Women: take this class! It was half information: how to avoid confrontation, what to do if you can't avoid it, situational awareness, and tools you can use to protect yourself. The other half was learning and practicing moves to defend yourself. Rebecca and her assistant were super professional but also really friendly and accessible. We were all newbies and some of us (me) were really clueless and nervous, but they were so patient and efficient and clear with their instructions I felt really safe and supported. We all got to practice our moves with a dummy (Dave!) and with the teachers, and they made sure we got them right before we moved on. I left the class feeling confident, like I was more prepared and capable to handle threatening situations. I couldn't recommend this class more! Thank you so much to Rebecca and her assistant (whose name I somehow forgot again, I'm so sorry! You are so cool and amazing!) I was so impressed and inspired, I hope to see you all again at a future class. read more

Rebecca is a wonderful, knowledgeable, and passionate instructor! I took the Urban Self-defense course and learned a variety of helpful tips. The best part is that Rebecca goes over different self-defense methods so that you can figure out what feels the best for you. I have always been one to be proactive rather than reactive, so this class helped me overcome some fears. I hope I will never have to used the skills that Rebecca showed me, but I'm glad I know them for when the situation arises. read more

Took the mother daughter self defense class. It was very helpful & informative! Great instruction!

Came up on Yelp while I was looking for a company defense class. I left a kind voicemail and Rebecca calls back about not calling her early (8am), like it is a customers fault for trying to get in contact with the business. Get a separate phone number dont use the same business and personal number. Bad taste. read more

Rebecca, Thank you so much for the amazing class you gave my 8th grade girls. They were able to gain an understanding of how important it is to be aware of their surroundings to avoid being put in a dangerous situation. They learned how to defend themselves against an aggressor who approaches and grabs them around the torso from behind, grabs them in a rear chokehold, and grabs them in a front chokehold. The knowledge they gained and skills they practiced are invaluable and we are extremely thankful. Words cannot express our gratitude. Rebecca, you and Shalou are amazing! The work you do is vital to the emotional and educational growth of our students. Once again, thank you! I highly recommend that anyone looking for a self-defense class attend Defense Ability classes or organize an event so that anyone in your company or organization can learn these techniques! read more

We are thankful for Rebecca's generosity for volunteering her time to teach a free self-defense class for the young women of Teen Success, Inc. Rebecca was passionate and knowledgeable with a good sense of humor. Our youth left the class with a new set of skills and confidence. She made the material relevant to the lives of our members by discussing topics such as being aware of our surrounding, trusting our instincts and teaching us moves that can be used to defend ourselves against an attack. We would definitely recommend Rebecca if you are looking to learn self-defense! Thank you again Rebecca! read more

Highly recommend the urban defense class! You'll learn how to prevent unsafe situations, ways to stay safe, and defending yourself from an attacker. You'll be able to practice certain escape moves which were super helpful and gave me confidence that I'll have good tools to use it these situations happen to me. read more

Grateful this class exists! As someone who has experienced uncomfortable situations on the street more than I'd like, this class made me feel more confident about the basics, understanding my options, and learning some basic moves that I could continue practicing in the future. It also helped boost my reassurance and sense of safety after a troubling incident, so thank you Rebecca! I feel like all girls and women should learn these skills. Already signed up for the practice class to help refine the skills a bit more. Reccomend! read more

I recently attended Rebecca's Urban Self-Defense Course and I am so grateful to have attended!!!!! I appreciate Rebecca soo much and her self defense course!! Her sharing the knowledge regarding self defense brings me more confidence and I feel so much more prepared to avoid and/or how to react to situations where I could possibly become a victim. This is so empowering to me! Rebecca has such a beautiful heart, she cares so much for women's safety and is an awesome guiding light towards self protection. I feel truly blessed to have been able to attend. Anyone who takes any of her classes will leave with a sense of having more tools to keep our minds on track and she guides us how to find safety in our surroundings. Thank you so much Rebecca!!! read more

While this class shares valuable information on self-defense, sometimes the teacher communicated in a way towards students that came across as dismissive, aggressive or even bullying, and was not helpful for student learning. Some examples: -A student asked a question to clarify information they had heard on a topic being discussed, and the teacher responded in a way that seemed hostile, shutting down the question instead of using it as an opportunity for further learning. The student seemed reluctant to ask more after this. -The instructor got angry towards a student who had forgotten something, getting close into their personal space and making a strangling motion to show their anger. Class had not even started yet, and this student had barely just met the instructor, the student seemed really scared by this. -During a lecture portion of the class, the instructor suddenly pivoted to a student and acted aggressively, to see how they would react. While this may have been to show the point that you won't have time to react in a dangerous situation, it was not made clear to the students beforehand that this type of thing would occur during the lecture portion of the class. -This type of behavior as shown in the above two examples is especially concerning, as it would make sense that some students might be attending the class because they have already had bad things happen to them. Instead of getting help they may have gotten triggered if they had trauma. -When a woman was asking about how to improve her specific safety scenario the instructor made a joke out of what she was doing, which wasn't helpful to her learning or necessary. The joke also seemed to generalize about women, which isn't cool. To potential students - the information is good, but please be aware that the instructor is not always sensitive to students, and it could be triggering to someone with trauma. Hopefully the above feedback can help the course improve so even more can benefit. read more

I arranged for a private class for my teen, tween and their friends. Rebecca did an amazing job striking a balance between preparing versus scaring them. The girls learned a lot and had a good time. I highly recommend. read more

Yes, yet another 5-star review for Rebecca and Defense-Ability. As the date approached for my daughter to head off to university, I became more and more concerned about her ability to keep herself safe in a big city of over a million people (San Jose). I searched the internet, scouring reviews to find a class that was practical - signing for ongoing lessons in martial arts wasn't what I was after (I'm sure they have their place). Finally I came across defense-ability.com. On August 6, 2017, my wife and daughter took Rebecca's Mother-Daughter self-defense class. They were both super-positive about the class, feeling much better equipped to keep themselves safe. Rebecca doesn't just teach moves (she does that of course); perhaps more importantly, she teaches the participants to change their behavior and be aware of their surroundings. She educates the students about dangerous situations, when you are most vulnerable, and how to act to avoid an attack in the first place. Rebecca is highly experienced in her field (check out her website and these other reviews), and has been an instructor for the government for years. She knows her stuff and you will be glad you took her class. All this is great, but I want to emphasize the importance of going back and practicing your newly acquired skills. Rebecca offers practice classes for very little money. Please, go attend one or two until you don't have to think about what to do. Repetition is the key to learning, and this is no different. So my wife and daughter returned last weekend to a practice session, and once again came home very pleased and feeling it was time very well spent. Rebecca is extremely patient, so if you're afraid you might embarrass yourself or don't think you can do it, she will take you through the moves one on one at your own pace. My wife and daughter are both petite (less than a hundred pounds) so if that's you out there, don't feel like you can't participate. Fathers, husbands, please consider having your daughters and/or wives take this class! I enthusiastically recommend it. Thanks Rebecca. read more

My sisters and I attended Rebecca's Basic Self Defense course. I can't say enough great things about our experience. She definitely made the class relevant to real life situations through her stories. She pointed out how to avoid letting our daily routines and behaviors put us at risk for landing in dangerous situations. No matter how careful we thought we were before the class, there was always something that Rebecca pointed out that we could work on. After going over different scenarios and how to be more aware of your surroundings, we learned a bunch of physical techniques that could be helpful in dangerous situations. These were tools that we could take home and practice on our own. We walked out of the class having more knowledge than we had before. It's hard to put everything we learned into a review so I would definitely recommend that every female take one of Rebecca's classes. Totally worth it! read more

Rebecca, Defense-ability's owner has a genuine passion for women's safety and it's evident in her training. She volunteered to teach a free class for the women in our townhouse complex in downtown San Jose, and exceeded our expectations. From the beginning of class and up till the end, she kept our female participants of various ages (15 y/o to 60+), ethnic groups, life experiences, and fitness levels engaged. Not to mention, pumped! Her use of videos and real life examples were real eye openers on how important it is to be aware of your surroundings. Class participants were able to practice their newly acquired self defense skills on "Dave the dummy," and also enjoyed getting the opportunity to learn how to use both a stun gun and pepper gel. Rebecca also gave us recommendations on what to look for when purchasing a stun gun and showed us an ingenious smartphone app that can help us if we are in danger. Rebecca has transformed a tough topic into one everyone felt comfortable talking about and asking questions. The class was a real confidence booster! Be prepared to get involved, learn a lot and have a great time. No sitting on the sidelines! It's hard to believe that this class was only three hours. Time sure does fly when your having fun. Thank you Rebecca and Defense-Ability for your support of our diverse communities within Silicon Valley. read more

My friend and I both took Rebecca's workshop and loved it! Having both been through some very tough situations, we had been looking for an opportunity to learn how to better protect ourselves. Rebecca's class really fit the bill! We learned how to be more alert to the environment around us, what type of situations can be dangerous, how perpetrators think and pick victims, and, perhaps most importantly, how to physically defend ourselves. Rebecca has a lot of experience and knowledge. She's also got a great sense of humor and a lot of good stories. It was a pleasure getting to know her as well! A class for moms with small children is in the works as well, so we are hoping to join her for that sometime soon. read more

I attended the Defense-ability class on a Saturday morning at the Billy DeFrank LGBT Center. It was a great reminder that when you least expect it, you can be faced with a fight or flight situation, and Rebecca and Jill provide you with the knowledge that can save your life! Rebecca and Jill are professional, empathetic, and incredibly knowledgeable. I felt comfortable asking questions and getting the answers I needed i.e.) "should you yell fire when physically confronted"? They applied real life examples and situations, and techniques that will get you out of them. -What you should be aware of when shopping this season and walking through parking lots with your arms full. -How to practice your fight or flight plan so that in the situation you have to use it, you are clear-headed and READY! -DON'T rely on defense moves you see in the movies... Rebecca and Jill will teach you the proper, REALISTIC moves that can immobilize or at least distance yourself from an attacker. They also offer defense items for sale AND teach you how to use these tools, what your rights are when using them, etc. I plan on taking my mother and aunts to an upcoming class. Taking this class reaffirmed to me that awareness and prevention skills are key; the reactive skills they taught were absolute gold, and though I hope I never have to use them, I know that I'm not helpless. Rebecca and Jill, THANK YOU for empowering others! read more

Rebecca has a lot of experience and was able to provide a lot of information and tips on keeping you safe. We go through a lot of information first then we practice actual physical defense moves with her and whomever we partner up with. My friends and I did the basic and college safety class... And I wish I took this class when I was actually going to college. (I remember many late nights walking two blocks to the 7th parking garage at SJSU.). I would highly recommend this class for any woman. And looking forward to a "mother w/ young children" self defense class Rebecca plans in putting together. read more

This past Sunday I stepped out of my box and took a mother daughter self-defense class with Rebecca. I was amazed at how much I learned in such little time. Rebecca is super knowledgeable, a great listener and an even better teacher. Every female should equip themselves with the tools to know how to get out of a bad situation fast. Her class is so worth the money and the time. The tools she will equip you with might just save your life one day. I highly recommend this class. I cant wait to do the monthly 2 hour practice class. read more

What an eye opener!! Sooo many things I did not realize I was ignoring and could put me at risk!! Rebecca was engaging, informative, and a great instructor for our company's self defense class!! Her experiences and her energy kept a room of 30 women and a couple men on their toes and ready for danger! Not just physical instruction, but confidence to bring attention, and get to safety when in an uncomfortable or dangerous situation!! Everyone should take this course to prevent injury, and dangerous situations!! Thank you defense ability for coming to our office and helping us all be more aware, and more confident to take care of ourselves!!! read more

Defense-ability - Real demonstrations on how to fight off attackers - Self-defense Classes Near Me

So, I have been working out doing HIIT for the last 2 years so I am strong, but if something were to happen to me I had no idea how to handle that. So I signed up for a self-defense course. I took Woman's Urban Self Defense Course a few weeks ago and man, it was probably one of the best and empowering experience I have ever had. I will be back for the practices! Thank you!!! read more

So, reading through all of the reviews, I'm sure you're finding it hard to believe that Rebecca receives 5 stars in review after review. But after my 14 year old daughter and I took her course this past weekend the only rating I can give her is 5 stars. Seriously! The class was highly relevant and very easy to relate to our everyday activities and actions. Rebecca's teaching style is perfect for this type of material and her prior work experience lends her to be extremely credible with this line of work. She mixes in humor throughout the session to keep it casual but gets the point across about how important it is to be alert and aware of your environment. This self-defense course for women and girls is one of the most important gifts you could ever give yourself, your mother, your sister, your daughters or any woman in your life. It literally could save their life. Defense-ability was highly recommended to me by my best friend who took her two daughers to it and I'm passing this on to you ---- I highly recommend Rebecca's Defense-ability course for every girl, lady and woman out there. read more

Rebecca is an amazing woman and self-defense instructor. Every woman should take her class! She makes you feel confident and truly cares about the safety of all her students. I have taken the "Women's Urban Self Defense" class and her practice class. In both, I learned so much about how to protect myself using techniques anyone can learn and these techniques are independent of how much stronger the attacker may be. Also during the class she teaches you about the best possible defense: situational awareness. Meaning, how to not get into these situations in the first place. Further, she has continued to answer any questions I have even after the class. I really cannot recommend this class enough! read more

My daughter had just graduated from college and was working long hours, traveling on public transportation, and I was really worried about her safety. I heard about Defense-ability from a friend who had attended their safety awareness class, so I signed us up for both of their classes. I can't tell you how happy I am that we took the classes. Rebecca and Jill are excellent instructors, and talk about self defense in a way that makes it both fun and informational. We learned about avoiding bad situations, and how to defend ourselves against attacks. I also loved the physical training class. It's only a few moves, but they're easy to remember and very effective. They also gave us a printout so that we can re-read the information, and practice the self defense moves at home. Very satisfied with their service and would recommend them to everyone. read more

My mom and I took a self defense class at West Valley College taught by Rebecca and she's an AWESOME instructor! She's very patient & thorough and her humor makes the class even more fun! Thank you Rebecca!!! (And Dave!) :-P read more

Rebecca did such a great job going through the motions of self-defense with us. In such a short span, I learned so much about self-awareness, how to assess a situation you've run into, and how to disable your attacker in many different scenarios. She is so passionate about her work and has so much experience that I believe everyone should go through at least one session of self-defense with her. Thanks for sharing your knowledge Rebecca! read more

Our domestic violence program, AACI Asian Women's Home was lucky to have been referred to Rebecca at Defense-ability for Self-Defense Training. Many of us are working with survivors of abusive relationships at any number of stages from safety planning to crisis intervention. Violence is never promoted in the work that we do, but safety and support is heavily emphasized to our clients and our individual well-being. The tips that Rebecca provided in her 2-day training on awareness and prevention tactics was not only practical, but also very powerful! Rebecca was able to draw upon real life experiences and how to avoid sticky situations just by being more aware, assertive, and willing to act. I'd highly recommend taking a class with Rebecca as I came away from the training feeling more confident in my own abilities to protect myself. Many thanks for the tips and tactics...your teachings are invaluable! read more

Last week, I had the opportunity to experience Part 1 of 2 self-defense workshops conducted by Defense-Ability founder, Rebecca O'Brien. Learning about the potential dangers around you can be anxiety provoking and Rebecca doesn't shy away from telling you about the horrors that can happen if you are a woman traveling alone. However, she follows up each scenario with a realistic solution so you leave the workshop feeling knowledgeable and empowered. Rebecca has multiple safety tips to share but her style of presentation is so fluid, I personally did not feel overwhelmed with information. She didn't use many props other than a TV and a taser, but her speech was very effective. Her passion for helping people is channeled in her tone and mannerisms and the entire time I felt like I was being mentored one on one even though I was in a room full of other people. In summary, I highly encourage both sexes of all ages to experience this workshop. I feel like the lessons learned are beneficial if not for yourself, but for someone you care about. Part 2 of the workshop will be coming up soon and I hope to update this post then with more information on my experience! read more

I followed Rebecca's 3 hours session with my daughter (16) and a friend of her. It was a great experience. We have learned how to better protect ourselves, be aware of our surroundings, how to react quickly and the smartest way possible. We practice basic techniques, simple but efficient, the ones you will be more likely to remember and be able to pratice at home. All this in a fun way! We will definitively go back to refresh this great tips which could save your life. Do not hesitate to contact her and book the workshop which suits your needs the best, she has the one for you! Nathalie. B. read more

Great course. I took the mother daughter class with 2 of my teenagers. It was fantastic. Rebecca was very professional and informative. She did a fantastic job educating us about awareness and handling many types of situations. Not only did she demonstrate physical techniques, but she made sure each participant was confident and competent with each maneuver. I would definitely recommend this class. read more

I attended the two self-defense classes at our agency two Thursdays in a row. I love it. Rebecca is a very experienced trainer. She explained everything very well and instructed us in a very professional and patient manner. I learned so much from her classes and enjoyed it because she had not only the knowledge but also the humor the make the classes so much fun. I would recommend everyone to attend her training especially women. We can learn how to avoid dangerous situations and how to survive if things happen to us. read more

I learned more in the three hours of this class than I did in a semester of college. This class is a MUST for everyone. Rebecca is amazing.

We hosted a self-defense seminar at our company. Rebecca and her team were total professionals. It was easy working with them from beginning to the end. The event itself went very well. Everyone was laughing and learning. Her technique is a no BS approach. She doesn't expect anyone to turn into a black belt overnight. She teaches folks how to best avoid dangerous situations, and if they happen to find themselves in bad situations, realistic methods of escaping and surviving them. Thank you, Rebecca and team. You're great! read more

From my wife, a martial artist who has taken Model Mugging: "Rebecca is a former Homeland Security agent who trained other federal agents. She teaches a no-nonsense, practical class on how to avoid trouble in the first place, and how to disable and escape from perps when a confrontation is unavoidable. Unlike martial arts, which is great but doesn't actually prepare you for real life street situations, Rebecca teaches very simple, effective moves and provides a practice session. She is respectful, practical, and - let's face it - bad ass. She teaches moves that can be done regardless of strength. My daughter and I left with greater self-confidence and awareness of surroundings. The bonus is that her class is reasonably priced and only takes 3 hours. She also debunks popular self-defense myths. We're sending our daughter to her college class next, and I'm recommending this to all my friends, including those who are martial artists." read more

A friend of mine organized a group of women to take a class from Rebecca at Defense-ability. Rebecca, along with her assistant Corey, first taught us how to avoid situations and how to be aware of our surroundings. Then, they taught us techniques to use if contact was unavoidable. I have taken some self defense classes in the past, and they have all had you partner up and try out the "moves." We did partner up in this class, but what made this class different was that Rebecca was walking around, making sure we were doing things right. She would act as the attacker and "test" each of us and have us keep going until we did it right. I enjoyed her style--serious information along with a dose of humor. I would highly recommend this class for any woman who wants to be pro-active about her safety. read more

I took a class with Rebecca last Saturday and it was FANTASTIC. I have horrible situational awareness and really needed to understand some basic things that could make me more aware of my surroundings and defend myself should the situation arise. She does a great job at giving you hands on experience on doing just that. With a good mix of videos and personal stories, mixed with learning and feeling some of the tactics and holds, I truly feel more confident. I know it will take work, and diligence to pay more attention, but this class is so worth your time and money. Great job! read more

I took this life saving women's defense class that is in the Bay Area. It's not a martial arts class but something everyone can do with special techniques to defend yourself and the first part of the course is about awareness and to understand how a predictor can think and how they calculate getting their victims when they are off guard. It was interesting to learn that these predators will even be in a Starbucks and listen to when your name is called and then follow you outside and say that name as if they know you and then you let down your guard. She said to use your middle name so then you know if someone calls out that name you will be on guard or run diagonally yelling back off. The class is taught by a woman who has been associated with the swat team and law enforcement. I highly recommend it if to all my friends and their daughters. I actually used what I learned in the class the other night which saved me from a predator who was following me. Rebecca is an amazing instructor! read more

I took the Women's Urban Self Defense and it was very well done. I now give more thought to where I am walking and who is around. I also have some great tools to deescalate situations. We were also allowed to practice self defense techniques, which are MUCH harder than you think they will be. Amazing Women of the South Bay Area - If you have been meaning to take a self defense class - this is the one for you. Rebecca is very knowledgeable, kind, yet serious about her craft. I can not say it enough - take this class. read more