Conversation

Lots of skilled martial artists have zero idea how to teach self defense or even give actively harmful advice. Look for: Simple and intuitive techniques that are easy to learn, honest discussion about the effects of adrenaline, recognition that there are no one size fits all answers. Unless you want to devote serious time to martial arts, avoid complex techniques that require muscle memory, overly prescriptive "if A then B" responses to scenarios, classes that focus too much on fighting