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De La Costa Academy
“Cross training is encouraged, and while anyone can drop in whenever the Saturday morning open mat seems to attract lots of non-regulars, which is awesome.”
Best Self-Defence Classes in Ottawa, ON
9 schools listed · 8 in Ottawa · 7 open weekends · all 9 rated 4.5+
Data verified October 19, 2026
We are still growing
There are too few quality options within 12.5 miles radius, so we have expanded area of coverage to up to 200 miles from you. This includes Ottawa and several other cities.
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Krav Maga Ottawa
- Volunteer
- Adult
- Course
“I have an understanding now of how to take care of myself if the worst should happen, and I feel confident the easy to learn, practical moves taught in the class will stay with me enough to be useful if I need them.”
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Brave Martial Arts Institute Inc.
“Highlights: welcoming; respectful; no egos; excellent programs and instructors for kids, teens and adults; an abundance of training partners of all sizes and skill levels; huge, clean, modern facility.”
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Ottawa Academy of Martial Arts
“Sensei Hammer, Aaron, Amy, Justin, Jo, and Eric, the whole team is honestly the nicest people I've met in my life with a whole lotta experience to back it haha you'd never expect these kind folks to be good at wrecking pads boxing bags and faces but ...”
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Tina Takahashi Martial Arts
“Tina Takahashi is a family business and students are treated like members of the family helping each other out on their technique and facilitating new friendships.”
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Zen Mixed Martial Arts
- Community
- Samurai
- Muay Thai
“As soon as they arrive they eat a very good snack (healthy and different every day) and then they have either a martial arts class or a group activity for the younger ones.”
Short self-defence courses listed for Ottawa, ON are spread across the 9 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: Ottawa, ON
8 of the 9 schools we list are based in Ottawa; the other one serves Ottawa from Manotick (20 km). The schools on this page are rated from 4.5 to 5.0 across 659 reviews; 6 have 50 or more reviews. 6 are open on Saturdays and 2 on Sundays. Domain records put 3 websites of the schools on this page at ten or more years old; the oldest dates from 2003. We have a website on file for all 9 of the schools on this page; 8 publish a contact page; 6 list a public email and 3 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 enrol.
Which course providers listed for Ottawa describe their courses online?
All 9 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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Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Ottawa
- Understand
- Felt
- Environment
“James also knows how to cater his instruction to both the newbies and the advanced students, and always makes time to answer your questions (BJJ related or not).”
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Inner Hero Martial Arts & Fitness
“You can tell he really enjoys what he does.”
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Gracie Barra Manotick
“The instructors are not only highly skilled in their respective disciplines, but they are also incredibly patient and dedicated to helping students of all levels achieve their goals.”
Why these companies made our list
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