In this raw and insightful episode, Pretty Deadly Self-Defense founder Susie Kahlich explores how seemingly random pieces of media—true crime podcasts, a childhood “Stranger Danger” assembly, even a high school driver’s ed video—can become life-saving tools in dangerous situations. Drawing from her personal experience as a violent crime survivor, and her work in trauma-informed self-defense, Susie unpacks how our brains absorb and store survival instincts through everyday content.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about how we prepare ourselves for danger—often without realizing it.

🎯 What You’ll Learn:

Why true crime podcasts are actually self-defense tools
How women’s social conditioning can interfere with instinct—and how to push past it
Real-life examples of how stored information surfaces in moments of danger
Why self-defense education can (and should) go beyond the dojo

⏱️ Episode Highlights & Time Codes:

(00:46) – Why True Crime Podcasts Are Secretly Self-Defense Lessons

True crime’s popularity among women isn't about gore—it's subconscious training.

(01:23) – How Your Brain Stores Survival Tools Without You Knowing

From conversations to news stories, everything you consume becomes part of your defensive toolkit.

(02:39) – Real Story: A Woman Attacked in Berlin

A woman uses a piece of news she once read to instinctively try to protect herself during an assault—and how her survival instinct was dismissed even by herself.

(04:44) – The Cost of Being “Polite”

Susie discusses how immigrant women often suppress their instincts to avoid “being a bother,” and how dangerous that can be.

(06:07) – The Logic Behind Facing an Attacker

A moment of insight changes Susie’s perception of how self-defense instinct really works.

(07:20) – Susie’s Own Story: Stranger Danger at 32

A childhood PSA resurfaces 24 years later, helping Susie survive a brutal attack in her own home.

(08:26) – Driver’s Ed Saved My Life

A decades-old memory from a video on drunk drivers helped her body survive physical trauma.

(09:56) – You’re Probably Learning Self-Defense Without Realizing It

Everything from movies to songs to podcasts can train your brain to respond in danger—even if you’ve never taken a self-defense class.

(10:42) – No Class? No Problem.

Susie shares why even if you can’t access a class, listening to podcasts like this is still valid—and valuable—self-defense education.

🔗 Links & Resources:

💻 Visit: prettydeadlyselfdefense.com – Classes, workshops & certifications
📸 Follow: @teamprettydeadly on Instagram
🎥 Watch: @prettydeadlyboss on TikTok for rants on politics, capitalism, and feminist survival
🎶 Music: “Icarus Wish” by Dead Centuries (Berlin)

#selfdefense #womensafety #survivorstories #traumainformed #prettydeadly #truecrimepodcast #intuitiveinstincts #situationalawareness #selfdefensepodcast

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S9 Episode 133: Everything Is Training | Pretty Deadly Podcast