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between them. “For a few seconds you have the element of surprise. Go for his most vulnerable spots. Crush his instep.” The instructor raised her foot a fraction and stopped it just above the owner’s.
    “Put all your weight behind this and you can cause enough pain to loosen his grip and run. This move also works if an attacker grabs you from behind.”
    The instructor faced away from him, and he put one arm around her waist and covered her mouth with his hand. Before Giulia counted one—two—the instructor’s heel hovered over the owner’s foot, ready to smash. The owner released her, and she returned to her starting position.
    “You might think the obvious response to a frontal attack is to knee him in the groin.”
    Several giggles from the class. The owner smiled.
    “Every man everywhere expects this.” He grabbed the instructor’s arm. She raised her knee, and he turned away from the attack, locking his arm around her throat at the same time. “Do not put yourself in this situation.” He released her, and they faced each other again. “The most vulnerable spot on the body is the nose. Watch.”
    He pulled the instructor in, and she pushed the heel of her hand under his nose and up. He moved his head back with her motion until he stared at the ceiling. “Done correctly, this can break his nose.” He and the instructor bowed to each other, and she returned to her spot next to the woman on Giulia’s right.
    Giulia’s partner, the linebacker with a shy smile, took her wrist as she tried not to flinch.
    “Evening, ma’am, I’m Larry. Sensei would never say this, but you can sum up everything you learn here as ‘Hurt the bastard and run like hell.’ ”
    She smiled. Nice of him to try to alleviate her nerves. She must be radiating stress.
    “Aim with the heel of your hand. Keep your arm straight and hit from your shoulder.”
    That worked. She clenched her teeth and practiced the correct angles for nose-breaking and foot-smashing over and over.
    After fifteen minutes, the owner and the same instructor moved to the center of the mirrored wall again.
    “Now that you have mastered the simple defenses, I will show you a skilled counterattack before we move on to basic throws.”
    He held the instructor’s wrist. “Remember the nose.” He pulled her toward him, and her other hand whipped out and “chopped” his nose.
    Giulia jumped.
    “Again, the nose is a delicate structure. Even the weakest of you will be able to cause enough pain and blood to escape a would-be attacker.”
    Giulia and Larry both laughed at Giulia’s first attempts.
    “Ma’am, try this.” He pushed her fingers together and straight. “This edge of your hand is stronger than you think. Move it short and sharp. Like this.”
    He backed away a step and brought his arm to her face. She flung up her hands, and his chop touched her knuckles.
    “I’m not going to hurt you, ma’am. Why don’t you take my wrist and watch my movements so you can imitate them.”
    Giulia held his left wrist with her right hand. He took a quick step in, and his hand stopped just beside her nose.
    “I almost got it,” she said. “Would you do it again?” She grabbed him. He twisted in toward her and his arm came up.
    Stars exploded in her head. Blood gushed from her nose. Pain whooshed through her face, and her breath became little gasps.
    “Oh my God—ma’am! Are you okay? Somebody get a towel! I’m sorry—I didn’t stop in time.”
    “What—I’m bleeding—” Giulia’s ears rang like Easter bells. She inhaled and choked on a mouthful of blood.
    Larry shoved a handful of paper towels in her face, and she clutched them to her nose and mouth. She blinked, but everything stayed blurry. Her nose throbbed. She coughed and it throbbed worse.
    “Let me help you.” A younger woman’s voice. A hand took hers and led her along the wall—Giulia bumped it twice—and through a door. “Here. Sit down and let me look.”
    Giulia squeezed her