Yours isn't the kind of lifestyle that involves lots of street fighting. (Not anymore, anyway.) But if the occasion were to arise, you'd want to be prepared.

Plus, you've always wanted to learn how to down an opponent using only a wooden shiv and some fancy footwork.

Which brings us to a little powerhouse of a class called Progressive Arnis…aka, Filipino self-defense.

Consider this the Asian martial-arts version of Israeli self-defense Krav Maga, except with some canes and knives thrown in for good measure. Based on the techniques used by fighters during the Filipino resistance movement (note: not the same as resistance training), this system culls from both Japanese stick-fighting and Indonesian machete-wielding. In other words, it's all kinds of Asian badass.

During these two-hour sessions, local guro Chad Bailey, who also happens to be a third-degree black belt, will lead you through the curriculum, first focusing on the basics using wooden batons, then moving on to knife fighting and using your bare hands. (And yes, we too never thought we'd learn Filipino knife-fighting from a guy named Chad. But hey, the man is handy with a switchblade.)

If you're particularly ambitious, you can progress toward more sophisticated techniques, like Espada y Daga (sword and dagger fighting) and Sinawali (double stick weaving patterns).

Just remember to speak softly.