PSD is THE best school in Philly for practical self-defense and martial arts (JKD, Kali, Grappling). If you have zero (or even if you have a little) experience, I suggest taking their Foundations 101 course. Afterward, you can take what you learn and live a better life, or expand your knowledge by joining as a member.If you are interested in only the fitness aspect, you can only take the boom boxing classes. It’s a great workout and you learn a little technique. It’s a little more personalized than other fitness boxing classes.Allen, Joe as the rest of the instructors are martial arts nerds, so if you are really into it, you will get a lot out of it. If you only want to get fit and learn a little, it’s great for that too. Their classes are scalable to all levels without any pressure. Just know that there has to be some level of stress, this is self-defense, after all.Striking, Grappling, Weapons and Self Defense Awareness are what you learn at PSD. It’s a complete system. They post the schedule on IG, which makes it easy too.

I took both the Women’s Self Defense Workshop and the 6-week Self Defense Course!Both were extremely worthwhile and taught me something new each class.The instructors use different teaching styles and terminology to make an intense subject as realistic and practical as possible.Would definitely recommend if you’re trying to learn techniques, strategies and movements to improve your ability to defend yourself if ever needed!

Allen and Joe from Philly Self Defense came to host a class for our university club. The class was so fun and informative, and received nothing but positive feedback from our members. Joe and Allen were incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, and were able to teach the material in a way that made sense. We’re looking forward to having them back again soon!

The 6 week Foundations of Self Defense Course was honestly one of the best structured courses I have ever taken, in any subject. I was a complete beginner with zero martial arts experience but Joe and Allen worked throughout the course to teach me and the rest of the class the important relevant and practical basics to self defense. The class is incredibly well structured in that the basic strikes, footwork, and body mechanics are taught early on, and then built upon later in the course, making the skills simple and most importantly, practical, to learn. Additionally, Joe and Allen were great, humble, all around instructors and very open to answering any questions related to the course. It was an amazing overall experience!

I cant recommend this class enough!!!! Taking my daughter to the 6 week self defense class was one of the best decisions Ive ever made! Both Allen and Joe taught her skills that I know will keep her safe. The class is broken down to specific moves techniques and circumstances. Everything from being grabbed by your backpack to getting up off the ground while being pinned.They are patient, fun and very informative. You can tell they care so much about their students and their well being. I highly recommend PSD to anyone considering self defense classes. I feel comfortable sending my daughter off to college knowing shes had this training.Thank you so much guys!!!!!

There are so many great things to say about this place. I took the six-week self-defense foundations course, and highly recommend it to anyone looking to learn invaluable self defense skills from knowledgeable instructors in a non-threatening, small group setting.I feel empowered coming out of these six weeks, and its honestly jarring to think about life without the skills and self-awareness I learned in the foundations course.

Great guys! Affordable...realistic self defense tactics. Ive trained at many places, civilian and military...great price for the skills taught. I would recommend this dojo!

Philly Self Defense provides practical martial arts training for beginners through advanced students, focusing on all ranges and aspects of self defense (unarmed, grappling, weapons, etc...). The instructors are extremely knowledgeable, accessible, and well-connected in the martial arts community, bringing in several other high-level instructors for special trainings and seminars. Very highly recommended.

Excellent instruction balancing a variety of theories and practical application for all levels.

There is the martial arts school on the corner of your block, and then there is Philly Self Defense. Not only are the instructors impressive at their martial arts, but they are great teachers as well.There is a great culture at the school too- as soon as you step in, you feel like one of the guys. I joined because it is the only legit school that teaches Jeet Kune Do. The passion of the instructors for the arts that they teach is infectious- Ive gained much interest in Catch Wrestling and Kali.There is a reason you dont usually see some of the arts taught here- it is not the mass produced crap you see on every block. These guys are legit and teach you comprehensively, and allow you to connect the dots that actually connect many martial arts together.

As the oldest student there (54 yrs. old) for a little over 6 months now, I can truly say that both of my instructors are phenomenal. My fear was that I wouldnt be able to keep up with the instructions and with the younger adult students due to my age. To my surprise, whether your a beginner or an advance student, they all work and practice together in helping each other reach our goals! Since I joined I have lost weight, learned some no-nonsense get down to the nitty- gritty self- defense tactics! The instructors keep you interested by switching classes, one minute were doing kickboxing, the next minute were doing kali sticks etc. We treat each other with the utmost respect whether its the instructors or students, they make me feel like Im part of a prestige family! Im glad I chose to be part of this school.

Man, these guys can teach!As a female beginner with hilariously little upper body strength (for now), finding a fitting martial arts school and ACTUALLY GOING is an intimidating process -- unless you start your search with Philly Self Defense. From your first class, you will feel totally welcome, comfortable, and encouraged.For those looking to just learn the invaluable skill of defending yourself:Everything you learn here applies to real life. Every movement you learn has a purpose which means your time will not be wasted! Forget about formal procedures and attire. Just dress like you’re going to the gym, but come here and have more fun kicking stuff instead.For those looking for legitimate JKD:At Philly Self Defense, you’ll find structure in learning and adaptability in practice. Every move is deliberate and, at least at the very basic level, chosen for its effectiveness and versatility. They are effective because of their simplicity. This makes structured learning possible without rigid doctrine, because the more simple the movement, the more it can be engrained into muscle memory without compromising the potential for improvisation. Perfecting simple motions instead of complex routines and using them in varying contexts rather than from the same few angles, both prepares you for any attack and gives you the freedom to choose any move necessary instead of involuntarily following whatever routine you happen to practice the most. This form-transcendent philosophy is apparent in each physical motion, but despite its ubiquity, Philly Self Defense beautifully avoids taking it as dogma or mistranslating it as anarchy as many others have. They’ll teach you to fight, not to theorize, and what they choose to teach you is based on evidence and experience, not untested theory or tradition. If anything, check out their endless wall of certificates (you’ll see Dan Inosanto’s name up there). I challenge you to not be impressed.FOR ANYONE LOOKING FOR GREAT TEACHERS:Allen and Joe are both incredibly friendly and patient instructors, but they do far more than just instruct. They clearly have a passion for the art, science, sport, and utility of martial arts. Every question I’ve asked, Allen has answered thoroughly--complete with an explanation of the strategy or anatomy involved and spot-on advice about how to fix whatever it is I am having trouble with. Although, most of the time his initial explanation is so thorough, that when he asks if I have any questions, I honestly don’t have any! I haven’t gotten to practice as much with Joe yet, but when I did, I’m fairly certain he read my mind several times. Granted, most of it could be explained by an ability to read people well and lots of teaching experience.A few other things:-Their rates are extremely fair!-The location is barely a block and half north of Girard & Front Street so there’s plenty of SEPTA around.-The floor is now completely covered by foam padding, squishy enough to fall onto and firm enough to sprint on if you had enough room.-If you decide to email them through the form on their website, when you click ‘send’ the email gets sent, but the page might not change.And if anyone was wondering about the character limit of Google+ reviews, it’s enormous :-D

PSD is like a fine truffle hidden in the fertile soil of the River Wards. If you like punching, kicking, and choking things but dont have the stomach for prison, come on down and try out some classes with Philadelphias most exceptional martial arts instructors. Joe and Allen have something like 40 years of combined experience and a wealth of knowledge that makes Wikipedia look like the cartoon on the back of a cereal box. Once you learn the fundamentals of jkd, catch as catch can wrestling, bjj, and Filipino Kali, youll wonder why you ever wasted your time on that ridiculous stamp collection. Absolutely no kata.