Whether it’s loyalty to a traditional curriculum, or pressure to “get to the techniques,” too many programs jump straight to the fight — instead of the life that happens before it.

Sure, we hear things like:
• “Be aware of your surroundings.”

• “Don’t wear headphones.”
• “Walk with confidence.”

But what does that really mean to someone who’s never thought about it — or who walks through life carrying fear every day?

Here’s the truth:

What’s common sense to an instructor is often completely foreign to the client.

And surface-level advice without real-life context doesn’t empower — it confuses or even shuts people down.

The most powerful lessons come from real conversations

.

From stories.

From helping people recognize risks in their daily routines — not just when they’re imagining a “bad guy in the alley.”

Yelling “BACK OFF” might work in some situations…

But what about when the threat is someone they know?

What if the danger is coming from inside a relationship?

As instructors, we owe it to our clients to start earlier.

To go deeper.

And to focus on prevention — not just response.