ask informed questions. You know exactly what you want to get out of your self-defense class, so when you meet the instructor, ask questions that are meaningful to you. Bring a list of questions with you so that you don't forget anything such as if he specializes in helping women who have been assaulted, or is an expert on teaching youngsters defense skills.
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Step 3
Observe a few classes before signing on the dotted line. It would benefit you to see the instructor in action and to visit a few different classes so that you can witness for yourself how she relates to her students. During observation, you can see if she treats adult women learning self-defense with the same manner as kids, or if she bullies to get her point across.
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Step 4
Seek out an instructor who empowers. You want to walk away from this class feeling safe, strong and capable, so pick a self-defense instructor who teaches with the goal of giving you those tools to use in the real world when you're alone in a parking garage or hear suspicious noises at home. An instructor who belittles you will only squash your self esteem.
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Step 5
Move at your own pace. A self-defense instructor should cater to each student's progress in class as each student won't grasp every technique at the same time. Mastering your self-defense skills by the end of the class is essential, so stay away from anyone who expects the entire group to move at the same pace.
