Impact! Kickboxing Fitness
“High intensity workout with great, friendly trainers, and good airflow for the COVID-19 concerned”
Best Self-Defense Classes near San Carlos, CA
1 of these schools is based in San Carlos; the others serve San Carlos from towns including San Francisco (20 mi), San Mateo (4 mi) and South San Francisco (14 mi).
9 open weekends · all 10 rated 4.5+
Data verified October 16, 2026
10th Planet Jiu Jitsu San Mateo
“Very welcoming environment with high quality instruction and a fair price for the area.”
AB Mixed Martial Arts Academy
“There are classes throughout the day and even though the pros train there, it feels surprisingly comfortable to workout there.”
Evolve Training Center
“I am very proud of my gym that instantly managed to switch to zoom online classes once the corona crisis started.”
Colhado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy
“I've being training for years and it's one of my favorite places to go for self improvement”
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Ralph Gracie Jiu Jitsu
“I love doing the conditioning class ( Gracie Fit) and Muai Thay.”
Short self-defense courses listed for San Carlos, CA are spread across the 10 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: San Carlos, CA
The 10 schools on this page are rated from 4.7 to 5.0 across 917 reviews; 7 have 50 or more reviews. The topics that come up most in reviews of the schools on this page are "atmosphere", "community" and "skills". 9 are open on Saturdays and 3 on Sundays. 2 have a BBB rating of A or A+. Domain records put 6 websites of the schools on this page at ten or more years old; the oldest dates from 1997. 1 is family- or locally-owned and 1 lists coupons or special offers. We have a website on file for all 10 of the schools on this page; 8 publish a contact page; 6 list a public email and 4 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 San Carlos describe their courses online?
All 10 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.
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Marco Nascimento Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
“Great teachers for families and kid friendly as in they have the patience and knowledge in their teachings.”
Empire Jiu Jitsu
“It's been almost a year since I joined, and will stay a member for as long as I'm in this city.”
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Aikido By the Bay
“Aikido by the Bay is great place were to go, the atmosphere in there is very welcoming.”
510 Judo
“Both are incredibly talented and generous instructors as well as active fighters at the top of their game (Jonah is a recent national champ in Judo and Omar competes in the pro Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu circuit).”
Why these companies made our list
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