Defense for Women: Introduction

Before It Happens introduces the Defense for Women series on the David Burnell Podcast. In this foundational episode, David explains why personal safety begins long before a physical attack, how predators think, why awareness matters, and the core principles guidin

g the entire series. Learn why violence is not a fight, why prevention is the ultimate goal, and how recognizing danger early can help you stay safe before it happens.

Full Episode:

Welcome to the David Burnell Podcast and the Defense for Women series.

Before we begin talking about awareness, predators, intuition, boundaries, personal safety, and self-defense, I think it’s important that you understand who I am, why I’m creating this series, and where these lessons come from.

For more than forty years, I’ve worked in professions where understanding danger wasn’t optional—it was essential. My background includes service in the United States Air Force, where I worked in communications, intelligence support, combat communications, and close air support, as well as missions supporting Special Operations. Following my military service, I spent decades working in security consulting, protective services, executive protection, search-and-rescue operations, dive rescue and recovery, disaster response, humanitarian missions, violence prevention, and self-defense training.

Over the years, I’ve trained military personnel, law enforcement officers, rescue professionals, security teams, protective service specialists, and civilians. I’ve worked in disaster zones following earthquakes and tsunamis. I’ve deployed on humanitarian missions in places like Haiti, Japan, and Burma. I’ve participated in rescue and recovery operations where lives depended on preparation, awareness, and decision-making under pressure. I’ve taught awareness, preparedness, personal protection, and violence prevention to thousands of people, and I’ve spent much of my adult life studying how emergencies unfold, how people respond under stress, how criminals select victims, and how ordinary people can dramatically improve their chances of staying safe.

What I learned through all of those experiences surprised me.

The most important lessons about survival rarely come from fighting. They come from avoidance. They come from awareness. They come from recognizing danger before danger recognizes you.

Throughout my career, I’ve watched people spend enormous amounts of time learning how to react to violence while spending very little time learning how to avoid it. Yet when you study real-world incidents, you discover something interesting. The people who consistently stay safe are often not the strongest. They are not the fastest. They are not necessarily the most skilled fighters.

They are the people who recognize danger early. They notice what others miss. They trust their instincts. They understand boundaries. They understand risk. And they act before a situation becomes a crisis.

That’s why I created Defense for Women.