While you hope your daughter never needs to defend herself, as a parent you often can't help but worry about the possibility. Wouldn't knowing that she can defend herself at least a little be a good idea?

Absolutely.

The challenge can be in picking the right course. A single day or two course will help some, but if you can afford it and make the time, a longer self defense course of study such as karate will teach her quite a bit more.

The cost can vary quite a bit. In my area there's a program that's just $7 a week, one class per week. That's not a lot of time in class and the students are expected to do significant amounts of practice at home if they expect to advance. But students do learn, and it's great for those on a tight budget.

Self defense courses through studios are quite a bit more expensive. One studio we visited was about $100 per month, but the advantage was that students could attend classes any number of days they wanted. Classes were broken up in age ranges, and of course the more often you could get your child in there, the faster she could learn.

Ongoing classes have the advantage either way of building up skills over time. It's not just a day of learning some theory with a small amount of practice. It's building up skills and reflexes so that your daughter will really know what she's doing if she's ever unfortunate enough to need them.

One odd concern I got from my husband about putting our daughter into self defense classes is that they would somehow make her angry at men. I just don't understand that idea at all. They aren't about making women hate men, resent them or anything like that. They're about being safer, knowing how to handle yourself in a bad situation and there's a big emphasis on avoiding dangerous situations. I'm just not sure where the "anger" theory came from there. Kind of left me steamed, though.

The real beauty of self defense courses is that the good ones emphasize building self confidence. A girl or woman who is confident has many advantages in life, not just in defending herself. That's worth the time the classes take all by itself.

They also teach respect. This can be helpful if you have really active kids, such as mine are. It can help them focus better in school and behave better in class.

Take some time and see what's available in your area. There are many styles of self defense out there. Go to the studio, talk to instructors and get permission to watch a class or so before signing up. Some studios even offer a free class or classes to get your daughter started. Give it a try and see what's right for your daughter.

My one big recommendation would be to find a course that focuses on realistic self defense. The course my children are in doesn't teach things like jumping into the air for a kick because the sensei feels they're a poor tactic. You lack control when you're midair. These are the kinds of things you should consider.

Marie Foster runs http://www.shesanathlete.com/ to encourage girls to be fit and participate in the sports they enjoy. For more tips on helping your daughter pick the right sport for her, please visit her site.