SAN ANTONIO – Knowing a few self-defense moves can be the difference in surviving a physical attack, STW Krav Maga instructors say.

Teni Lopez-Cardenas said Krav Maga is specifically made for people who are at a disadvantage, whether it's strength or size. She suggests targeting vulnerable areas of an attacker, like the groin or kneecaps.

"Whatever you got, you're going to throw at them and you're going to go full speed and full out, and immediately, as soon as there's any sort of a threat," Lopez-Cardenas said. "When you have that sense of, 'I know what to do, I could save my own life,' it changes your attitude, it changes the way you approach things on a day-to-day basis, and I think that automatically makes you less vulnerable to these things."

Armando Mendivil, an instructor, said regardless of skill set, most self-defense moves are easy to learn.

"We go against the weakest part of the attacker, and it's very fast and easy to learn," Mendivil said. "Some of the things we try to do is empower them, by teaching them not to shut down."