Records show, that using self-defense, women can and do resist rape attempts successfully.
Some women had used physical force to resist their attackers, but the majority of them had only to use verbal statements to avoid an assault. Self-defense is actually practiced by many women at many levels on a daily basis. Both strategies are valid choices, as both might mean survival. It's interesting to note that many women physically resist, even without self-defense training. A study of police reports of rape in 1985 showed that not only did most women fight in some way, but their resistance seemed to lessen the severity of violence against them, and in some cases stopped the assault.