Everything we teach is backed by evidence. These are the primary sources. Verify them yourself.
According to the NIJ/CDC Full Report on Violence Against Women, attacks follow a clear, predictable hierarchy. We train for what actually happens — not Hollywood scenarios.
Source: NIJ/CDC Full Report, Exhibit 23. Percentages = women reporting that type of assault since age 18 (n=8,000).
Both columns ranked by women's frequency. n=8,000 per group. Highlighted rows = types where women are disproportionately targeted relative to men.
| # | Type of assault | Women % | Men % | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pushed, grabbed, shoved | 23.3% | 32.9% | Men +9.6pp |
| 2 | Slapped, hit | 21.1% | 28.2% | Men +7.1pp |
| 3 | Pulled hair | 11.4% | 8.7% | Women +2.7pp |
| 4 | Beat up | 10.7% | 10.9% | ≈ Equal |
| 5 | Threw something | 10.3% | 17.8% | Men +7.5pp |
| 6 | Hit with an object | 7.4% | 15.9% | Men +8.5pp |
| 7 | Kicked, bit | 6.9% | 12.7% | Men +5.8pp |
| 8 | Choked, tried to drown | 6.8% | 3.0% | Women 2.3× higher |
| 9 | Threatened with a gun | 5.5% | 12.7% | Men +7.2pp |
| 10 | Threatened with a knife | 4.8% | 15.1% | Men +10.3pp |
| 11 | Used a knife | 2.7% | 8.9% | Men +6.2pp |
| 12 | Used a gun | 2.3% | 4.9% | Men +2.6pp |
* All gender differences are statistically significant (χ², p ≤ .001) except "beat up." Source: NIJ/CDC, Exhibit 23. Total reporting any physical assault since age 18: women 30.6% — men 44.9%.
Training implications: Men face higher overall rates and disproportionately more weapon-related violence. Women face 2.3× higher rates of choking — a scenario that requires a trained reflex response. The top two attack types are the same for both sexes, but the context differs: for women, the perpetrator is known 90% of the time.
"If you're training to fight off a stranger in a parking garage, you're preparing for the wrong scenario 90% of the time. Most violence against women involves someone known, in a familiar place, often after psychological pressure — not a sudden ambush."
The definitive federal study. Exhibit 23 lists 12 types of physical assault against women and men with exact prevalence rates. Published by the National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/183781.pdfCDC's ongoing national survey. Current prevalence data on physical violence, sexual violence, and stalking across the U.S.
https://www.cdc.gov/nisvs/about/index.htmlPeer-reviewed forensic study confirming punches are the most common form of physical violence in medicolegal analysis.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8036214/The "Red Zone" is the period from late August through November when over 50% of sexual assaults on college campuses occur. Knowing when and how attacks happen is the first layer of defense.
50%+ of college sexual assaults occur in August through November. Freshmen — especially females — are most vulnerable.
https://stepinstandup.tamu.edu/red-zone.htmlDOJ study of nine colleges: 629 sexual assaults among first-year students in September–October 2014.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/09/12/...Effective women's self-defense requires four sequential phases — not a one-hour workshop or a single technique. This is the framework we build from, informed by the research above.
Build confidence and consistency. Psychological safety, clear boundaries, trauma-aware coaching.
Realistic calibration. Instructor-selected partners, progressive resistance, opt-out available at all times.
Real-world scenarios: grabs, chokes, ground situations, and environmental constraints. Not pre-arranged sequences.
Performance under stress: timed scenarios, controlled fatigue, decision-making under real pressure.
"Self-defense isn't about comfort — it's about capability, built with care."
Women-only classes aren't inherently bad or good. The question is: are they building the capability you actually need for the threats you actually face?
— SD4ALL Philosophy
The physical training at SD4ALL does more than build self-defense capability. Resistance training and weight-bearing exercise are the single most evidence-backed interventions for bone density, longevity, and quality of life in women — especially post-menopause.
Dr. Patrick interviews Dr. Brad Schoenfeld (leading hypertrophy researcher). Aerobic exercise has minimal bone benefit vs. resistance training; compound lifts are most effective.
https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/resistance-training-build-muscleResistance training protocols, nutrition for bone-building, and preventing osteoporosis through menopause.
https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/aliquot-83-strong-bonesThe Danish Twin Study (20% genes / 80% lifestyle), Power 9 framework, and Blue Zones Project community results.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6125071/3× Emmy Award winning documentary on longevity research.
Blue Zones Power 9: bluezones.com/2016/11/power-9/I am not a researcher. I am a practitioner. But after nearly 30 years of teaching Krav Maga, I learned that you cannot teach effectively what you haven't understood honestly.
The research in this document changed how I teach. It changed what I teach. The data on who attacks women (90% someone she knows) means a significant portion of every class I run focuses on boundary-setting, psychological pressure, and familiar-context scenarios — not parking lot ambushes.
The data on attack types (pushing and grabbing #1 at 23.3%, choking #8 at 6.8% — but 2.3× more likely to happen to a woman than a man, and catastrophic when it does) means we drill those specifically until they become reflex responses, not techniques you have to think about.
I will tell you honestly what I don't know: I don't have controlled studies proving my specific approach outperforms others. What I have is nearly 30 years of watching what breaks down under real pressure — in Portugal, Norway, the UK, and the US — and iterating from that.