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Pai's Taekwondo
“Pai's Taekwondo has helped my son develop the self-discipline to overcome many of his attention struggles while simultaneously rebuilding his self-confidence and desire to make friends.”
Best Self-Defense Classes near Schenectady, NY
3 of these schools are based in Schenectady; the others serve Schenectady from towns including Albany (11 mi), Delmar (13 mi) and Rensselaer (17 mi).
1 open 24/7 · 14 open weekends · 22 rated 4.5+
Data verified October 21, 2026
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Rotterdam Martial Arts
“She feels comfortable here, likely because the staff get to know students and develop a sense of community.”
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JK Kenpo
“Just awesome, the time and dedication they give you is all you need”
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Lions den Martial Arts and Fitness
- Skill
- Muay Thai
- Learn
“I believe through the gym you can order/purchase just about anything you may need, and although I personally didn't do this I know several who did and were satisfied with the quality of their gloves/etc.”
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Empire Defense & Fitness Inc
- Skills
- Muscles
- Classes
“It is an excellent place to workout with the multiple people that come so you can workout with someone experienced to learn and grow, then to work out with not so experienced people to work on your technique to improve yourself.”
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Eddie Fyvie Jiu-Jitsu Academy
- Professor
- Classes
- Learning
“All the instructors and students took the time to help me learn not only how the structure of the classes worked, but also took me aside one on one to demonstrate warm up drills and techniques and answered every question I had.”
Short self-defense courses listed for Schenectady, NY are spread across the 23 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: Schenectady, NY
22 of the 23 schools on this page have a rating, from 4.8 to 5.0 across 794 reviews; 9 have 50 or more reviews. When students and parents rate these schools on specific qualities, they most often praise professionalism (98%), quality (81%) and communication (69%). The topics that come up most in reviews of the schools on this page are "atmosphere", "skills" and "confidence". 1 is open around the clock; 14 are open on Saturdays and 5 on Sundays. 14 have ten or more years of experience, the longest 25 years. 1 is family- or locally-owned and 2 list coupons or special offers. We have a website on file for 22 of the schools on this page; 17 publish a contact page; 16 list a public email and 7 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 Schenectady?
Many do. 3 of the 23 listed here sit in Schenectady and the others are within 45 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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Brian Beaury Jiu Jitsu
- Environment
- Respectful
- BJJ
“It's also an excellent place for women to train because not only is everyone respectful but there is a large group of women who train here and a women's only Jiujitsu class every week.”
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Atlas Jiu Jitsu
- Learn
- Mats
- Train
“Not only do you get to learn from an absolute ox like Coach Ed who is an incredible dude in his own right but he creates an atmosphere that makes you wanna pull up to class, learn, roll and ultimately get better by training with quality partners and ...”
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Girl Fight Fitness
- Environment
- Nutritionist
- Trainers
“I'm so grateful to Girl Fight for providing a safe space both for fitness and for mental and emotional support -- it's been a challenging year and knowing I have a place to come and safely release some pent-up emotions has been a true blessing.”
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Clobber Jiu Jitsu Academy
- Environment
- Practice
- Facility
“As a female, I was very weary about where to join up, but I was encouraged to come and observe a class with no pressure to join or do much of anything but take it all in.”
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High Level Jiu Jitsu
- Self Defense
- Ability
- Professors
“5 year ago me and my son started our Jiu Jitsu journey with High Level, our professors James and Matt are very professional and passionate about passing on there knowledge to everyone that comes through the door.”
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JucÃo
- Environment
- Train
- Team
“This place has a very inviting culture for adult Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and kids class are such a great place for kids to learn self defense and make new friendships”
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Dewey's Martial Arts of Rensselaer County
- Technique
- Shihan
- To Learn
“My wife and I enrolled shortly after our children and it's become a family activity that we all look forward to throughout the week.”
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Aikido School of Self Defense
“Extremely knowledgeable and professional, Rick Wolslayer provides comprehensive training and important tools to help you feel as prepared as possible for any given situation you may be confronted with and makes it fun and comfortable.”
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Victory Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
“I visited a few school prior to to making a decision.”
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Chon-Ji Defensive Arts
- Instructor
“Always wanted to learn martial arts and at 55 years old I found the right class!”
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Kensho-Do Karate
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Saratoga Kyokushin & Alliance BJJ
- Jiu-Jitsu
- Respect
- Learn
“Combat sport training environments are notoriously tough to keep clean due to the sweat equity that is left on the mats, however I have never had any issues because they are cleaned on a daily basis to avoid issues with ringworm, etc.”
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K2strong Krav Maga
“Whether you are training for an event or for your own well-being, you'll learn to be stronger and faster!”
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Matt Secor Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
- Area
- Team
- Train
“The academy itself is immaculate and no matter what someone's goals may be…learning self defense, fitness and flexibility, competition, etc all the instructors and students can help make anyone the BEST VERSION OF THEMSELVES.”
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Team Jucão Cobleskill
“Great coaches with a family atmosphere.”
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Rivertide Martial Arts
- Aikido
“I am a beginner and after researching many different types of martial arts it became clear that Aikido was the one for me.”
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Iron Fist Taekwondo
“Excellent teacher”
Self-Defense Training Services in Schenectady, NY Cost Estimates
Minimum cost
$164
Maximum cost
$490
National Average
$251
Avg Per Hour Rates
$66
$218
$338
Average price range is based on 336 cost profiles
Why these companies made our list
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