Why Halle Berry says every woman should have self-defense training

— -- Halle Berry is front and center in Hollywood’s recent resurgence of strong female leads dominating this summer's biggest blockbusters.

As a strong mother who will stop at nothing to rescue her kidnapped son in the upcoming thriller, “Kidnap,” Berry, 50, said it’s “nice to see a woman save the day” at the end of the film, which is something the actress can certainly relate to in real life.

Berry said she thinks it “should be mandatory” for all women to take self-defense classes to protect themselves and their children should a dangerous situation arise.

“I do hand combat training,” the actress and mother of two said on "Good Morning America" today. “I’m the kind of person that, if something really goes down, I want to be that kind of mom that can have a fighting chance for my kids and for myself. I think every woman should know self-defense and combat training. I think it should be mandatory, especially if you have children, you should learn how to protect yourselves.”

Berry said the plot to “Kidnap” is every parent’s worst nightmare because “it’s real.”

“It’s real for all of us. What would you do if you saw your child snatched before your eyes, close enough to see, but too far to do anything about it? What would you really do?” Berry said.

“Hundreds of kids are really kidnapped every day. It’s real, and it was so real for me being a mom too. Every day, it was visceral. My emotions were here, and I just thought, ‘The horror.’ Every mom would go far and would not stop," she added.

The movie is filled with “a lot of tension,” Berry said, “but at the end of the day, this mom saves the day.”

“It’s so rewarding to see a woman do it,” she continued. “It’s nice to see a woman save the day with our female sensibilities.”

Berry said it truly is “the summer of the woman” thanks to the powerful female protagonists lighting up the big screen.