When you're in bear country or come up against a bear you rarely will have to defend yourself against those bears.
Most bears will avoid humans as long as you stay away from them at a far enough distance.
When you're in bear country you should have some bear pepper spray that will defend yourself against the bear if it does try to attack you.
Or if you do have a bear trying to come towards you in an aggressive manner you should lay down in the fetal position and cover your head with your hands and most times the bear will go away.
Playing dead is another option when coming up for an attack from a bear as bears will no longer want to attack you when they think you're dead and no longer a threat to them.
Another good option if possible is to have a gun with you just in case you need to shoot the bear in the event of an attack on your or your family.
I keep a gun with me and have shot snakes that were coming near my family however I've never had to shoot a bear yet as most times the bear will just go away.