Women Are Using High Heels As Weapons In This New Self Defense Class

Purchasing a pair of expensive heels brings up all of the big questions.

Can I afford these? Are they Louboutins? And, most importantly, how will this stiletto heel fare against the jawline of a would-be attacker?

Put away the Mace and strategically held apartment keys, ladies. A new kind of class aims to make the shoes on your feet the only weapon you'll need.

The New York Times reports there's now a self-defense workshop for the girls raised on "Sex And The City," who never leave the house without at least a 4-inch heel.

In an attack, the very shoes on their feet can become an asset, rather than a liability.

The woman behind the movement is Avital Zeisler, 26, a former ballerina and assault victim who regularly teaches hand-to-hand combat to celebrities and police officers alike.

In her mind, women should learn to utilize what they've already got on them.

By walking women through a standard set of kicks and punches, she's helping to prepare them for any situation. The skillset, which she calls the Soteria Method, is named after the Greek goddess of safety.

Joe Giacalone, a former NYPD detective, told CBS New York the concept is very similar to an idea he learned in law enforcement.

He said,

We used to call it weapons of opportunity, anything that you have in your hand.

Zeisler puts Manolos through their paces, empowering her students without forcing them to change their lifestyles.

Marilyn Monroe once said women owe the person who invented high heels "a lot." Turns out, she had no idea how much.

Citations: Using High Heels for Self-Defense (NY Times)