“This was something I wanted to do in light of recent events,” said Dorothy Wong, 35, referring to attacks against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, some captured on video, that shocked the city over the summer.

“The hate, especially towards elderly, is super concerning,” she said, adding that she lives with her 99-year-old grandmother. “So part of that was me trying to be prepared in case I needed to defend my family.”

In Hayes Valley, Tactica Krav Maga Institute, which teaches a combative form of self-defense developed by the Israeli military, has also seen its enrollment grow by more than 60 new students this year, and has seen increases in enrollment by women and Asian Americans looking to learn self-defense, said CEO and head instructor Danny Zelig.

“There has been a big shift,” said Zelig, adding that most students used to come to the center primarily to get stronger or in shape. “People are coming here to literally defend themselves. The urgency for that has definitely increased more than before.”