I did karate as a teen, mainly because my friends were into it. Caved into peer pressure I guess, lol. Most of my classmates in Karate class were women, our instructor was a woman, and she recommended it to all of the female students I had met. Now in my 30s, people I train with in crossfit stockholm area are mostly women who do crossfit + karate and another martial art.

You can find a martial arts club in your area under the Clubs Directory here: Martial Arts | Gyms, Sport Clubs, Stores Listings & Ratings/Reviews Directory: Find the right gym, club & equipment for you! . There are beginner classes in any martial arts style, beginner adult too. Some good martial arts styles for what you are looking for are: judo, jujitsu, karate.

Find a martial arts club near you in the Gym Chat club listings & ratings directory: www.gymchat.com/listings Write a review for your club!

Judo teaches a lot of self-defense techniques. Check out this video: www.judo101.com - it has a short demo video there too.