BROOKFIELD - Don't live in fear: fight back. A Wisconsin woman turned her fear over a horrible attack into action.

Jane Dawson lived in fear. She felt broken, until she became what she likes to call "her own security system." Now Jane is telling other women, don't wait until it's too late.

Jane lived through a horrible attack. "When someone comes at you full force with their hands around your neck..I could not breathe. I really thought he was going to kill me," she told us.

Now Jane is fighting back against her fear. "My confidence level was not very good. I want to say my empowerment piece broke. It was broken."

But Jane found herself, through Krav Maga. It's a hand to hand combat technique used by the Israeli army and law enforcement agencies. It teaches you how to fight back and get away.

"It's based on your natural instincts. It's easy to learn. So it's all about being practical, being efficient," commented Kurt Lakatos. He co-owns Krav Maga studios in Brookfield and Bay View.

This form of self-defense taps into something we all have. Lakatos says, "We want you to not worry so much about technique. We want you to be aggressive. We want you learn how to tap into that side of yourself."

Krav Maga levels the playing field, and Jane will tell you it's easy to pick up. "It just automatically kicks in. This defense just came out of me."

Jane has been rebuilt and now wants to empower other women. "Open up to self defense. Don't get in the position where I was. Where I was attacked. Learn how to fight back."

Kate Kante is a senior at UWM. She came to one class and loved it, but Kate is here for bigger reasons. To learn how to protect herself. "It just gives you a better sense of feeling. Like when on campus, at night especially," Kate commented.

With the rash of armed robberies near campus, Kate is smart to be prepared. Many of the victims are students and those robbers are targeting females.

Now Kate feels she's prepared and Jane has no doubts she can protect herself.