Is that so? That's good to hear, learning some self defence is such an important skill. If it ends up in romance too, I reckon that's a double win!

sarcasm?

Probably not, martial arts classes that are marketed as self defense or exercise rather than as training for combat sports get a significant number of women

Maybe it's just me but it seems tone deaf to go pick up women in a course about kicking harassers butts. It feels like something they would do in Wedding Crashers.

Putting yourself in the vicinity of the opposite sex while doing some useful activity is not quite the same as picking up women.