Tanner Howard, 15, left, and her grandmother Christine Winters, right, watch Mandana Ershadi-Hurt, foreground center, demonstrate a self-defense move Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009, during an adult self-defense class at the Community Recreation Center. Also joining Howard and her grandmother for the class Lor Howard.

The trio of Lori Howard, her daughter Tanner and her mother Christine Winters were doing some major female bonding Saturday afternoon — and it came with plenty of girl power.

The three were taking a self-defense class offered by the city of Lawrence. And for three hours they learned to how to kick, block, punch, stomp, choke and even pinch a potential attacker.

Instructor Mandana Hurt — at 5-foot-1 and age 45 — led the class. She had the help of her husband, Mark, 12-year-old daughter Natasha and a group of junior high and high school students that she teaches in karate.

At the beginning of the class, she warned pain could follow and there would be no “flashy” martial arts moves taught.

Hurt, whose day job is a science teacher at Central Junior High School, peppered the class with advice on how to prevent attacks — always lock the door, stand at the side of the trunk when loading groceries into the car, be aware of your surroundings.

In the 18 years that Hurt has been teaching the class in Lawrence, she has seen attendance ebb and flow, usually peaking when stories of attacks show up in the local news.

“Everyone needs to know how to defend themselves,” she said.

As for the multigenerational group, Howard said she took the class mainly for her daughter’s sake, but came away with more awareness for her own safety.

“Quite honestly, anyone can benefit at any age,” she said.

High school and junior high girls also attended the class.

Southwest Junior High student Erica Lignell said the hard economic times and fact that she was getting older and would be on her own more prompted her to take the class. It was a decision her parents encouraged.

“There were a lot of things I didn’t think about,” Lignell said of what she had learned that afternoon.

Hurt’s class is offered once each session through Lawrence Parks and Recreation. It costs $16 per person.