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COLUMBIA (WACH) - Women in the Midlands are learning how to just say "no" and mean it through a self defense class.

Cheryl Adams is taking a women's self defense class with her 10-year-old daughter Braylyn.

"I want to gain some strength, some courage in a bad situation," said Adams.

Lt. Teena Gooding teaches women like Adams to protect themselves.

During her class she asks a simple question, "Who would you fight for?" The answers vary, but the response is rarely yourself.

"We have a tendency to want to protect everyone around us and not want to protect ourselves as much as we should," said Gooding.

That protective, maternal instinct is what made Adams bring her daughter with her.

"I would never think of myself if I was with them in a bad situation of an kind; it would be, forget all about me and it would be all about them." said Adams

Adams hopes the training will keep her daughter from having to be scared in bad situations because she will have the knowledge to defend herself.

"Since I'm young, lots of things happen to younger people because older people know they have more power against them," said Braylyn.

Gooding preaches confidence to all of her students.

"To protect themselves, and say 'no' really loud and mean it, and get that look in their eye that nobody is going to take me anywhere that I don't want to go, and they get that. And when you see that its the most rewarding thing ever," said Gooding.

Every "no" is a daughter who is gaining the confidence to protect herself and a mother who will worry a little less.