In an apocalypse world, women are going to need much more than a can of pepper spray to defend themselves—and nothing compares to the effectiveness of hand to hand combat training. While the sound of it may make some women pretty uncomfortable at first, after hearing about the looting and pillaging and all other crimes that may be a rampant part of post apocalypse life, the latter obviously sounds a lot worse.

Let’s face it: hand to hand combat skills can help you survive on a daily basis in an apocalypse world. We’re not talking the kind of training that takes place in an afternoon either. While you may learn some helpful skills, like how to react to a perilous situation without much thought, there are too many methods of attack—it would be impossible to cover them all in one afternoon, let alone in one month. Plus, it takes lots of practice to truly react quickly in situations requiring self-defense—and we’re talking about a completely dangerous, dog-eat-dog (or zombie-eat-human) world, not the settings we read about in young adult fantasy novels.

To truly improve your chances of survival, regular training is a must. In addition to getting in to the best physical shape possible, we suggest signing up for at least one type of martial arts school. Cut down some of the the time you invest in your adventure romance and direct it to taking as many classes as possible. Some great fighting styles include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kenpo Karate, Muy Thai, Tae Kwon Do, Capoeira, Kung Fu and old school Kickboxing.

In addition to taking martial arts classes, you may even want to learn some boxing moves. Taking a few boxing classes is a great way to build stamina and endurance while learning how to throw and block punches. Plus, if you are in the throes of an adventure romance, you can suggest taking classes together as an exciting type of date and bonding experience.

Another great self-defense system that all of us at Save the Pearls recommend is Krav Maga. Developed in Israel, Krav Maga is an eclectic form that involves wrestling, grappling and striking techniques. It’s got a heavy focus on real world scenarios and is extremely brutal and efficient. Maybe not your idea of a walk in the park, but again, we’re trying to prepare you for hand-to-hand combat in an apocalypse world, not the imaginary futures of young adult fantasy novels. Good luck!