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Ralph Gracie Jiu Jitsu
“If your kid is into any kind of martial art, this is the place to go!”
Best Self-Defense Classes in San Jose, CA
14 schools listed · 10 in San Jose · 13 open weekends · 13 rated 4.5+
Data verified October 16, 2026
Caio Terra Academy
“Professor Caio is an amazing instructor, as well as awesome teaching from Marco, bruno, Rafa and all the other coaches at CTA.”
King's Martial Arts Academy
“One of their first lessons they teach to rank up is the idea that "fighting is wrong", and they focus on defending yourself to get away rather than attacking.”
Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu Martial Arts Academy
“My kids have been students here since 2015 and it's been rewarding to see my kids' growth and maturity thru the meticulous instruction and discipline of the academy.”
Gloglo Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
“They won't hesitate to help you and are very technical with techniques.”
San Jose Boxing & Fitness
“Clean safe & a great place to workout!”
Short self-defense courses listed for San Jose, CA are spread across the 14 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 Jose, CA
10 of the 14 schools we list are based in San Jose; the other 4 serve San Jose from Sunnyvale (11 mi), Campbell (6 mi) and Fremont (17 mi). 13 of the schools on this page have a rating, from 4.5 to 5.0 across 620 reviews; 5 have 50 or more reviews. The topics that come up most in reviews of the schools on this page are "skills" and "atmosphere". 13 are open on Saturdays and 3 on Sundays. 1 has a BBB rating of A or A+. 9 have ten or more years of experience, the longest 58 years. 1 offers a free trial or consultation and 5 list coupons or special offers. We have a website on file for all 14 of the schools on this page; 9 publish a contact page; 9 list a public email and 8 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 Jose describe their courses online?
All 14 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.
Heroes Martial Arts
“Dropped in for an open mat and wow, everyone was super welcoming and the level of competition is excellent.”
Saiko Fitness and Martial Arts
“The curriculum is very practical and integrates some wrestling & judo which I really appreciate as many BJJ gyms have poor stand-up skills.”
Nikko Jujitsu School
“I enjoy watching the kids and they have a lot of events that help create ohana!”
Self-Defense Solutions
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Baem Jiu Jitsu
“I have been a member of Baem for over 3 years and the instructors do a great job in making sure the environment is very inclusive.”
Daruma Dojo
“I have been going for almost a year and lost 15 lbs from my Juijitsu Journey.”
Heroes Martial Arts: Campbell (Formerly Samurai Bjj)
“I trained here for a few months and truly appreciated every interaction and the detailed instruction.”
Smash Gyms Sunnyvale
“Smash Gyms had excellent coaching, a great facility, and tough competitors.”
Why these companies made our list
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