Virginia Martial Arts Center
“Diana makes the experience overall welcoming and they are very family oriented!!!!”
Best Self-Defense Classes in Chesapeake, VA
15 schools listed · 8 in Chesapeake · 12 open weekends · all 15 rated 4.5+
Data verified October 18, 2026
Virginia Taekwondo & Jiu-Jitsu Academy
“If you want your child to have strength, confidence, discipline, responsibility and technique, then Virginia Taekwondo & Jiu-Jitsu Academy is where you want to be.”
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Chesapeake
“He usually has a hard time keeping focus but these lessons keep him so entertained and focused.”
King Tiger Martial Arts
“Parent of a student who's gone from White belt to Black belt, and from his time at KTMA he's learned so much more than just the technical and skillset of Taekwondo.”
Heel Hooks Jiu Jitsu
“He also beleive that doing Jiu-Jitsu is why you are there, so for the adults he does alot of positional sparing after he teaches technique”
Chesapeake Grappling Academy
“This is one of the cleanest and most organized martial arts schools in Hampton Roads!”
Short self-defense courses listed for Chesapeake, VA are spread across the 15 cards on this page. Who each course is aimed at, where it runs and how often it repeats comes from the school itself, with ratings drawn from public reviews.
Area overview: Chesapeake, VA
8 of the 15 schools we list are based in Chesapeake; the other 7 serve Chesapeake from Virginia Beach (15 mi), Norfolk (15 mi) and Portsmouth (12 mi). The schools on this page are rated from 4.5 to 5.0 across 1,084 reviews; 10 have 50 or more reviews. The topics that come up most in reviews of the schools on this page are "skills", "atmosphere" and "confidence". 12 are open on Saturdays and 2 on Sundays. 11 have ten or more years of experience, the longest 58 years. 1 offers a free trial or consultation; 1 is family- or locally-owned and 4 list coupons or special offers. We have a website on file for all 15 of the schools on this page; 11 publish a contact page; 13 list a public email and 5 take bookings online. We count these figures across the schools on this page; distances are straight-line, and hours and prices change, so confirm the details with the school before you enroll.
Which course providers listed for Chesapeake describe their courses online?
All 15 cards carry a website link. Look for a real outline, who teaches, and who the course is for. Stock photography of a woman throwing a man in a white studio is not an outline, and schools that keep their content vague are often selling the same session to every audience.
Tidewater Jiu-Jitsu Academy
“Have been taking my 5 year old daughter here for a few months now, and our experience has been nothing short of phenomenal.”
Book onlineBook
Master Hill's Red Dragon Martial Arts
“I don't think I have seen or heard of another martial arts school that has had such a family atmosphere that truly makes the martial arts accessible to everyone.”
Savior Martial Arts Virginia Beach
“I have witnessed her and other children grow in confidence and self-discipline by learning Marial Arts at SMA.”
Book onlineBook
Clayton Phillips Jiu Jitsu
“Good stuff, I know nothing about bjj but they were genuine in trying to teach me.”
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Virginia Beach
“One of the few academies in the area with a dedicated women's program tailored to offering a safe and non-judgmental space for women to learn to defend themselves”
The House of Muay Thai
“From beginners to those with prior experience, The House of Muay Thai has a class for every skill level and is the best place to learn and hone your skills.”
Chaos Jiujitsu
“Absolutely love it and would recommend to anyone looking to start or even continue your training.”
Tiger Academy of Martial Arts
“My daughter has been taking classes for about three months and absolutely loves it.”
Virginia Beach Jiu Jitsu
“The instructors are phenomenal and so are all of my training partners.”
Why these companies made our list
Is this page useful? Yes
No
Is there anything wrong with this page?
