Self defense is a popular topic and there is a steady stream of inquiries asking about self defense. Aikido provides a nice framework for self defense. Here are some resources to get you started. As a starter please read
Self defense usually consists of physical tools, but the whole package is combing than with knowledge to avoid it in the first place (He's a local news article on the topic...which gets it right!)
Beyond self defense we hope you'll consider the study of Aikido with us
At some level most come to the Aikido dojo wanting to learn skills to deal with violence, yet our practice is quite somewhat from "real life" violence. Sure, the techniques we learn are derived from battlefield techniques practiced by the samurai, but its a few centuries removed from our daily lives now (not many of us wear body amour and carry swords around with us).
Intro
The first series of articles is a good examples of Ki extension or awareness and comes to us courtesy of Australia's extensive collection of data on crime.
These statistics make for sobering reading. When incidents of sexual assault are closely examined we find that they happen mostly indoors and that the attacker is someone the victim knows. (And very often a relative.) It really turns things like self defense training on its head.
On the subject of violent crime the statistics of incidents between those known to each other are alarming (80% of homicides, 60% sexual ) and in a home or dwelling(57% homicides, 67% sexual).
According to the Australian Institute of Criminology only 6% of female homicides were perpetrated by a stranger
Over whelmingly the statistics point to common risk factors like young males (both the perp and victim), drugs and alcohol.