Would you be prepared today, right now, if someone attacked you on the street? Most people are not. Some say they are, but deep down they know that they are not. A very small portion of people would be ready.
A friend of mine had a great theory about this. He said "Hope is not a tactic". Let that sink in for a second. If you just HOPE you are ready, then you are not. If you just say that you are ready but do nothing to actually work towards that, then you are not.
I know it can be a scary thing to think about, so many people just avoid thinking about it and just HOPE that everything goes OK. Well, like my buddy would say, that is NOT a proper tactic.
It can be intimidating to walk into a self defense class, especially if you don't know anybody there. I get that. But I promise, in my 20+ years in martial arts I have NEVER seen anyone made fun of or made to feel uncomfortable in class. If that's not enough for you, then bring a friend or family member with you. Find a way to get comfortable so you can work towards being Street ready.
Hopefully you will never need these skills, but you can't count on that, especially if you have a family. And here's some really good news for you: it doesn't take too much time to be better than 90% of people at self-defense. The more you put into the more you will get out of it, but it is very achievable for anyone willing to put in the effort.
Give it a try. Feel empowered, feel safe, be prepared. -john g