Symbols How to Fail at Flirting Denise Williams

The Self‑Defense Class: How Naya Turns Physical Training into Emotional Power

What Is the Self‑Defense Class in How to Fail at Flirting?

The self‑defense class is not a formal course but a series of kickboxing and self‑defense sessions Naya takes with her friend Felicia and a trainer named Wes. It first appears in chapter 27, when Naya fulfills a promise to join Felicia for a workout with “Wes the Sexy Trainer.” During that session, Naya makes a private note to ask Wes about self‑defense classes because she has been thinking about what she would do if her abusive ex‑partner, Davis, returns. The training later becomes a critical tool in chapter 41, when Naya uses the moves Wes taught her to physically fight off Davis’s assault in a wooded clearing.

Where the Symbol Recurs and How Its Meaning Evolves

The self‑defense motif appears in three distinct phases:

  • Chapter 27 – Initial Decision: Naya decides to learn self‑defense after the kickboxing session. Her motivation is practical fear: “I wondered if knowing how to fight would make me feel stronger and more prepared to face him.” At this point, the class is a hypothetical shield.

  • Chapters 39‑40 – Growing Resolve: During the retreat, Davis humiliates and intimidates Naya. She recalls Wes’s voice from class but initially cannot act—her body retreats to old reactions. The memory of the training, however, plants a seed of defiance.

  • Chapter 41 – Full Application: When Davis attacks her, Naya physically fights back using Wes’s techniques: jamming her palm into his nose, kneeing him in the groin, and executing a wrist‑lock to force him to his knees. The symbol transforms from a theoretical exercise into lived agency.

  • Epilogue (Chapter 46) – Integration: One year later, Naya has healed and expanded her life. The self‑defense class is never mentioned again, but the confidence it sparked endures—she has tenure, a home with Jake, and a broader support network.

The meaning shifts from fear‑driven preparation to active resistance and finally to integrated strength that no longer needs the training as a crutch.

Character and Theme Connections

  • Naya Turner: The class is a direct extension of her recovery arc. Each technique she learns mirrors an internal shift: from passivity to self‑advocacy, from silence to using her voice. In chapter 41, she explicitly thinks, “I wasn’t the same person I’d been three years ago. I’d rediscovered my own strength, and I deserved better than this.”

  • Jake Shaw: Although Jake does not train with Naya, his emotional support creates the safety she needs to pursue the class. His weekend of care (chapter 26) and his repeated “I love you” give her the internal permission to believe she is worth protecting.

  • Davis Garner: Davis is the antagonist the self‑defense is designed to counter. His assault in chapter 41 is the climax where Naya’s physical training directly neutralizes his power over her.

  • Trauma Recovery Theme: The self‑defense class embodies the theme of trauma recovery. Naya moves from hiding (her office sanctuary, avoiding triggers) to confronting her abuser through physical readiness.

  • Trust and Vulnerability Theme: Taking the class requires trust—in Felicia, in Wes, and, ultimately, in herself. This aligns with the trust and vulnerability theme, especially when Naya decides to share her past with Jake.

  • Consent and Communication Theme: The self‑defense training emphasizes bodily autonomy. Naya learns to say “no” with her whole body, reinforcing the consent and communication theme.

  • Self‑Advocacy Theme: The class is a literal form of self‑advocacy. Naya’s internal “to‑do” list includes self‑advocacy items, and the fight scene is the moment she advocates for her own safety without hesitation.

4 Study Questions with Answers

  1. Why does Naya decide to take self‑defense classes in chapter 27?
    Answer: She has been thinking about what she would do if Davis returns permanently. After Felicia’s kickboxing session, she makes a note to ask Wes about self‑defense because she hopes feeling physically stronger will help her feel more prepared to face him emotionally.

  2. How does the self‑defense training appear in the retreat scene (chapter 39) before Naya uses it?
    Answer: In the van, when Davis brushes her thigh and whispers threats, Naya remembers “Wes’s voice from my self‑defense class” but cannot act. She “retreated to old reactions.” The memory exists but is not yet empowered—the training has not yet been transformed from knowledge into action.

  3. What specific self‑defense moves does Naya use against Davis in chapter 41?
    Answer: First, she jams the heel of her palm up into his nose (“like Wes had taught me”). Then she knees him in the groin. Finally, when he grabs her wrist, she “clamp[s] down on his hand and twist[s] until his extended arm [is] behind his back and under my control”—a wrist‑lock that forces him to his knees.

  4. How does the self‑defense class connect to the novel’s larger message about empowerment?
    Answer: The class shifts Naya from a survivor who hides and fears to someone who actively defends her body and identity. It literalizes the internal work of trauma recovery: she fights not only Davis but the years of silence and shame. The epilogue shows that the empowerment endures—she no longer needs the class because she has fully reclaimed her agency.