The 9 best martial arts schools in Charlotte
Martial arts schools around Charlotte range from Brazilian jiu-jitsu academies with competition teams to taekwondo for preschoolers, Okinawan karate and self-defense, and most let newcomers try a class free or for a few dollars. This list covers nine schools in Charlotte, Pineville, Huntersville and Stallings, with programs from age 3 through adults. Charlotte Jiu-Jitsu Academy is the only school here that posts monthly membership prices, $125 to $180 for kids and adults; the others post trial classes or go over prices by phone. The list is for parents looking for a first program, adults starting jiu-jitsu or karate, and families who want to train together. Entries are listed alphabetically, not ranked.
How we chose
Each school showed 2026 activity: a live class calendar with November 2026 bookings, dated 2026 events or posts, dated 2026 press, or a website updated in 2026 with a current schedule. Picks are based on the instructors’ ranks and lineage as each school states them, the programs for children and adults, trial rules and posted prices. Competition results and titles come from the schools’ own sites unless an entry names another source. Boxing and kickboxing gyms are on a separate list. A judo club whose website still carries placeholder text was left out, along with schools that could not show 2026 activity. No school paid to be included.
Charlotte Jiu-Jitsu Academy
Founder and head coach John Piper keeps this NoDa academy unaffiliated, so the school belongs to no jiu-jitsu association and students may wear gis or rash guards from other gyms. Piper won the 2013 IBJJF Masters Worlds at brown belt and, as a Master 4 black belt, took gold at the 2024 No-Gi Worlds after silvers in 2015, 2019 and 2023, according to the academy.
Why we chose them
- Adults pay $150 a month for two days a week or $180 unlimited, with no contracts.
- Lil’ Pups, ages 4 to 6, and Bulldogs, 7 to 12, pay $125 a month; unlimited Bulldogs is $150.
- The first two classes are free, with no credit card required.
- Veterans train free on the second Friday of each month at 6:45 a.m.
- Arrive 10 minutes early in a T-shirt and shorts with no zippers, pockets or jewelry.
Address: Charlotte (NoDa) — 2508 N. Davidson St.
Charlotte Martial Arts Academy
Sensei Michael Price has trained in martial arts since 1986, and co-owner Mary Roberts focuses on helping girls and women at this south Charlotte academy, which teaches self-defense drawn from systems such as Krav Maga plus kickboxing rooted in Western and Thai boxing. Students 7 and up, including parents, train together in family-style classes at their own level.
Why we chose them
- A trial class is $10 and includes a T-shirt, with sign-ups by age group.
- Little Dragons, ages 4 to 6, take two 30-minute classes a week.
- Sparring starts later, as structured technical sparring, and young children don’t learn submissions.
- The school says coaches are background-checked and drug-tested.
- Birthday parties last 90 minutes and include board breaking.
Address: Charlotte (south Charlotte) — 3420 St. Vardell Lane, Suite E
Charlotte Taekwondo America
This southeast Charlotte school has served Charlotte since 1997, according to the school’s site, and draws students from Matthews, Mint Hill, Stallings, Indian Trail and Monroe. Programs are split into Preschool Martial Arts for ages 4 and 5, Kids Martial Arts for 6 to 12 and Teen and Adult Martial Arts for 13 and up.
Why we chose them
- Parents are encouraged to watch kids’ classes and can join adult classes themselves.
- Prices aren’t posted; new students request a web special through a form.
- Birthday parties and a summer camp are on the program list.
- Wear comfortable exercise clothes and bring a water bottle to the first class.
Address: Charlotte (southeast Charlotte) — 1609-C Sardis Road North
Golden Eagle Taekwondo
Programs at this Huntersville school run from Little Eagle for ages 4 and 5 to kids, teen, adult and family classes, and children 6 and up enter a black belt curriculum of kicks, forms, sparring and self-defense. Tournaments are optional, so students can reach black belt without competing. An after-school program picks up from about 10 nearby schools.
Why we chose them
- The free trial class includes a one-on-one introduction, and no uniform is needed.
- Taekwondo Movie Night on December 11, 2026, is $25 per child, pizza included.
- Summer camp for ages 5 to 12 is $250 a week, and non-students are welcome.
- After-school families pick up by 6 p.m.
- The front desk answers Monday through Friday from 3:30 to 7 p.m.
Address: Huntersville — 13020 Rosedale Hill Ave., Suite C
See the full directory listing
Lucas Lepri Jiu Jitsu Academy
Lucas Lepri, from Uberlandia, Brazil, came to the U.S. in 2009 to teach at Alliance New York, and his academy, also called Alliance Jiu Jitsu Charlotte, is part of the Alliance team. After 11 years in a first Charlotte location, the school moved into a 9,000-square-foot space with about 4,000 square feet of mats. Lepri, a fourth-degree black belt, leads a staff that includes black belts Edson Oliveira and Chris Braunsdorf, according to the academy’s booking site.
Why we chose them
- New students get three free trial classes.
- Kids classes are grouped by age: 3 to 5, 6 to 8, and 9 to 13 and up.
- The November 2026 schedule lists a Saturday women-only class and a Saturday open mat.
- Adults train in gi and no-gi at fundamentals, intermediate and advanced levels.
- Book trials through the site form or at (980) 245-2014; Sundays are closed.
Address: Charlotte (southeast Charlotte) — 9129 Monroe Road, Suite 140
Master Chang’s Martial Arts
Master Do Hyun Chang opened his first school in 2010 and now runs two, in south Charlotte and Wesley Chapel, with a SouthPark school listed as coming soon. Taekwondo programs run from Tiger Tots for ages 3 to 5 through kids, teens, adults and families, the school has a demo team, and birthday parties and a summer camp round out the menu.
Why we chose them
- The first class is free; a two-week unlimited trial with a uniform is $99.
- A $149 four-week kids package includes a private first lesson and a progress report.
- Trial students can bring a friend free, and there’s a two-week money-back guarantee.
- The front desk is open weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings, and closed Sunday.
Address: Charlotte (Rea Farms) — 9804 Sandy Rock Place, Suite C, with a second school in Wesley Chapel
SipJin Taekwondo
Pamela Richardson, who has taught taekwondo since 2009, founded this east Charlotte school in October 2021, and What Now Charlotte reported on November 8, 2026, that the school is moving into a 2,000-square-foot space in the same shopping center, nearly doubling the mat space. Classes cover taekwondo for ages 4 and up, aikido three days a week and gummoodo, a Korean martial art with sword and archery training.
Why we chose them
- Classes run Monday through Saturday, including noon classes for adults.
- Women’s self-defense classes are available by appointment.
- Four taekwondo instructors and several aikido instructors are on staff.
- Check which unit classes are in before a first visit, since the school is moving to a larger unit in the same center.
Address: Charlotte (Eastway Crossing) — 3124 Eastway Drive, Suite 530 (moving to Suite 680)
TMA Charlotte (Top Martial Arts)
Owner Jae Ho Lee, a third-degree black belt under Roberto Traven, founded Top Martial Arts in 2012, and the Pineville gym’s schedule mixes Brazilian jiu-jitsu with Muay Thai, judo and no-gi, and wrestling. Eric Perkins, a second-degree black belt, leads the adult and kids programs and the competition team, and Osvaldo Batista is head Muay Thai instructor.
Why we chose them
- A one-week free trial comes with no contract.
- Kids BJJ, for ages 6 to 12, meets Monday through Thursday at 5 p.m., with no-gi on Wednesday, and Saturday at 10:15 a.m.
- Adult BJJ starts at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays for early risers.
- Saturday open mat runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Schedule changes for weather or holidays go up on the gym’s social media pages.
Address: Pineville — 565 N. Polk St.
Toma Dojo – True Karate
Sensei Philip Hoskins has run this dojo since 2008, teaching Okinawan Uechi Ryu, a traditional style with Okinawan and Chinese roots. He began training at 14 under Sensei Ray Soltis and says he earned his fifth-degree black belt during a 2023 trip to Okinawa. Kids train at ages 7 to 12, and teens and adults train on their own schedule.
Why we chose them
- Kobudo, the weapons class, meets Fridays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday’s all-ranks class runs 10 to 11:30 a.m., followed by open mat until 1 p.m.
- The dojo’s events page listed a live main-stage demonstration at Stallings Fest on September 19, 2026.
- Prices aren’t posted; request a trial online or call (704) 771-6851.
Address: Stallings (Matthews mailing address) — 2717 Old Monroe Road
Prices, hours and opening status last checked November 13, 2026. Call ahead where an entry says to.
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