Best Martial Arts Schools 2022
Mind Body Defense
Mind Body Defense offers classes and workshops in self-defense and kickboxing as developed by Head Instructor, Torriente Toliver, at his studio in Chicago. All classes are one hour and focus on kickboxing skills, self-defense, and weapons training. Private lessons, workshops, and seminars are also available.
Tandang Garimot Martial Arts & Wellness
Tandang Garimot Martial Arts & Wellness offers classes in the Filipino martial art of Garimot Arnis de Mano at DePaul University campus in Lincoln Park for adults and children. The studio offers free trial classes, six-month contracts for Filipino martial arts, Rooster Dojo Gold membership, Tai Chi with unlimited classes, and a one-year membership program. Other options are available for part-time students and there is no start-up fee for new members.
Shuri Karate Dojo
Shuri Karate Dojo was founded in 1995 to teach children and adults a traditional style of karate founded on the small Japanese island of Okinawa. The dojo holds weekly and biweekly classes for those aged 6 and above, and it uses a structured syllabus to take students from beginner to black belt and beyond. Adam Carter has been practicing karate for more than 45 years and is ranked 7th dan black belt.
Krav Maga Force
Krav Maga Force is an official Krav Maga Alliance training center in Chicago offering programs in fitness and self-defense using a variety of martial arts techniques. Krav Maga classes are available for adults, children, and teenagers. Other programs include self-defense workshops for women, force training for law enforcement and military officers only, a program created specifically for the corporate workplace and VIP training designed for individuals or third party protectors hired to protect high profile persons.
Lions Tae Kwon Do & Kung Fu
Lions Tae Kwon Do & Kung Fu is a martial arts training facility in Chicago offering classes for children and adults. The master instructor, Gabriel Serrato, holds a fourth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and has more than 25 years of experience. His assistant instructor and son, Diego Serrato, began his training at the age of three in 2007 and holds a second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a black belt in Shaolin Kung Fu. He also holds more than 20 trophies and medals earned in competitions.
Chicago Kitoh Shotokan-Sugiyama Karate Do
Chicago Kitoh Shotokan-Sugiyama Karate-Do teaches traditional Shotokan karate classes in Chicago for adults and children in the style developed by Sensei Shojiro Sugiyama. The Chief Instructor, George Schlauder, has practiced traditional Shotokan Karate for 30 years and holds numerous affiliations including the International Traditional Karate Federation, American Amateur Karate Federation, World Traditional Fudo-Shotokan Karate-Do Federation, and more. Other Master Instructors assist during regular classes with Sensei Sugiyama teaching on Thursday evenings.
Forteza Fitness, Physical Culture and Martial Arts
Forteza Fitness, Physical Culture and Martial Arts is a unique martial arts studio offering a combination of traditional martial arts and modern self-defense with personalized fitness training, nutritional counseling, and more. The 100-year old facility is the midwest’s only full-time school teaching traditional western martial arts and historical swordplay. The school is also home to the Forteza Combatives Method that blends Bare-knuckle boxing, Catch-wrestling, with martial blade concepts and the Bartitsu Club of Chicago dedicated to the revival of the Lost Martial Art of Sherlock Holmes, a unique Victorian fighting discipline.
Hyun's Hapkido Taekwondo & Self-Defense Schools
Hyun’s Hapkido Taekwondo & Self-Defense Schools offer two Chicago locations for students of all ages and levels of experience. Grandmaster Kwang Seek Hyun holds a 10th degree Black Belt in Hapkido and has trained over 12,000 students and 9,000 police and corrections officers in the US since 1969. The school holds multiple awards, recognition, and letters of appreciation and is cited by the American Tae Kwon Do Federation and the National Martial Arts Research Foundation as “one of the top 10 schools in the US.”
Ultimage Martial Arts
Ultimate Martial Arts teaches a variety of martial arts and fitness classes at their training center in Lincolnwood. The state-of-the-art center features the latest equipment, two training studios, spacious changing rooms, and more. Classes are available in Krav Maga, kids martial arts, Muay Thai, yoga, Zumba, and more for students of all ages and levels of experience. The owner and founder of Ultimate Martial Arts, Master Pena, has nearly 30 years of instruction experience and an impressive list of Tae Kwon Do credentials, awards, and champion students to his credit.
Master S.H. Yu Martial Arts & Fitness Associates
Master S.H. Yu Martial Arts & Fitness Associates led by Grandmaster Yu, a ninth Dan, teaches traditionally focused classes in martial arts. Master Yu offers a 12-week program teaching an integration of skills from Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, karate, Kung Fu, judo, and Aikido. This program includes unlimited classes during the week for children and adults in Oak Park and River Forest. Martial arts camps are available throughout the year focusing on skills such as nunchucks, ninja camp, and airborne kicks.
Beverly Pagoda Martial Arts Academy
Beverly Pagoda Martial Arts Academy, Inc. offers classes in Pagoda Ryu, karate, Tae Kwon Do, judo, self-defense, and grappling for students of all ages. The Lead Instructor, Shihan Kates, Sr., holds the levels of Sixth Dan-Renshi, Sixth Dan-Pagoda Ryu, Sixth Dan-Shorin Ryu-TKD, and is a certified Judo Coach. Kali Silat is available from certified Kali Instructor, Sensei Digby, and Aikido Yoshinkan is taught by Sensei Charles.
A Center for the Martial Arts
A Center for the Martial Arts is a no contract dojo offering martial arts training for children, teens, adults, seniors, and families. Aikido classes are available for students of all ages and include weapons training. American Kenpo is presented in the effective self-defense style of Grandmaster Edmund K. Parker and DanZan Ryu Jujitsu is modeled on the self-defense techniques of Henry Seishiro Okazaki. Tai Chi classes are available in the Temple Style for adults and teens. The Worth center is open seven days a week.
Expert Answers To Common Questions:
- Introduction
- What is martial arts?
- How many martial arts are there?
- What is mixed martial arts?
- Is boxing a martial art?
- What martial art did Bruce Lee use?
- Can adults learn martial arts?
- What martial art should I learn?
- What is the best martial art for self defense?
- What martial arts are airbending and firebending based on?
- What is the most effective martial art?
- Is kickboxing a martial art?
- Is cobra kai a real martial art?
- Can you teach yourself martial arts?
- How much are karate classes?
- How much are martial arts classes?
- Which martial art is best for my child?
- How much do kids\' karate classes cost?
- Does Keanu Reeves know martial arts?
- Q: Introduction
- A: Whether you're a martial arts novice, or someone with a little more experience, a martial arts studio is the perfect place to improve your skills and get in a bit of extra exercise. There are many styles of martial arts, ranging from traditional forms of karate and tae kwon do, to more recently developed ones, such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts. No matter what style you're interested in learning, a reputable martial arts studio will provide you with an experienced teacher, proper equipment, and a class full of other students of varying skill levels.
- Q: What is martial arts?
- A: The term martial arts refers to Mars, the Greek god of war, and includes the systems and traditions used for self-defense, military purposes, and physical and mental competition. Today martial arts are mainly practiced as sports, and the various styles have large followings across the world.
- Q: How many martial arts are there?
- A: There are various forms of martial arts, many of which originated in East Asian countries, although there are styles that started in Brazil, Israel, the United States, and elsewhere. In total, there are more than 170 martial arts practiced today. Some of the most popular are aikido, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, kung fu, karate, and kickboxing.
- Q: What is mixed martial arts?
- A: Mixed martial arts is an extreme combat sport that dates back to the mid 90s, where participants are allowed to use the martial arts style of their choice to fight one another. This is in contrast to traditional martial arts competitions, in which masters of a single style are pitted against one another.
- Q: Is boxing a martial art?
- A: Boxing is one of the oldest martial arts and has been practiced for thousands of years. It's considered a martial art because it fits the four main criteria: it can be used in a warlike setting, it can be codified in writing, it aids mental and spiritual development, and it preserves the history of a culture.
- Q: What martial art did Bruce Lee use?
- A: In both his films and professional competitions, Bruce Lee was known for using a variety of styles including wing chun, tai chi, boxing, and street fighting. Over the years, he blended these traditions into a single personal style called jeet kune do, which translates to "way of intercepting the fist."
- Q: Can adults learn martial arts?
- A: Adults can and often do learn martial arts, finding them to be an excellent way to improve their physical fitness and compete with those of similar skill levels. It's never too late to learn a martial art, and there are some styles, such as tai chi, that feature slow movements suitable for older adults.
- Q: What martial art should I learn?
- A: Since there are so many styles of martial arts, you have an opportunity to a style that best suits your temperament. If you're looking for a fast-paced style that requires a lot of endurance, boxing or karate could be good options. On the other hand, judo is more passive.
- Q: What is the best martial art for self defense?
- A: Krav maga is a more recently developed martial art created in Israel. It's known for its practicality in war-like situations and is used today by many defense forces, including the Navy SEALs.
- Q: What martial arts are airbending and firebending based on?
- A: Airbending and firebending are fictional martial art forms featured in Avatar: The Last Airbender. However, despite their fictional setting, these forms are originally based on real-life martial art styles. Specifically, airbending is based on bagua, while firebending is based on Northern Shaolin.
- Q: What is the most effective martial art?
- A: The most effective martial arts are often the most practical, eschewing the ornamental gestures found in kung fu and other traditional styles. Krav maga, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and karate have all been used with great success in mixed martial arts tournaments.
- Q: Is kickboxing a martial art?
- A: Kickboxing is considered a martial art, as it involves combat-related practices that can be codified into a written system and used to preserve culture. While kickboxing is under-recognized in the United States, European countries such as the Netherlands feature it heavily.
- Q: Is cobra kai a real martial art?
- A: Cobra kai isn't a real martial art. It's a fictional style created for the film The Karate Kid. However, it does borrow real-life elements from the Japanese martial art karate.
- Q: Can you teach yourself martial arts?
- A: Like many sports, martial arts require others to practice with and compete against, so self-teaching isn't recommended. Martial arts also require an experienced teacher, not just to demonstrate the correct motions and posture, but to ensure you're performing them correctly.
- Q: How much are karate classes?
- A: On average, karate classes cost $40 per hour. This can vary widely based on your location, the quality of the teacher, and the style of karate. In addition to the cost of classes, you can expect to have other less-frequent expenses, such as purchasing uniforms and padded training gear.
- Q: How much are martial arts classes?
- A: The average cost of martial art classes ranges from $25 to $50, but this can vary based on where you live and the martial art style you want to pursue. Some martial arts such as kendo require expensive equipment, while others don't.
- Q: Which martial art is best for my child?
- A: Karate has been a popular option for children since the eighties, as it does not use weapons and offers a healthy full-body workout. Children enrolled in Karate classes will learn not just to train their body, but their mind as well.
- Q: How much do kids\' karate classes cost?
- A: Kid's karate classes generally cost the same as adult classes, running $40 on average, based on location and other factors. Private lessons are more expensive and can cost up to $100 for a 30-minute session.
- Q: Does Keanu Reeves know martial arts?
- A: The fighting styles used by Keanu Reeves in the Matrix and other films aren't just for show, and come from years of training and practice. Keanu Reeves has formal training in karate, jiu-jitsu, wushu, boxing, krav maga, and aikido.