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Fonseca Martial Arts
- Happy
- Sensei
- Team
“Thankfully our future AI overlords do not teach the classes, instead we get some truly great instructors and a flexible schedule with classes almost every day.”
Best Self-Defense Classes near Evanston, IL
2 of these schools are based in Evanston; the others serve Evanston from towns including Chicago (14 mi), Northbrook (9 mi) and Schiller Park (11 mi).
3 open 24/7 · all 24 open weekends · all 24 rated 4.5+
Data verified October 18, 2026
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Serafin Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- MMA
- Learn
- Environment
“Eventually I moved to California and trained at a high level competition gym (Cobrinha), but would have never been able to make the transition without Jeff's initial instruction.”
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Degerberg Academy of Martial Arts
- Black Belt
- Discipline
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
“As a mother, I've seen a positive transformation in my child, with top-notch instructors who are adept at teaching a variety of martial arts disciplines.”
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Krav Maga Illinois
- Practice
- Learn
- Confidence
“Also i like that you pay a flat monthly fee and you can come and get as many lessons as you want, there are classes for boxing, BJJ, Kali, weapons defense, KO bag, strength and conditioning, so there are lots of them, and you can go to as many as you...”
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Chicago Mixed Martial Arts
- Learn
- Train
- Atmosphere
“Rosie teaches most of the Muay Thai classes, and she is an incredible coach who will really get to know you and who cares a lot about helping everyone improve their technique and getting more women involved in MMA.”
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Valko Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy
- Morning
- Train
- Mat
“While I'm not a member here, Jay Valko is both a very hospitable gym owner and coach and has welcomed me to at open mats/trial classes various times.”
Short self-defense courses listed for Evanston, IL are spread across the 24 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: Evanston, IL
The 24 schools on this page are rated from 4.9 to 5.0 across 2,070 reviews; 21 have 50 or more reviews. When students and parents rate these schools on specific qualities, they most often praise professionalism (96%), quality (90%) and communication (73%). The topics that come up most in reviews of the schools on this page are "atmosphere", "skills" and "confidence". 3 are open around the clock; all 24 are open on Saturdays and 12 on Sundays. 4 have a BBB rating of A or A+. 15 have ten or more years of experience, the longest 62 years. 8 list coupons or special offers. We have a website on file for all 24 of the schools on this page; 21 publish a contact page; 16 list a public email and 11 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.
Do the schools on this page travel out to Evanston?
Many do. 2 of the 24 listed here sit in Evanston and the others are within 20 mi, which matters less in this category because the instructor usually comes to your room. Ask about travel before you rule out a school on the address alone.
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Warrior Evolution MMA
- Matter
- Learn
- Goals
“I've learned so much already, I feel more confident in my daily life, I have a community that supports me and I was in college the last time I was this fit.”
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Brazil 021 Chicago
- Shape
- Professor
- Sport
“Professor Andre and Professor Hannette have been outstanding teachers---very positive, encouraging, and very detail oriented when it comes to techniques.”
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Downtown Jiu Jitsu Club Chicago
- Equipment
- Train
- Mat
“Exceptional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes at this gym offer a perfect blend of expert instruction, dynamic training, and a welcoming community, making it a top choice for both beginners and advanced practitioners.”
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Firearm Mentor
- Self Defense
- Laws
- Concealed Carry
“Just took a class with Marcus and by far is the best teacher I ever had he made learning interactive and fun ( I believe this helps with information retention) the class was very informative would definitely recommend anyone who wants more informatio...”
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Alpha Krav Maga Compound
- Facility
- Passion
- Fitness
“I was not very experienced with Krav Maga and a little nervous about training alongside some very impressive men and women, but Master George, Instructor Diana, and the entire team do an incredible job of supporting all of their students, no matter a...”
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Renzo Gracie Chicago
- Walking
- BJJ
- Mats
“I looked up lots of videos online the history of its origins and the dominance of the style in the early days of UFC by physically smaller individuals.”
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Flying V Martial Arts
“My son has been going for the past 3 years, my husband and I have many years of Tae Kwan Do experience ourselves and the instructors at Flying V are THE BEST with kids!!!!”
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Benjilany Striking
- Expertise
- Skill
- Self Defense
“I came in for my first class without a single shred of experience, and the entire coaching staff has been exceptional on training me from the ground up.”
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Supreme JIU Jitsu Chicago Idriz Redzovic Gym
- Community
- Professor
- Showers
“Supreme also provides a variety of world class instructors, professor PJ brings an energy to each class that is unmatched, you can always hear the passion in his voice, while Professor Mike's really has a way of slowing things down and making things ...”
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Threshold Martial Arts / Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
“For anyone looking for a physical activity and positive learning regimen your child will be able to apply the rest of their lives, I would strongly encourage you to bring your young person to Threshold to benefit from Coach Shimuk's tutelage.”
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Mission MMA & Fitness
- Muay Thai
- Learning
- Environment
“Said Hatim is an amazing coach; he's very knowledgeable, humble, and has a great sense of humor and approachable way of explaining things that makes you excited about learning and working on progressing.”
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Redzovic Jiu Jitsu Lincoln Square
- Grappling
- Atmosphere
- Team
“The new person who wants to get fit, the person who wants to gain confidence that he or she can defend themselves in a street altercation, the athlete who wants to get back into the 'game' and compete, or even just the average Joe who is bored with j...”
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Vianna Brothers Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy
- Culture
- Train
- Atmosphere
“Between instruction from blackbelts' Daniel, Evan, Jermaine, Von, Eden, Izzy, Paul and other high level competitors like Mike and Joe, you simply cannot get better instruction, whether training GI or No Gi.”
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TDC MMA + Fitness
- Walk
- BJJ
- Shape
“I'm a 4th degree black belt under Royler Gracie and have been training nearly 30 years in BJJ - so many of my formative years were spent on the mats at TDC with Dino and the crew.”
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Double Five Jiu-Jitsu
- Mats
- Train
- People
“Am disabled with one hand due to an accident and they all treat me the same and help teach me techniques more suited for me , great gym the owner and his wife(good amount of female students as well) are amazing people and very skilled at ju jitsu !”
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Mind Body Defense
- Matter
- Learn
- Self-Defense
“The instructors themselves are helpful, patient, and genuinely fun to be around- and you can tell they do a lot to ensure it's a safe, welcoming environment.”
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Hyper Fight Fitness
- Learn
- Coaches
- Motivated
“!!!! I remember I started off just going twice a week, then slowly increased to 3 days per week, then increased to 4 days a week, and now I'm at the point that I try as much as possible to go 5 to 6 days a week”
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Gracie Barra Chicago-West Loop
- Sense of Community
- Professor
- Learn
“But I would say what i learned here, especially the details in the most basic techniques, are the ones I still use effectively even after 2 years of jiu jitsu(not long I know).”
Self-Defense Training Services in Evanston, IL Cost Estimates
Minimum cost
$168
Maximum cost
$502
National Average
$257
Avg Per Hour Rates
$67
$223
$346
Fair price range is based on 326 cost profiles
Why these companies made our list
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