It's hard for a woman to feel safe in today's world.

After all, reports of rapes, kidnappings, murders, assaults, and attacks have become practically commonplace.

And that can turn a simple part of daily life, like crossing a dark parking lot in the evening, into a nerve-racking experience for a woman.

But there's a lot women can do to learn to defend themselves, starting with taking only two days out of their life to learn how.

The Nye County Sheriff's office, in conjunction with Homeland Heroes, offers a monthly women's self defense class free of charge.

So it won't cost you anything to be safer, and there really are no other excuses.

It doesn't matter how old or young you are, a fact proven by the eclectic group of women who gathered in the courthouse hallway on Saturday, June 9.

They ranged over all ages, from Sarah Gee, a 17-year-old student at the University of Reno, to her mother, Joann Gee, 51, and just about every age in between.

And, contrary to what many women may think, size doesn't make a difference. Anything you learn in the class can be utilized whether you're tall or petite and all the techniques can be used against an attacker that's bigger than you.

Since the women practiced the techniques they learned on sheriff's office Capt. Bill Becht and Dep. Daryal Taylor, both very large and very strong men, being intimidated by an attacker's size was one of the first things the students were forced to overcome.

The women assembled in the courthouse bright and early 8 a.m. may not have known exactly what to expect, but they all knew they wanted to be feel safer in their daily lives.

First things first. Dep. Dawn Moore began the class by first explaining to the class simple measures they could take in their everyday life to avoid even having to fight off an attacker in the first place.

The difference between defending oneself and battery (which, by the way, is one punch) was discussed, as well as the importance of remaining visible and audible in potentially dangerous situations.

After that, it was time to stretch and get down to learning some basic defensive maneuvers.

Make no mistake, the basic blocks, kicks, and punches the women spent three hours learning, practicing, and using on a training bag would be no joke for an attacker.

But they're not overly complicated, either, and ultimately effectiveness is emphasized over technique.

As Moore explained it to the class, you want to become something the attacker does not want to hang on to.

"It's realistic," Capt. Bill Becht, one of the class' instructors, explained. "It's nothing you're going to learn and then in 10 minutes later walk out scratching your head trying to remember."

And you'll never forget that you're there to learn to fight off an attacker with everything you have.

If you're not hitting the bag hard enough, the instructors will make you keep hitting it for as long it takes until you do, making sure you're yelling all the while.

At no point throughout the entire two days are you ever humored or patronized.

The instructors, even through their pads, can tell if you're hitting hard enough to make a real attacker let go.

So during various training scenarios, if you're not hitting them hard enough, then they don't let go.

By the time lunchtime rolled around, most of the women munching on pizza were already talking about how much they'd learned and how surprised they were at their own strength.

Vickey Decker, 59, summed up what most women found to be true after only the first half of the first day.

"I surprised myself with what I could do," Decker said. "It's good for normal everyday life and just having the confidence to defend myself."

After lunch, it was back to work, and the class was taught the basics of getting away from an attacker who puts you in a chokehold, attempts to rush you, or comes up from behind.

The women practiced moves together, hitting harder and yelling louder.

A few basic scenarios were practiced, with students being approached by an instructor/attacker.

Sometimes he just talked to innocuously, asking for change or what you're name was.

But since that's exactly how plenty of attacks begin, the ultimate goal was still to get away.

By the end of the day, the class emerged a little achey and plenty tired, but also more confident and in many cases secure.

"When I first walked in, I was afraid if I'd be able to do it," Victoria Wallen, 41, said.

But to see Wallen fend off "attackers" the next day, you wouldn't have been able to tell.

The second day of classes was far more intense, both physically and mentally.

The instructors wore full body padding, and one by one, each of the women was put into a scenario they had to get away from.

And in a sense, the students had to go through it alone.

Until each had gone through the scenario, none was allowed to watch anyone else go through hers.

So, standing with their eyes closed initially, the student had no way of knowing what was coming.

They might have been "attacked"... or maybe not.

The attacker/instructor could just ask them for some change and never actually approach the student, as sometimes happened.

Or, they might come up from behind, putting the woman in a chokehold.

But the second contact was made, the fact that they were in a training environment was clearly forgotten by the "victim."

Pads or not, the student was being held against her will, and each and every one of the women used something she learned the previous day because she was forced to, just as she would be in real life.

This was not play-acting or pretending; the adrenaline that courses through your veins and the pounding of your heart after getting away proved that.

There was no easy out, but there was a way to fight, and the instructors made sure you found it.

It's on the last day when lessons learned really sink in for many of the students.

"I feel empowered," Wallen said, after going through the first scenario on day two. "You remember at least one or two of the moves."

The change wasn't surprising to Denise Pilkington, a frequent returning participant in the class as well as CEO and president of Homeland Heroes.

"The transition between day one and day two, it's phenomenal," Pilkington said. "It's like a light goes off. The second day they're more confident and they hit harder."

Wallen's sentiments were echoed by everyone in the class by the time they had earned their certificates.

Jennifer Fraley, 23, said that she had always been scared to be home alone, but now that she's taken the course feels as though she could protect herself if someone broke in to her house.

"I was kind of nervous," Fraley admitted. "I didn't think it would be too easy to do, but it's something everyone could do."

For Sarah Gee's mother, knowing her daughter will be able to protect herself when she heads back up to campus in Reno gives her peace of mind.

But the class doesn't have to be a one-time shot.

Alumni are welcome to return again, and benefit from each class they take.

For example, Maria Anderson, 50, was a student in last weekend's class but had already taken it once before.

She decided to return "because I got so much out of it last time."

Anderson, a victim of a home invasion several decades ago, also was a student of Korean karate and Japanese kung fu.

But she likes the fact that the self-defense class teaches techniques that are more accessible and readily applied.

"You learn so much so fast," Anderson explained. "Simple things that you never even thought of."

Vicky Decker, 59, felt the same way.

"I surprised myself with what I can do," Decker said. "All women should learn to defend themselves."

For more information about the class, contact Pilkington at (775) 513-8686 or the Nye County Sheriff's Office at (775) 751-7000.

The next weekend class is scheduled for July 7 and 8 at the Nye County Courthouse.

Classes begin at 8 a.m. and last until 4 p.m. It is essential to attend both classes.