View Profile
Ralph Gracie Jiu Jitsu
“My grandchildren, a male 8 years old and a female 6 years old are learning so many self defense skills as well as learning discipline and how to focus in general.”
Best Self-Defense Classes near San Mateo, CA
3 of these schools are based in San Mateo; the others serve San Mateo from towns including San Jose (31 mi), San Francisco (16 mi) and San Carlos (4 mi).
23 open weekends · all 24 rated 4.5+
Data verified October 16, 2026
View Profile
Impact! Kickboxing Fitness
- Trainers
- Self Defense
- Bags
“The instructors I had were so helpful and welcoming (Erik, Erika, Jinnia, Grace, and Kenny) and fellow students and front desk staff were kind and motivated.”
View Profile
10th Planet Jiu Jitsu San Mateo
- Belts
- Drill
- Atmosphere
“He really fosters a great training environment as he cares about helping me with my technique and always makes me feel welcome every time I go to class!”
View Profile
Caio Terra Academy
“Thank you Nick and Caio for the awesome support you have given over the years to the coaches and students of Performance Martial Arts Academy in Roseburg and Springfield, OR.”
View Profile
Ralph Gracie Jiu Jitsu
“From the warm reception to the expert guidance of the skilled instructors, the academy provides a welcoming environment suitable for practitioners of all levels.”
View Profile
Romulo Melo Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Competitor
- Learn
- Mat
“This place has the cleanest mats of any place I've been to, encouraging teammates even on days when you feel like you have the flexibility of a concrete block, and welcoming and patient coaches if you're new.”
Short self-defense courses listed for San Mateo, CA 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: San Mateo, CA
The 24 schools on this page are rated from 4.5 to 5.0 across 1,161 reviews; 8 have 50 or more reviews. When students and parents rate these schools on specific qualities, they most often praise professionalism (90%), quality (87%) and value (73%). The topics that come up most in reviews of the schools on this page are "skills", "atmosphere" and "community". 23 are open on Saturdays and 9 on Sundays. 2 have a BBB rating of A or A+. Domain records put 17 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 7 list coupons or special offers. We have a website on file for all 24 of the schools on this page; 17 publish a contact page; 16 list a public email and 14 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 San Mateo?
Many do. 3 of the 24 listed here sit in San Mateo and the others are within 35 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.
View Profile
Evolve Training Center
“You truly get what you put in, but the overall environment, alongside the staff, coaches, and the members is what truly keeps me coming back daily not only to better my skills but also health.”
View Profile
King's Martial Arts Academy
- Discipline
- Respect
- Black Belts
“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.”
View Profile
Silicon Valley Kung Fu Academy
“My son has been going here for 5 years and he really loves the activities and the tournaments where he gets to win Medals, 🏆Trophies great great Kung Fu teacher.”
View Profile
Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu Martial Arts Academy
- Competitive
- Judo
- Son
“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.”
View Profile
AB Mixed Martial Arts Academy
- Learn
“The head instructor Antonio Braga Neto is truly world class, he's super technical, and very patient.”
View Profile
Empire Jiu Jitsu
- Concepts
- People
- Technical
“Kurt and Jake are some of the most passionate people on the planet about BJJ, every time I get a chance to make it to the Bay you will find me here training!”
View Profile
Colhado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy
- Competitors
- Community
- Learn
“Matheus is a great instructor, he teaches the fundamentals and sprinkles in fun and exciting challenges, positional sparring, flow rolls, etc to keep you guessing and to keep training exciting.”
View Profile
Gloglo Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Belts
- Mats
- Train
“I've trained at a couple different BJJ schools before finding Gloglo's and I find that Gloglo's is the most family friend BJJ school I've encountered.”
View Profile
Aikido by the Bay
- Atmosphere
- Classes
- Self Defense
“The adult classes are great for all ages (our newest member is 70yo) and backgrounds (I danced ballet for 26 years), no previous martial arts experience required.”
View Profile
San Jose Boxing & Fitness
- Strength
- Skills
- Learn
“The people here are will be respectful of your fitness levels and will work with you to be better, not the typical "look at the mirror" patronage you get accustomed to in gyms.”
View Profile
Bay Jiu-Jitsu
- Train
- Learn
“In addition, you don't realize how good Stephan is at explaining positions until you train with other black belts and realize high level belts don't always equal great teachers.”
View Profile
Marco Nascimento Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
“He had the biggest facility (and that was before this new, even bigger, location in Foster City), best schedule with daily lunch and evening classes (and now 6:30am too!”
View Profile
Heroes Martial Arts
- Learn
- Train
- Mats
“The reason why I joined this academy is because they're very welcoming, the coaches are all very helpful, the mats are very clean, and especially because there is no ego here!!”
View Profile
Peace of Mind
- Jeet Kune do
- Boxing
- Community
“I have been taking personal training and boxing sessions weekly with Tim for over a year focusing on Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chun, Kali, Western Boxing and Savate Boxing.”
View Profile
Charles Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy
- Tournaments
- Adults
- Discipline
“My son competes several times a year in tournaments, and Alex and Gianni are always there to support him, regardless of when or where or how long the tournaments are”
View Profile
510 Judo
- Adults
- Learn
- Environment
“I have a black belt in Aikido and decades of experience in martial arts and for me Sensei Jonah has been one of the best martial arts teachers l have ever had.”
View Profile
Saiko Fitness and Martial Arts
- Cristiano
- Belt
- Judo
“What I found was a supportive group of great people that take the time to help everyone regardless of skill level, physical level and amount of available time to train.”
View Profile
Team Santos Jiu Jitsu
- Competitions
- Community
- MMA
“Walked in a small gym when I was 19 years old, tried my first day at jiu jitsu with team Santos almost 5 years later I'm still lucky to be training with them.”
Why these companies made our list
Is this page useful? Yes
No
Is there anything wrong with this page?
